I *45 ] 
met, by accident, with what I had inquired after 
with fo little fuccefs. 
As I happened to be at a gentleman’s houfe near 
Edinburgh, in whofe eftate there was a great deal of 
coal, and who was at that time working a level or 
adit; in order to drain off the water, I obferved, 
that the current of water, which flowed from this 
level, feparated a great quantity of ochre, and, emp- 
tying itfelf into a river foon after it came from the 
entry of the level, tinged all the hones and the chan- 
nel of the river, for a good way, of an ochrous 
colour. The tafle of this water was exactly like 
that of a common heel Spaw ; and it afforded a 
purple colour with galls *. As I knew, that this 
water flowed off a great body of coal, I often infufed 
that foffil, taken from the pits near this level, in 
common water ; but the infufions never yielded any 
tindture with galls. I tried in the fame way another 
mineral, that the miners call blaes ; which is a clif- 
fery hratum of a blueifh colour, that often lies both 
above and below the coal : alfo another fohil of a 
brown colour, which is very ponderous, and is called 
by the miners dogger ; a thin feam of which often 
lies in the midh of the coal. However, neither of 
thefe would afford an infufion, that would tinge with 
galls. At laft I got another mineral out of thefe coal- 
pits, which is fometimes found amongfl the coal, but 
is not fo frequent as any of the former ; and this fully 
* Within two miles of this place there is a fteel Spaw of good 
repute for the performance of feveral extraordinary cures, which 
gives the fame tincture with galls, and appears in every refpedt to 
be the fame with the water, that flows from this level. 
Vol. 50. U 
anfwered 
