BEVAN — ON THE ANTHRAOITE-COAL. 
77 
coals are wholly bituminous, as they are also at Clydach, Nantyglo, 
Blaina, Beaufort, Ebbwvale, Tredegar, and Sirhowy, all iron-works 
supplied by these north crop or lower-measure coals. The next work 
to Tredegar is, however, Rhymney (ten miles or so from Blauafou), 
which is divided by the river of the same name into Rhymney proper, 
and Bute on the Glamorganshire side. Why I am particular in 
specifying this is, because at Bute appears the first evidence of an 
anthracite tendency in the coal, although but slightly marked. The 
next valley, or that of the Taff, contains Merthyr Dowlais and 
Cyfartha, where the bituminous or coking quality is still decreasing, 
and the anthracite takes its place. Further westward, at Hirwain, 
the tendency is about equal to that of the Cyfartha coal, although the 
latter is superior for melting purposes, explained by Mr. Mushet by 
the mode in which the anthracite material exists, — that of the 
Cyfartha coal being diffused and penetrated by a bituminous cement, 
while that of Hirwain is in distinct leaves. At Onlwyn, nine miles 
from Hirwain, the seams are altogether anthracitous, as they are also 
at Ysti-adgunlais in the Strausen Valley, Cwm Amman, and the whole 
of the Caermarthenshire north crop, until we reach the sea at Kid- 
welly, where are situated the " Vendraeth Vawr," or "stone-coles" of 
old Leland. 
For a long time, the principal use of anthracite was for melting, 
for which process it was always available, and for which it is still 
employed ; indeed, there is a seam of coal worked in Cwm Amman, the 
"Big Vein," which is almost exclusively used for this branch of trade, 
which consumes 50,000 tons of anthracite annually. But as regards the 
iron manufacture, it was looked upon as rather a nuisance than other- 
wise ; for, so far from conducing to good combustion, it almost put 
the fire out, and thus was worse than useless. In 1837, however, 
a Mr. Crane set up a furnace at Ystradgunlais in the Strausen Valley, 
and endeavoured unsuccessfully to make iron with this coal. He 
then tried the experiment of mixing anthracite with bituminous coal 
from other districts, by the help of which he succeeded in smelting 
the iron, though not profitably, as the expense of bringing other coals 
would not allow of competition with works where everything was on 
the spot. But one evening, when he was sitting by his fireside, he 
observed that a lump of anthracite, instead of catching the flame and 
