tion and fubdivifion of his fubjedf; he ob-
ferves, that hills of whin or other concomitants
of coal, are not to he confidered as
interfering the ftrata. The coal field in
fife (he fays,) reaches from Stirling to St.
Andrews j and is sn fome places about io.
miles broad. He then explains how coal;
may be exhaufted ; and obferves, that this,
fubftasce is- firffc mentioned in Englifh records
of the year 1234, and in Scottifh
1291. ' Some remarks follow on the ftate
of coal at Newcaftle, Whitehaven, and in
South Wales, from which laft, the mines
of Cornwall are fuppfied. Further obfer-
vations follow on the coal trade, and on
the fuppofed exiftence of large beds of
coal in the ifland called Cape Breton, Nothing
can exceed the prolixity of his declamations
on this fiibje£b, which, rarely
prefent one ray of. folid information,
In
In p. 207, Mr. Williams proceeds to give
fome.inftruftions to landed gentlemen, on
the real and fallacious appearances of coal,
and p, 233, he particularly confiders petroleum,
which he fays is often found in ftra-
tified limeftone at a great diftance from coal.
He afterwards delivers his opinion, that coal
confifts pf antedeluvian timber.
He then, p. 242, &c. enumerates fix
kinds of coal. f. Caking coal, fuch as that
of Newcaftle, but fcarcely known in Scotland.
2. Rough or rock cpal, as that of
Lothian and Shropftiire.'5* 3. Stone or fplent
coal of a flaty texture; common in Lothian
Fife, Ayrshire, and in fome parts o f England,
(I believe that of Kingfwood, near
Briftol is of this kind.) 4. Cannel or parrot
coal, as that of JWiggan, and aifo found
near Edinburgh, 5. Culm or blind coal
* This kind feems always to border on primeval hills of
porphyry, &c. as the fir ft on limeftone.
which