1849.] Miscellaneous. 169 



7. During the time of heaving the coals overboard (after the hurri- 

 cane) and trimming, no heat was perceptible, nor was any found on 

 trimming ship by the coals on the 10th March, the day before her 

 arrival at Point de Galle, and which was 54 days after the hurricane. 

 The coals came from Russell & Co.'s Priscoe Pit at Newport, S. Wales ; 

 the ship was a good deal detained for want of coal by a strike amongst 

 the workmen, so that "Mr. Russell," says Capt. Ogilby, "may have got 

 coals from some other pit to help us along unknown to me." 



8. The Dock Master at Newport informed Capt. Ogilby that " he 

 had never heard of spontaneous combustion taking place in coals shipped 

 from Newport (or that side of the hill as they call it), although it 

 frequently happens to those taking coal from Cardiff; and not long 

 since a vessel had her decks blown up and was otherwise damaged by an 

 explosion. 



9. Capt. Ogilby adds that the ship Urania, which he commanded in 

 the Bombay trade, had two narrow escapes previous to his joining her 

 from the coal shipped in Liverpool merely for dunnage taking fire. 

 The first time, as soon as the cargo was out and the coals begun upon, 

 and the second time just as she had got to anchor and broken into the 

 after-hold to get up the passengers' baggage. 



Papt II. — Chemical Examination. 

 Visiting the ship for the express purpose I could only obtain small 

 fragments, which were said to be part of the damaged coal, the whole Of 

 which I was informed was buried in one of the two heaps which the 

 cargo formed when it was landed at the Peninsular and Oriental Com- 

 pany's wharf. The steamers Haddington and Precursor coaled from 

 these heaps, but their officers failed to find any damaged coal amongst 

 the heaps, and this, although in the case of the Haddington, I had 

 written to a highly intelligent officer on board to be on the look out for 

 it. Hence it would seem that as far as external appearances went, there 

 was not in the main body of the heated part any very great change. 

 Still as we know that considerable heating might go on (as in the case 

 of emitted gases) without much alteration in mere appearance, I have 

 subjected what I could obtain to careful examination, of which I now 

 state the results. 



The pure undamaged coal. 

 This is a very bright glance, and indeed a highly specular coal on the 



z 



