254 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



never found except in the immediate vicinity of coal. 

 It appears in a thick bed at e, and above this alternates 

 with micaceous sandstone and shale. No. 8 is a speci- 

 men of this sandstone, with the impression of a large 

 terrestrial plant, locality g. The vegetable remains 

 contained in it are frequently converted into charcoal. 

 At/, is a bed about 30 feet thick of limestone, contain- 

 ing so large a proportion of silex, that it forms good 

 mortar without any admixture of sand. It is exceed- 

 ingly hard, and full of irregular seams and fissures. 

 Specimen 9, locality /. At g the first coal appears, it 

 is only a few inches thick. A short distance above it, 

 iron ore of a fair quality is found. Specimens 10, 11, 

 locality g. From this place, we find the usual strata 

 which form the coal measures of England. Bituminous 

 coal, shale, sandstone, clay and iron stone, in many vari- 

 eties and numerous alternations. The coal strata are 

 numerous, from one inch to six feet in thickness, and 

 very various in quality ; differing materially sometimes 

 in the same stratum. I have designated all that I am 

 acquainted with, which occur within the limits of the 

 section, by black lines. Some of those shown are too 

 small to be worked advantageously, and there are pro- 

 bably several which have escaped observation. 



Iron stone is abundant, and similar to the varieties 

 found in similar situations in England. 



I send a fair specimen of the coal and of the coke pro- 

 duced from it. Specimens 12, 13. The best of the 

 mountain coal produces 84 bushels of coke from 60 of 

 coal. Some of the strata contain a substance strongly 

 resembling wood charcoal in grain and lustre, and occa- 

 sionally a woody fibre is plainly perceptible. Speci- 

 mens 14, 15, locality i. 



The most interesting specimens found in this quarter, 

 are in the deep cuttings at the head of inclined plane 

 No. 3, locality k. A stratum of good coal 2 feet thick 



