BEVAN — ON THE ANTHRACITE-COAL. 



75 



rippling waves of ocean as he rose from his eastern couch, and purpled 

 the sea as he sank behind its western waves : the silvery light of the 

 crescent moon danced on the wandering surface of the waters, and the 

 tremulous sea, " meek as a slave before his lord," silently followed the 

 bidding of night's pale queen in this far-off geological epoch ; — but sun 

 and moon are alike silent when we question them as to the times and 

 seasons at which these " sea-mats " of the Carboniferous Period were 

 living things sporting in their beams. Motion entirely fails to convey 

 to us any knowledge concerning geological epochs. These epochs are 

 written only in the lives of species ; and how long conditions suitable 

 for forms of life obtained, is still a question of which even the elements 

 for calculation are not yet arrived at. 



ON THE AXTHKACITE-COAL OF SOUTH WALES. 

 By Dr. J. P. Bevan, F.G.S. 



There is probably no mineral, of all the many that contribute to 

 England's commercial greatness, which is so varied in kind, chemical 

 composition, and appearance, as coal ; and an interesting volume 

 might be written on the different forms under which it is extracted 

 fi'om the earth, under the names of brown-coal, culm, cannel-coal, 

 bituminous coal, anthracite, and the like. Xext to the bituminous 

 coals of Great Britain, the most important are the anthracites or 

 stone-coals ; and of these I propose to give a short sketch, especially 

 as relates to their development in the coal-basin of South Wales. Of 

 their importance commercially there can be no doubt : for, on referring 

 to the " Mining Records " published during last year, I find that 

 960,500 tons were raised in this basin alone, for the purpose of sup- 

 plying 18 blast-furnaces in the counties of Brecon, Glamorgan, and 

 Caermarthen. 



The peculiarities of anthracite have been known for a very long 

 time ; for even old Leland speaks thus of it : — 



'^At Llanelthle, a village of Kidwelli Lordship, a vi miles from 

 Kidwelli, the Inhabitans digge coles, elles scant in Kidwelli Land. 

 Ther be ii manner of thes coles — Ring-coles for smith be blowid and 

 waterid — Stone-coles be sometime waterid, but never blowen j for 



