94 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
of calcinating sufficient quantities, of three calcareous 
treasures for liuildine operations in their immediate 
vicinity, little or nothing was done with regard to the 
transmission of the Lime yields to Sydney, until the 
vear 1842 ; when many large public and private build¬ 
ings being contemplated here, I was induced to enter 
into a contract of a comprehensive character for work¬ 
ing the quarries at Piper's Creek, and transmitting the 
stone, alter the process of calcination, to Sydney. Its 
reception here, by all the leading architects and con¬ 
tractors, was such as, in a very short time, to cause the 
demand to far exceed the suppl y- Colonel Harney, who 
was then at the head of the Koval Engineer Department, 
and who was directing the operations of several import¬ 
ant public buildings, would allow the use of no other 
lime than the produce of marble or limestone, -the 
mortar and plaster for the new Military- Barracks, at 
Paddington, were entirely made from the stone-lime 
supplied bv mvself from Piper's C'reek; the contractors, 
Messrs, Brodi’e and Craig, haying deemed this new 
branch of enterprise to be inviting enough to induce 
them to build a schooner, the Comet, of the dimensions, 
tonnage, and draft of water requisite for the navigation 
of a har-liarbour. The Svdney Synagogue, the Austra¬ 
lian Librarv, and other public'and private structures in 
various parts of the citv, built under the auspices of 
Mr. James Hume, Mr. John F. Hilly, and other archi¬ 
tects as well as contractors, were all supplied with this 
lime; and vet, notwithstanding the urgent demand tor 
it, and the’high cash price which it obtained, 1 was 
compelled to abandon the enterprise; the reason tor 
which is explained in a few words. 
At Piper’s Creek, the marble and limestone were cal¬ 
cinated in the usual manner, but not sluked; the latter 
process being reserved for Sydney. To avoid the dan¬ 
ger of combustion during the river and const-line trans¬ 
mission, the “ roach lime,” as it is popularly called, was 
packed in hogsheads anil casks, and so forwarded, tirst 
bv drays from the quarries to the boat harbour at the 
creek, thence by punt down the M ana and Hastings 
rivers, and thou by coasting, sailing, and steam vessels 
to Darling havbour. The cost of these hogsheads and 
casks (rendered very high by reason of the unexpected 
demand for them, the necessity for their constant coop¬ 
erate, the loss sustained by' so many' non-returns ot 
them from the contractors, the carelessness of labourers, 
and the usual rates of freight being increased, on the 
ground that lime was a hatardous cargo,) were cogent 
reasons for my abandoning a design which, although 
seemingly shewing a high profit, in so far as the price 
obtained in Sydney went, as. compared with the cost ot 
labour at the quarries and kilns, left little or no margin 
when the drawbacks I have named were calculated, and 
hence the abandonment, on my part, of the undertaking. 
The quarries were, however, worked for some short 
time bv othur parties; but the “ cask difficulty was 
not overcome, and lime-burning operations have long 
since ceased at Piper's Creek. , . 
Latterly, however, extensive quarnes have been 
worked by Messrs. Donaldson, on the hanks of the 
Manning river, about 16 hours sail from Sydney, and 
as, from the immediate proximity of the quarries to the 
shipping wharf, the cost of dray and punt traffic is 
avoided ; and as the roach-lime is slaked on the spot, 
and transmitted to Darling harbour in bags, the diUir 
cultv as to the casks is overcome. 
Tie present vield of the Manning river lime-kilns is 
about 2,000 bushels per week ; and upon the comple¬ 
tion of laiger kilns, 6,000 bushels per week can be 
produced. 
I must, however, observe, that the Sydney contractors 
would prefer to receive the roach-lime unslaked. So, 
whether some plan for transmitting the stone (after its 
calcination) in iron tanks may not be profitably adopted, 
is a question deserving careful consideration. 
In conclusion, I may state, that ten years ago, Mr. 
Spence, in the construction of the church at Carcoar, 
used lime obtained from quarries at King’s Plains, a 
distance of about twelve miles from the township, but 
147 miles from Sydney; and so precluding the idea ot 
land carriage, until the extension of railways will place 
the valuable produce of our marble and other quarnes 
within the reach of the metropolis. 
Mr. Brodie is now using ^tone-lime for bouses 
which he is building at Camden, and obtained 
at an easy distance; and I may here mention, 
that the chimney-pieces at Government House (not by 
any means fair specimens) are all composed of marbles 
from our own quarries. Further, that Gypsum (called 
also Plaster of Paris, selenite, and alabaster), together 
with the compound, improperly termed Roman Cement, 
is to be produced in New South IV ales, of as not 
superior, quality to the products of tho capital of b ranee, 
or of the Eternal City. 
I am. Sir, 
Your obedient sen-ant, 
32, Hunter-street, RICHARD THOMPSON. 
August 12tli, 1857. 
ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN AND 
NEW ZEALAND COALS. 
We Rave been favoured by Mr. J. S. 
Norrie, tbe analytical chemist, with the 
following valuable table, which exhibits 
the per centage composition of several 
varieties of Australian and New Zealand 
coals. This analysis was made in the 
latter part of the year 1854. Now that 
the question of steam communication with 
Australia has assumed such importance, 
the information therein contained will, we 
hope, he of service to the English com¬ 
panies, and that it will prove to them that 
our coal fields are not of the inferior 
quality they have been led to suppose. 
Locality or name of Coal, 
Specific 
Gravity. 
Burwood, Newcastle, No. 1. 
Brown’s, Morpeth, No. 2. 
Morpeth, No ; .. 
Newcastle, No. 4.•••••••. 
Newcastle Coal Company., No. 5 ...... 
Albert, Wollongong (cubical). No. 6.. 
Wanganui, New Zealand, No. ,. 
Mantapipi, Do. No. 8. 
Fakawana, Do- V s0 - ”. 
1,343 
1.320 
1 345 
1.200 
1.372 
1.35 
1.31 
1.26 
1.26 
Carburetted 
hydrogen in 
cubic inches. 
90.0 
98.0 
104.0 
79.0 
95.0 
63.0 
95.0 
100.0 
100.0 
Sulphur. 
2.428 
5.063 
2.993 
2.442 
2.580 
1.799 
2.373 
6.995 
0.924 
Ash. 
8.6 
6.8 
4.6 
6.6 
8.4 
9.32 
2.10 
5.10 
3.00 
Per centage 
of coke left 
bv each coal. 
63.7 
69.5 
60.2 
66.5 
68.7 
72.5 
46.3 
45.5 
54.0 
This last variety appears a very superior 
Sr* " d - 
^TriS; black, and shining, obsidian like containing the smallest 
The average amount of sulphur and ash, compared with the 
