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XVI.—On the Mid-Lothian and East-Lothian Coal-Fields

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2013

Extract

I am not aware of any account having been published of the Coal-fields in East and Mid Lothian, or of any attempt to institute a geological survey of the country in which they are situated. Sinclair, the author of a well known work intituled “Satan's Invisible World,” published also in 1672 a treatise on Hydrostatics, in which he takes notice of the Prestongrange coals, and of the whinstone-dike that intersects them. Williams, in his “Mineral Kingdom” (published) in 1810, gives some information regarding the direction of the Gilmerton and Loanhead coal-seams. But the information contained in both these works, even respecting the coal-strata,—which alone they professed to treat of, is extremely vague, and generally very erroneous. Dr Hibbert was the first geologist who with a scientific eye entered on the district, in order to describe with fulness and accuracy any of its rocks. His discovery of the Saurian remains in the limestone-quarries of Burdiehouse, led him to a minute inspection of the strata in which they were imbedded, and to a consideration of the relative position of these particular strata in the Mid-Lothian coal-field.

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Transactions
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1839

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References

page 257 note * The Great Seam has not yet been identified at the places last mentioned; but, judging from the direction of the strata, and the fact that several other coal-strata, that are not far distant from the Great Seam in other parts, have been recognised at these places, I have no doubt it also exists there.

page 260 note * The table referred to in the above remarks having been considered too bulky to be published in these Transactions, extracts from it have been put into the Appendix A.

page 260 note † The table from which these results were obtained, has not been published, with this paper, for the reasons applicable to the other table. The data on which it was constructed, were derived, chiefly from sections given by Farey in his valuable report on the Duke of Buccleuch's coal-field.

page 262 note * This was the case in the figure shewn to the Society. The above wood-cut is on a reduced scale.

page 266 note * The sections referred to are shewn on a smaller scale in Plate XV. at the end of this volume.

page 267 note * So called, probably, from its blazing better than the other kinds of coal.

page 268 note * It is impossible to form any correct opinion on such a point as this, except upon a very extensive range of facts. I have commenced a table shewing the direction of the backs and cutters in different parts of the district, which will be found in the Appendix B.

page 270 note * For an analysis of this ironstone, see Appendix C.

page 270 note † All these places, except the first, are stated on the authority of Farey.

page 271 note * For this table, see Appendix D.

page 283 note * See page 261.

page 289 note * This is on the supposition that the Pentland Hills had been ejected and formed before the epoch of the coal-measures. If they were ejected afterwards, then the coal-seams must have extended much farther towards the west than they do now. I admit that it is by no means easy to determine whether the Pentland Hills were elevated before or after the deposition of the carboniferous rocks. On this point see some observations in the notes explanatory of the Map in the Appendix.

page 290 note * In the shale which forms the roof the Rough or Kailblades coal at Bryants (situated about 25 fathoms above the North Greens coal), I have found a species of Lingula in great abundance. It appears to belong to a species undescribed. It resembles most the Lingula Beanii. (Phillip's Yorkshire, i. 128.) In the shale which forms the roof of a coal-seam near Rutherford Inn, (in the parish of Linton), I have found innumerable remains of the Producta costata (Phillips), with the spines well preserved. The coal-seam is double,—the upper part being 16 inches thick.

page 291 note * See Appendix E.

page 292 note * In the Appendix F, will be found a statement of some experiments recently made, which shew how various are the proportions of hydrogen in different kinds of even the same sort of coal, viz. parrotcoal.

page 295 note * The strata here consisted of sandstone, shale, and limestone. A mass of greenstone had intruded itself among them, and formed several fissures, which were filled with trap. This fact I became acquainted with by a sketch, taken by John Clerk of Eldin, the intimate friend of the celebrated Dr Hutton. This sketch is now in the possession of Mr Clerk's son, William Clerk, Esq. Advocate; and he has besides it several others, also taken by his father, which are of high geological interest. On my suggesting that he would confer a great benefit on science if he would allow these sketches to be published, he expressed his willingness to do so, and stated that he would be happy if the Royal Society of Edinburgh thought them deserving of their notice.

page 295 note † At this spot, situated in North Castle Street, felspar porphyry, of a white colour, and containing iron-pyrites, was found.

page 295 note ‡ I state this fact on the authority of Professor Forbes.

page 296 note * See in illustration of what is here stated, the sections on plate XV.

page 299 note * This is one of the terms given by the pitmen to these clay-dykes—another term is “lunker.”

page 303 note * No. 33, p. 346.

page 310 note * In a bye-road which runs to the east of North Leith church, there was, in 1837, a block of mica-slate about 4 feet in diameter. The author of a useful little work, entitled “Excursions illustrative of the Geology and Natural History of the neighbourhood of Edinburgh,” 1835, states, that he found a block of mica-slate with garnets in it two miles south of Dalkeith. (p. 70.)

page 312 note * It was cut through in improving the Edinburgh road, about two years ago, at Kippilaw, on the north side of the Roman Camp, and near Fordell, on the SE. side of the hill.

page 314 note * Mr Gibson, the coal overseer of the Marquis of Lothian, who communicated to me the above facts, states, that many mote particulars regarding his “gash” or excavation, as he calls it, trill be ascertained in the course of a short time, after a mine now driving has been completed.

page 319 note * A section of this bank is given on page 72 hereof, where there is a description of the upper deposit of small gravel which covers the sand.

page 321 note * Mr Smith of Jordanhill is of opinion, that several of the shells he has found in the superficial deposits in the west of Scotland belong to extinct species—to the number of twelve or thirteen.