170 . 



Wood is still very distinct. To the touch they are greasy, 

 and will readily polish with a slight application of the finger 

 nail, being as it were saturated or closed with bituminous 

 matter. In some places the resinous Asphaltum is intermixed; 

 see tab. 186 : in other places is seen the resino-bituminous 

 wood, as it were burnt, or formed into common charcoal, 

 tab. 187. The most perfect Bovey Coal is found at the 

 greatest depth, being as it were a compound of these two, 

 with the bituminous principle less resinous and the Coal 

 more indurated, forming a wood-like bituminous coal. There 

 are 17 strata found in intermediate gradations, composed of 

 many varieties, depending on their situations : the lowest 

 most perfect, about 70 feet deep or more, where the va- 

 rious pressures, and the state of confinement of the different 

 strata, retard or accellerate the process. It seldom forms a 

 large piece of black Surturbrand, although the charcoal be- 

 fore mentioned is as black as common charcoal. It, how- 

 ever, is often very dark-coloured, like part of the lowest 

 figure, and is used as coal by the poor in the neighbour- 

 hood, and at a pottery, established on purpose, as I under- 

 stand, to turn it to account. The smell, however, is offen- 

 sive to most strangers, from its not being a true charcoal. 



" It burns to a charcoal," as Mr. Hatchett observes, 

 u readily, with a flame, like half-charred wood. It does 

 not crackle; and, if completely burned, leaves a quantity of 

 white ashes, exactly similar to those of wood." 



If I might hazard a conjecture, the place seems suited to 

 the phenomenon ; the dip is from the south, where a wood 

 and a bog (as I am informed) rise, as it were, out of the 

 earth ; or in other words, the northern side of this boggy 

 wood is lowest, and has become gradually buried. 



In the vicissitudes and changes that are natural to certain 

 parts of the globe, we find plains formed between hills and 

 mountains, lakes and rivers made level. Should this place 

 formerly have been a large bog, the lowermost and deepest 



