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these pieces of wood still retained their ligneous form, though 
actually a vegetable coal. 
In the island of Pago, one of the islands in the Adriatic, is a large 
internal salt water lake, on the bank of which is a mine of fossil 
coal, which is, most probably, similar to the Bovey Coal. It is 
described, by the Abb^ Fortis, as still preserving the distinguishable 
appearance of wood ; but being of so bad a quality, that no use can 
be made of it except in a case of the greatest necessity*. 
Mr. Brand informs us, that Sir Joseph Banks, Bart, and President 
of the Royal Society, so eminent for his knowledge in natural history, 
favoured him with the inspection of a large specimen of fossil coal, 
which is found in Iceland, in strata of considerable thickness, and 
at great depths ; which seemed to exhibit a substantial proof that 
coal originally was wood. Sir Joseph has preserved several trunks 
of it, each of which is flattened, possibly by the weight of super- 
incumbent strata; so that instead of being cylindrical, as the body 
or root of a tree naturally is, it is flat. Some of them are more, and 
some less woody ; one is a fair plank of wood. As the woody ones 
are the greatest curiosities, they are sent in preference. The spe- 
cimen described, appears to have been the root of a small tree, 
with the bark still adhering and remaining on the greatest part of 
it. In the lower part, however, the transformation had proceeded 
further than at the top, so that it was real coal, while the top was 
actual woodf . 
Count Stolberg relates, that bituminous wood may be found 
almost every where, at a certain depth, on the western part of 
Orange Nassau ; in about 200 fathoms west of which is an immense 
quarry of iron stone. 
* Travels into Dalmatia, by Abbe Alberto Fortis, p. 503. 
f The History and Antiquities of the Town and County of the Town of Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne, by John Brand, M. A. 178S1. 
