168 
solves, on being immersed in water, or even on exposure to the air, 
into a fine soft clay. It contains a portion of bituminous matter, 
and generally has an unctuous feel, on which account the Scotch 
colliers term it creeshy hlaes, or greasy hlaes. 
Not only do these strata vary in different districts, but, even in the 
same district, a considerable difference will sometimes be found in 
the strata ; and these differences may even arise fi'om varieties fre- 
quently occurring in the same species of strata, from which may result 
several distinct strata, differing in colour, quantity, coherence, &c. 
whilst a stratmn of another kind may occur only once or twice. 
The following Example of the different Strata of Earth, Stone, and Coal, in a Coal Mine to the 
loest of Dudley, in the County of Stafford, will serve to give you an idea of the manner in 
which they occur: 
Strata. 
No. 1 Yellowish clay, immediately under the mould, 
2 Bluish clay 
more compact and firm, called chinch, and bearing the impression of pla 
softer than No. 3, 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
ts 24 
9 
4 
21 
75 
5 
1 
3 
4 
4 
b 
0 
A bank (stratum) of grey stone, . . . . . . .... 
Whitish yellow clay, 
Hard grey rock, with faint impressions of vegetables, 
Clunch, in which fossil plants are found, 
Bench or bank coal, (black and glistening) 
Slipper coal, (abounding with coals) 
Spin coal, (a blacker and glossy coal) 
Stone coal, (pretty like Cannel coal) 
These four beds were separated by bats, a hard stony earth, 
Dunrow bats, 
14 Grey iron-stone, called grey-bench, 0 1 
15 Bluish bat, in which is found iron-stone, . . . . . . . . . . ..03 
Blackish and hard iron ore, called white-row grains, the grains being like shot, . . 13 
Hard grey iron mine, spotted with white, called mid-row grains, . . . . 0 2 
Gublin bat, a black fissile substance, an iron ore, in which a bituminous shivery 
earth abounds, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..02 
Gublin iron-stone (an iron ore, hard, blackish, and spotted with white) . . . . 0 9 
Bat, resembling No. 18, . . . . . . . . . . . . . • ..16 
Cannoc iron-stone, hard and grey, . . . . . . . . . . . • ..06 
22 Bat, somewhat harder than No. 20, .. .. .. .. .. '.. .. 10 
23 Rubble iron-stone, in grains, grey and hard, . . . . . . . . ..06 
24 Table bat 2 0 
25 Foot coal, a coarse sort, 10 
26 Bat, black, brittle, and glistening, 
27 Heathen coal, .. 6 0 
28 Bat coal, an ordinary coal, in a thin bed, and does not burn well, . . ..01 
29 Bench coal, 2 0 
80 Bat, - 0 6 
Ft. In. 
4 0 
5 0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
180 6 
