64 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 



all its seams and crevices. The coal assumes 

 sometimes after exposure a ferruginous rusty 

 appearance. This coal is probably the oldest of 

 all its kind for it has not only lost all its bitumen, 

 (if it ever had any,) but is pervaded by seams of 

 quartz, which are sometimes four or more inches 

 in width ; it has also seams of Asbestos and Ami- 

 anthus. It is a very hard coal to kindle, but will 

 make a very hot fire, if properly managed ; it is 

 economically used in the proportion of one-third 

 with other coal, where much heat is wanted, for a 

 long time, as for manufacturing purposes, &c* 



7th Diluvium, The Diluvium of the Island is a 

 gravel of all its own rocks, covered with a some- 

 what stiff clay, and has a soil on top, which yields 

 well by cultivation. There are none or very few 

 boulders of any size, which have been transported 

 from other localities, if we except some few, which 

 lay on the shore below high water. 



* When this coal was first discovered, a load was sent to a somewhat 

 crusty old fellow, who had the old fashioned Liverpool coal grate, think- 

 ing that he would be the right person to try its properties, but in his grate 

 which was of a wrong construction for burning this coal, and was par- 

 ticularly adapted for bituminous, the fire soon went out, which caused 

 the old jockey to say, that if he wanted fire proof houses, he would cer- 

 tainly build them of this Rhode Island Coal, for it was the only material 

 of the kind that would stand fire — we should not pronounce judgment too 

 hastily. Rhode Island Coal would be invaluable if we had not a better 

 quality in such large quantities. 



