E dita

18090.] Deſcription of a Goâl Waggon, Way,&c. 243

As the waggon is going back to the pit, the convoy is pre- vented from jumping out by a pin put through it, between the Ring-iron, and ics end, called the Loiter-pin. The waggons are drawn from the pits to the Staith and back again, on the Waggon-ways.‘There are commonly two of theſe ways at a little diftance from‘each‘ather; that which is neareſt to a level and on which the loaded waggon goes, is called the Main-way 5 and that on which it returns, the Bye-way.

As the horſes belong to the waggon-men, whoſe occupation is not much more profitable than that of a common pit-man, it may be ſuppoſed they are noc excellent cáttle, nor in high order 5 vet ſuch is the advantádge of draft on theſe Rail-roads, that they uſually covey a Newcaſtle chaldron(about 50 cwt.) to the ri- ver fide. If the coal-waggon be ſuppoſed to weigh 10 cwt. no leſs than three ton s thus eaſily tranſported by one horſe. The Staiths are ſolid buildings, two ſtories high; into the upper ſtory the waggon-way enters, and a ſpout projecting over the river ſhoors the coals into the keels, or à trap door drops the coals into the lower ſtory, whence they muſt be ſhovelled into the keels afterwards.- Theſe feels are flat-bottomed craft of ſingular con- fruction and management. Their name is pure Saxon, as thoſe barbarians invaded England in veſſels, called by themſelves and venerable Bede,#ules(kiulæ). They are very wide in the mide

dle, and ſharp at both ends, which are alike. They are rowed

by one immetſe oat, with an equipoiſe fixed on its handle. At this‘one oar the whale crew(uſually three men) exert theic fſrength, while the captain or ſkipper, with an oar-behind, ſteers againſt the effeort of the great var.

Thíiſe féels are marked with näils ât the héad and ſtern, by which means it is known when they have their proper lading aboard. They carry ten Newcaſtle chaldrons‘(about 25 ton) to the ſupping at Shields, and return up the river Tyne with the aid of the tide. The colliers(coal-ſhips) which convey the coals to London and elſewhere, arc known to produce excellent ſeamen z and, as they run eagerly tor priority at market, theif fails and rige ging have been g'adually ſimplified and improved z; in this they hâve ſcfved as patterns to all other ſhipping, and we may ſafely âſlert that all voyages are now performed in two-thirds of the time uſual in the commencement of the preſcnt century, This im- menſe benefit to commerce 1s wholly due to the emulation of the cóllier-veſſels, and therefore finálly ariſing from the fertile ſource of impottant improvements, the Merthèrn Goal Afines.:

Theſpirit of inveſtigation which has lately been buſted on the ſubjed of Coals, arid the reaſonable expectation thac the next ſeſion of parliament will produce ſome efffzua! regulations about the ze=- tage in thé: port of London, has rendered us ſolicitous to give all

poſſible information to our readers on the ſubjec&t.*

* SCE pe 32» Vol, 2,——P.PÞ, 135, 390, of this volume,