262 Description of the North West Coal District. [Sept. 
was found in the same level, dipping N. N. W., which gives, m the three shafts, 
a difference of level of only two inches, and a line of dip and of bearing in each dit- 
ferent, but the strata the same. Every appearance indicated lower beds of coal, 
than any yet cut through ; and I continued sinking in shaft No. 1, in hopes of find- 
ing the' low main, with some difficulty in keeping the water under, from not being 
able to keep the men at w ork by night on account of the bears and tigers, until I 
found the last stone bank suddenly change its declination from half au inch to the 
foot, to an angle of 45°. This great dip would make it appear a primary formation, 
although, I am inclined to think, it is merely, what is termed amongst miners, a 
trouble, occasioned by the wheeling of the strata ; I, therefore, did not sink farther, 
as the coal is always fouled by these occurrences. I am now preparing to w ork the 
nine feet bed, from the six inch band, that covers the nine inrli seam of coal, up to 
about six feet with an arched roof, leaving three feet of coal above the arch : the 
three inches of clay slate that intervene will prevent the water of the eight feet lied 
from dripping down, and the feeders, of the seam or bed in work, will descend be- 
low the springing of the arch, and leave the roof tolerably dry. When the mine has 
been worked in this manner to a certain extent, the nine inch seam and three feet 
bed, can be readily wrought, leaving the six inches and two inches bands on the 
floor, as waste or dead ; but if the mine is continued in work for any length of time 
it would he prudent to carry the waste up, and leave the floor clean. The coal of 
all these three beds, is of an excellent quality ; its cleanliness renders it peculiarly 
adapted for culinary purposes ; it resembles the Sunderland coal in every respect, 
but leaves more cinders and ashes. 
2. An account of the strata met with in sinking the colliery at Ratdganj. Dec. 1815. 
ft. in. 
Yellowish clay, mixed, in some places, with soft black concrete pebbles, . . 6 1 
Grey sandstone slightly calcareous, . . . . 5 0 
Yellow soft clay slate, . ■ .. ..3 0 
Clay slate, rather sandy, with a mixture of mineral charcoal, . . 1 0 
Very hard, bluish, streaked, and brittle slate, . . 7 6 
Tesselated band of grey basalt, dipping to tbc S. E. two inches to the foot, 1 2 
Coarse grained, very hard, and gritty slate, bluish grey colour, . . 3 6 
Very hard stone band, grey tesselated basalt dipping S. E. one inch to the foot, 1 10 
Very hard, bluish, streaked slate as before, . . ..70 
Blackish clay slate, with faint impressions of vegetables and small bits of pure 
coal in many parts, . . . , ..68 
Black clay slate without impression of vegetables, . . ..29 
Black soft muddy clay, . . . . . . ..04 
Coal No. 1, slaty and dirty, .. .. ..13 
Clay slate, . . . . ..02 
Coid No. 2, better than No. 1, .. .. ..0 4 
Coal metal, or hard shale, . . . . ..02 
Coal No. 3, pretty good, .. .. .. ..13 
Coal metal, or bard black shale, . . . . ..07 
Coal No. 4, pretty good, .. .. ..8 0 
Coal metal, or shale, . . ..03 
Coal No. 5, very good, . . . . . . ..90 
Argillaceous stone band, with impressions of flowers, . . ..06 
Coal No. 6, better than any of the above, . . , . ..09 
Argillaceous stone, with impressions of flowers, . . ..02 
Coal No. 7, better than the last, .. ..3 0 
Black hard shale, .. .. ..2 1 
Sandstone band, . , . . ..05 
Hard black shale, with impressions of vegetables, . . 13 
Coal No. 8, bad, and full of gold coloured pyrites, . . 11 
Tesselated claystonc, with impression of vegetables, . . 2 4 
Grey sandstone band, . . ..02 
Shale, with impressions of vegetables, .. ..0 5 
Grey sandstone band, . . ..04 
Shale, with impressions of vegetables, . . ..03 
Grey sandstone, . . , , ..20 
Sandstone, clay slate, and other matter mixed in a confused manner, . . 3 7 
Hard, sharp, gritty, grey stone, with cutters, .. 3 6 
Total feet 88 
