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A gently-inclined plane is the moft defrable poſition for thoſe waggon-ways; but few ſituations will admit of this: Upon levels, or eaíy aſcents, a fingle horſe draws the waggon: On fuch parts of the way where the declina-

tion is ſuíficient for the. waggon to move by the power of

gravity, the horſe is taken out and follows behind; and where the deſcents are ſuch, that the waggon would move with too great rapidity by its own weight,(or‘“ zun a- main,”) the motion is regulated by a crooked piece af wood,(called a convoy) coming over the top oí one of the hind wheels; upon which the waggon-man preſſes with ſuch force as he finds requifßte, to regulate the motion of the waggon.*

Tt has been aſſerted, that““ ¿he coals in this county are inexhauflible” Mr Wülliams, in his Natural Hiſtory

of the Mineral Kingdom, is of a different opinion, and

thinks it a matter'of ſuch importance as to deſerve the ſe- rious attention of the Legiflaturez—T owards elucidating this point, it may be of ſome uſe to eſtimate what number of acres are wronght yearly in this county to ſupply the above quantity of coals: In order to accompliſh this ob- ject, the thickneſs and- number of workable ſcans of coal muſt bée firſt aſcertained; for which purpoſe we have been favoured with ſcétions 7 exhiviting the thickneſs and depth of the various ſtrata, in ſome of the deepeft pits in the county; which will not oniy be uſeful for the preſent purpoſe, but we hope will be acceptable to many of our readers, who are curious in reſearches of ſubterraneous geography.

At St Anthon’s Colliery(3 miles eaſt of Newcaſtle) the ftrata from the ſurface to the Low MaixN coal, are:—

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* This mode of conveyance has been uſd here upwards of 120 years.

+ One of St Anthon’s, about z Johanſon; the other of Montague caftle, by Mc Thomas.

miles below Newcaſtle, by Mr Main, about 3 miles above New-

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