C 539 ] 
wall, to which it might have been tranfported, with- 
out much trouble or expence, being only four miles 
diftant from the navigable river Teignj but the heat 
of the coal was not fufficiently intenfe, and the con- 
fumption of it too great, to anfwer the purpofe. 
When this coal is put into the fire, it crackles, and 
feparates into laminae, as the cannel coal into ir- 
regular pieces, burns for fome time with a heavy 
flame, becomes red-hot, and gradually confumes to 
light white afhes. Though the tranfverfe crevices 
made in it by the fire give it the external appearance 
of a wooden brand, yet, if quenched when red-hot, 
the unconfumed part does not look like charcoal, 'but 
feems to be almoft as fmooth and folid, as when firft 
put into the fire. 
The thick heavy fmoak, which arifes from this 
coal when burnt, is very foetid and difagreeable ; 
entirely different from that aromatic fcent of the bi- 
tuminous loam, which is found adhering to it, but 
much refembling that of the afphaltum, or bitumen 
of the Dead Sea. The whole neighbourhood is in- 
fected with the flench, which is wafted by the wind 
to the diflance of three or four tniles. When burnt 
in a chimney (as it is fometimes in the neighbour- 
hood), the offenfivenefs is leflened by the draught : 
however, it is found, by thofe, who live continually 
in the fmoak of it, not to be unwhollome ; nor is it 
in the leaft prejudicial to the eyes, like the fmoak of 
wood. The moll fhining and folid pieces of this 
coal have not the leaft degree of eleCtrical attraction. 
Notwithftanding the refemblance, which this foftil 
bears to wood, efpecially when viewed in detached 
pieces, yet the following obfervations on its fituation, 
V o l. LI. 4 A its 
