




ie as 
B. N. A, BOUNDARY COMMISSION. _ 
belong to the extreme western part of the interior continental - egion, 
and to the better class of lignites found in the vicinity of the Ri 
Mountains, which are but slenderly represented in my collections, None 
of the lignites yield a proper cokes They merely shtink somewhat in | 
size during the expulsion of the volatile combustible matter, and turn out 

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of the crucible in a dry incoherent powder. The volatile matter is, as 
might be expected, comparatively poor in luminous gases, and the — 
lignites would, consequently, be of little use in the manufacture of 
illuminating gas. 
418. The ash is generally of pale colours; grey and white, pass: Bi. 
ing into yellowish-white, being the prevailing shades. One or two only 
yield a deeply-coloured ash, which is then brick-red. It is small in 
amount in most of the specimens, and does not usually appear of a nature 
to form troublesome clinker. The lignites when burning yield a peculiar 
empyrumatic odour, but no smell of sulphur; and indeed, as might be 
foreseen from the nature of the ash, the quantity of sulphur present is 
very small. 
— 
419. The proximate analyses give, in a general way, the means of 
estimating the value of the lignites as fuels, but there are many other 
considerations which require attention. The ash is not greater, andin 
many cases less, than that contained in most ordinary coals; and cannot = 
therefore be supposed to detract specially from the quality of the lignites. 
The amount of water present is, however, the most serious drawback, 
as it not only counts as so much incombustibie material, being already 
fully oxidized, but absorbs and renders latent a considerable quantity of 
heat, which is necessary to convert it into the form of steam. Thus not 
only the total thermal effect of the fuel suffers, but the pyrometric 
intensity is reduced, which is a matter of special importance in metal- 
lurgical operations, and in the use of a fuel for raising steam, when the 
space allotted to the combustion is limited. Besides the quantity of 
oxygen present in these fuels, already in combination with hydrogen to 
form water; there is an additional quantity,—not inconsiderable in 
amount and probably in the form of various bituminous compounds with 
carbon and hydrogen,—which, as soon as combustion begins, combines 
also with the latter to form water. The weight of this oxygen, 
and the hydrogen necessary for its saturation, must thus also be 
deducted, together with the nitrogen, which is usually present in 
greater quantity than in true coals. We have then remaining, a propor- 
