1809.)  Aineralogy of the South West of Staffordshire. 
. yards feet inch 
23 Fire clay* = fae 
24 Fine-clunch - 4 0 90 
25 Rock = 2 ied alee 
286 Rock binds ~ bayon 2 Ve Gel 8 
27 Parting, which emitted axe 
inflammable dampt ti 20 
28 Rock binds ~ TN ie 8) 
29 Kind elunch = 0) 4.4.0 
30 Broach coalt = 1. 39 
31 Black clunch - 2. a oO 
32 COR - - OS ae 
33 Penny-earth, with iron i pila So 
stonel| 
34 Clunch binds - C2 oh 
35 Clunch with iren stone 0..,2 9 
36 Rock binds | *~ - “Sanne Was 9) 
37 Clunch, with iron stone ‘4 2 O- 
38 Rock binds - o) ji 2.0 
39. Strong rock - 4.1 <0 
40 Rock, with lamine of coal 1 1 _0 
41 Strong rock - 4A 28 
42 Clunch parting = 0 0 10 
43 Chance coal§ - 01.049 
44 Clunch binds - fd iO 
45 Rock, or rock bmds Bo AQ 
46 Clunch, and irom stone 0, 2 a-9 
47 Black batt - 9 Oyu 
48 Clunch coal - 0 0 10 
49 Catch earth (a clench) 0 2 9 
50 Black batt — . ~ On Oe 
51 Main coal 0.5456 
apn 
Main Coal, 
The main coal consists of divisions, 
and indeed may be considered as a num- 
ber of beds, differing regularly in quality 
* Fire-clay, caliea in some places pipe- 
clay, from its having been made into tobacco- 
pipes, for which purpose it is not now used, 
not being white enough. 
+ A Parting, is generally a small quantity 
ef clunch, or soft earth, that separates the 
more considerable beds from each other. 
From these interstices between the strata 
or divisions of the coal itself, generally pro- 
ceeds che inflammable gas, or air, that in- 
commodes_the miners. 
' + Broach coal, is a coal of very good qua- 
lity, which sometimes is got, but generally 
neglected, not being thought sufficiently 
thick to furnish a large enough quantity of 
big coals, to render the working of it pro- 
fitable. 
|| The measure called Penny-earth, is a 
clunch whith contains a considerable quan- 
tity of balls or nodules of iron stone, for the 
sake wf which, pits are sunk in the nelghbour- 
hood of Wednesbury. 
§ Chance-coal is a name given‘ to accl- 
dentai masses of coal, which are not regular 
strata. ; 
@| A smooth schistus, rendered black, pro- 
bably, from vicinity to the coal. 
\ 
267 
U 
and thickness, and separated from cack 
other by very thin partitions, whiéh iw 
some places are wating, so that it has 
been mentioned as a single bed of coal 
of extraordmary thickness, These die. 
visions, or beds, are distinguished by 
peculiar names, which, together . witla 
their thickness, are given below. 
The names. of the beds of the Main Coal. 
, / thickness 
4 Roof-floor, called by Die Fe rae tect ese 
Plot, Top-fioor t sdieira Wen tae 
Parting, about four inches soft and dark 
earth. 
2 Top slipper or speris.? 
qb io pearuiisinnck { ee 2 
3 Jays: a: Pera O75 279 
White stone, called Patchel, one inch. 
4 Lambs - G1 0 
5 Tow, er Tough, or iitts 
or Heath a ’t Vat © 
6 Benches - 9 1 6 
7 Bassils, or Corus S CG 
Foot-coal parting, sometimes only. 
8 Foot coal, or bottum slip= 
per, or fine coal f at 8 
- John-coal parting, one inch, 
9 John coal, or slipps, or veins 1 @ 0 
Hard-stone, ten inches, sometimes less. | 
10 Stone-coal, or long-ceal at 8 
11 Sawyer, or springs MO t.G 
12 Shipper O72 "fh 
~ Humphrey parting. 
13 Humphreys, or bottom- 
bench, or Kid. By Def Cr aus 
Plot, Gintray-floor 
Total of the maincoal 9 1.7 
The coal, including the partings, which 
are more variable in.their thickness than 
the *coa!, generally, exceeds ten yards. 
But even the coal varies in the thickness 
-of the several beds in some degree, 
though it every where preserves the dis- 
tinction of different beds. A verv ex- 
‘traordinary variation occurs, im one in= 
stance. ‘The two upper beds of. the 
main coal, viz. the roof floor, and top 
slipper, separate from the rest of the 
coal at Bloomfield colliery, and the se- 
paration grows wider and. wider-in a 
northern direction. till at length these 
two beds, which, when thus separated, 
acquire the name of the flying reed, orop 
out to day and are lost; while the lower 
part of the coal progeeds on to Bilstone, 
where it consequently has only about the 
thickness ofeight yards. : 
The interval between the two upper 
measures, or flying reed, and the lower 
part of the main coal, is filled up with 
reft 
