186 
10 miles from Florence, I observed there at a siding a large 
quantity of apparently good Lignite piled up, and ready for 
delivery by rail. Further away I saw what appeared 
very like an ironworks, and this being at a little 
country place, with the beautiful hills of Yallombrosa in full 
view, led me to believe the Lignite deposit could not be far 
off, Reaching Florence I spoke of the circumstance to Dr. 
Young, and found he had already taken note of it, and he at 
once proposed I should go and investigate the matter, which 
I did. Proceeding to San Giovanni, and finding a guide, 
we drove out some four to six miles to a small village, 
Castel Lfuovo’’ from which the deposit, or rather workings, 
are about ten minutes walk distant. The country here is 
hilly, very verdant, and abounding in trees, but in the 
direction we came it is gently undulating, almost fiat, and 
continues so to the Yallombrosa hills. The deposit appears 
to commence in the fiat or gently undulating land, and 
stretch out amongst the low hilly district around Castel 
Nuovo. 
The land surface covering the deposits, as far as yet 
investigated, extends to a superficies of about 4,000 by 7,000 
square metres. This is as far as yet discovered, but there 
is more yet in all probability, the manager told me. The 
deposit, so far traced out, is calculated to last for 400 years 
yet. I was told the deposit was only discovered 11 years 
ago, and work was commenced (i.e. output) a few months 
after the discovery. 
The entire deposit is owned by one company, and a tram 
is laid from the deposit to the railway station and the iron- 
works, owned by the same company, and close to the station 
mentioned. 
The workings have at first sight the appearance of a great 
quarry, for the borings or tunnelling proceed longitudinally. 
Through the whole depth of the seam run five or six 
thin bands of greyish clay, 30 centimetres thick, they run 
