ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE COAL DIS- 
COVERED BY THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1875-6. 
BY 
RICHARD J. MOSS, F.C.S., 
Keeper of the Minerals, Museum of Science and Art. 
[Read November 19th, 1877. ] 
DuRING the late Arctic Expedition an extensive seam of coal was 
discovered in Grinnell Land, close to. the winter quarters of 
H.M.S. Discovery, 81° 43’ N.L., 64° 4° W.L. Dr. Moss, late of 
H.M.S. Alert, presented a large specimen of the coal to this 
Society. It is now deposited in the Museum of Science and Art. 
The specimen was taken by Dr. Moss from the seam at about 
fifteen feet from its upper surface, the estimated thickness of the 
seam being about twenty-five feet. The coal possesses the lustre, 
fracture, and other external characters of bituminous coal of good 
quality, notwithstanding that the shale which overlies it is rich 
in fossil remains of a flora of the Miocene period. The coal cakes 
when heated, and leaves sixty-one per cent. of a coherent coke. 
Its specific gravity is 13. The following are the results of my 
analysis, every precaution having been taken to insure that the 
sample analyzed was a fair average of the entire specimen :— 
Carbon, . sae es : 75°49 
Hydrogen, : : 5°60 
Oxygen and Ni trogen, : . 9°89 
Sulphur, * . : , 0:52 
Ash, ‘ : : : 6:49 
Water, : ‘ ; : 2°01 
100-00 
The composition of the coal, excluding water, auljaits and 
ash, is :— 

Carbon, . i : é 82:97 
Hydrogen, : . 6°16 
Oxygen and Nitr ogen, ‘ : 10°87 
100-00 
* Including Sulphur in the form of iron pyrites, 0°36 per cent. 
