QUARRY. 



manners under diilcront cii-aimilaiices, but moiUy by meani 

 of ilrouK crows, picks, and other tools of a limilar kind, 

 beinff wrought in I'omcwhal the fame method as in the cafes 

 of marie. The bufmefs is ufually executed by common 

 labourers. 



Fuller's-earth is another material of tliis nature, which in 

 dug out of the ground from pits and quarries at different 

 depths in feveral parts of the country. In fome it is very 

 abundant, and of a rich good quality, as in thofe of the 



the profperity of the country fo greatly depends, is entitlc-d 

 to the guardian care of its government; to afcertain the 

 prefent expenditure, and the probable flock which is re- 

 maining. Let us not, it is remarked, play the fpendthrift, 

 and, by the follies of a day, entail centuries of want on gene- 

 rations to come, and the curfcs of millions on the memory of 

 the prefent times. 



In endeavouring to find thefe forts of fubftances in parts 

 where pits of them have not yet been wrought, the fearch- 



middle and more northern parts of the ifland, forming an ing, it is fuppofed by the fame writer, fliould, in general, be 

 article of great ufe and demand in feveral branches of done by the land proprietors of the particular places, in a 



bufinefs. In others it is of a much lefs valuable nature, 

 being far lefs in requell. That which is found about Til- 

 lington, in Suilcx, is confumed in the neighbouring fulling 

 mills. The mills of thi;, fort in Yorklliire, and other parts 

 alfo, confume immcnfe quantities. The material is raifed 

 from the places in which it is found in much the fame way as 

 many other earthy fubftances, but it feldom requires fo 

 much diggnig, as it is a far lefs hard matter. 



Fuller's-earth was formerly got up from pits and quarries 

 in the neighbourhood of Maidllone, in Kent, and much 

 ground wrought over ; but the beds of fand by which it is 

 covered are of fuch depths, as to render the works of little 

 ▼alue or importance. 



Quarries and pits of mineral peat-earth are found in fome 

 diftrifts, and much of the material dug up from them, and 

 made ufe of when prepared upon land. The vale of Kennet, 

 in Berkfliire, contains vail quantities of it, as well as iome 

 other parts. It is a ftratified fubftance which is dug from 

 under the furface at t'he depth of from one to fix feet, laying 

 below Ilrata of fmall (hells and calcareous matter. In 

 raifing it, a pecuhar kind of fpade is made ufe of, which 

 cuts it in long pains, fomething like foap, which, when 

 dry, are burnt into alhes and laid on the land. This fub- 

 ftance is feund to contain the oxyd of iron, gypfum, and 



conjoint manner. There are, however, certain inllances, in 

 which individuals may profecute the fearch with propriety, 

 and in the moft beneficial manner. In doing which, the prin- 

 cipal things to be guarded againll are thofe of misjudgment 

 and inipofition. Hence the neceilary prudence of endea- 

 vouring to procure perfons of (Icill and integrity for making 

 fuch fearches ; which are, in the firft place, to be attempted 

 by a clofe invettigation of fuperficial appearances, and then 

 where thofe are favourable in their nature, by the ufe of the 

 boring rod or tool. It is fuppofed that, at prefent, there 

 are none who are equal to fuch undertakings, except thofe 

 who have been long converfant with the bufinefs of coal- 

 works ; men who have an intereft in the exiiling collieries or 

 works of that kind. On this account it is thought to be- 

 come a matter of common prudence, in a given fituation, to 

 endeavour to procure an undertaker or overlooker from a 

 diilant work ; or fuch a one as can have no counter-interefi. 

 to that of his employer ; and then, clofely to conneft and 

 bind them in one common intereft. After having had different 

 occafions for confidering the fubjeft, and for beftowing no 

 fmall thought upon it, the writer is of opinion that the mofl 

 eligible plan of proceeding, in fuch cafes, is that of agreeing 

 with an overlooker, or undertaker, to pay him reafonably, 

 but not extravagantly, for his time, and for his aftual ex- 



the muriates of fnlphur and potafii, in the proportions of pences in profecuting the neceffary fearches ; and, further. 



forty-eight, thirty-two, and twenty parts to that of one 

 hundred. 



It is fuggefted by the writer of the work on " I^anded Pro- 

 perty," that in moll mountainous diftrifts, and many low 

 fenny counties, immenfe colleftions of vegetable mould or 

 peat -earth lie in a ftate of negleft ; even in places where 

 they might be converted to valuable purpofes ; not only as 

 fources of fuel merely, but as manure, either ufing the vege- 

 table matter in its raw ftate, or after being reduced to afiies. 

 In all thefe fituations it might be readily dug up from dif- 

 ferent places, and applied to different ufes in each of thefe 



to agree to give him, in the event of fuccels, a reward fuffi- 

 cient to call forth his beft exertions ; fuch reward to be 

 payable, not on finding coal, but whenever th.> work, to be 

 ellabliftted in confequence of the difcovery, fhall have cleared 

 the amount. In this way the proprietor will feel himfelf 

 fecure, while the perfon employed has the moft powerful 

 llimulus to indulh-y, attention, and the accomplifhment of 

 the objeft of the undertaking. 



Culm and coal have been met with and wrought in fome 

 degree, in Devonfhire, Suffex, and fome other of the fonthern 

 parts of the ifland ; but they exift much more plentifully in 



ways, the pits or other fpots containing it vi'orking in a very the midland and more northern diftrifts, as well as in fome 



eafy manner. The afhes of it are only employed on any 

 large fcale in the above county. 



Culm, coal, and cannel, are articles of the fuel kind, 

 which are found in a vaft number of places, all over the 

 kingdom in pits, mines, or quarries, and which are of the 

 greateft importance in many of them. Speaking of coals, 

 the author of the work on " Landed Property," confiders 

 them as rifing in the minds of moft men, far fuperior to moft 

 other produftions and fubterraneous matters, whether they 

 are held in the light of agriculture, manufaftures, or national 

 defence. It is aflted, if it were not for the collieries of this 

 country, how many hundred thoufand acres of its land, 

 which are now appropriated to cultivation, would be re- 

 quired for the produftion of fuel ? How many maiiu- 



places in Wales and Scotland. In Gloucefterfhire, coal 

 abounds in moft parts of the foreil of Dean, and its vicinities, 

 and probably to within a fmall diftance of the county-town, ' 

 as at Newent and Pauntley, where pits are eftabhftied. 

 Thofe of the foreft trafts are very numerous, but not fully 

 wrought for want of fufficient draining. Pits of this kind 

 alfo exift in many places, in the lower vale part of the 

 county. In this diftrift, however, the coals are no where 

 of the beft quality. 



In the counties of Salop and Somerfet, coals alfo prevail 

 very much, various pits of them in both, being wrought to 

 confiderable extent. Thofe in the northern part of the 

 latter diftrift, have ilrata of them which form an inclination 

 of the plane of about nine inches in the yard ; and are nine- 



faftories, cfpecially thofe of iron, which are fo very valuable teen in number. They are feldom wrought where leTs than 

 to civilized lociety, would be cramped, retarded, and fifteen inches in thicknefs, but they vary from ten inches to 

 flopped, in their progrcfs and operations ? And how many upwards of three feet. The working is performed at con- 

 hardy feamcn vvould be wanting to its navy ? Surely, in fiderable depths, efpecially fince the eftablifhment of im- 

 ^is opinion, an indigenous produftion and piaterial, on wliich proved machinery, and other means for r.iifing them. The 



12 coal 



