for the last ten years the ignorant natives, in its neighbourhood, have adopted a singular mode of evincing their veneration for it, by mutilating its trunk and branches, carrying away bits of it, as a Charm. Probably its Name induces them to suppose that there is something of Witchcraft about it. They first attacked its branches; and then its bark; which last injury will soon destroy it. So beautiful was it, some years since, that its noble Proprietor lamented the impracticability of removing it into his Park. Justly would he have. been entitled thus to transplant one tree, who, around his Castle, planted many thousands.— These flourish so finely, that the Ruin, which towers up amid them, will soon re-acquire its ancient name," the Castle in the Woods." BRIEF NOTICES OF GEOLOGICAL SUBJECTS, CONNECTED WITH THE DISTRICT AROUND DUDLEY CASTLE. GEOLOGY, like History, "contemplates-not only what is, but what has been:" and, except where no living instance of the genus or species, discovered in a fossil state, is to be found, Geology may boast of an advantage over History, by exhibiting exact counterparts of what, in a live or recent state, is seen in the creation. The District around Dudley Castle presents a most interesting field for geological research. Various beds of Coal, Ironstone, and Limestone, constituting vast sources of wealth to their proprietors, and of profitable employment to multitudes of miners and mechanics, there approach the earth's surface; the coal, in some places cropping out, as it is technically termed, and chalybeate springs gushing forth, as if purposely to indicate that, at no great distance are deposited those subterraneal treasures, with which the Creator has stored the earth, to reward the ingenuity, the labour, and perseverance of Man. Of these treasures, in this particular District, the most valuable is-what is denominated the ten yard Coal. Yet it is erroneously so denominated : for, sometimes, it proves twelve yards in thickness, -leaving a roof in the mine sufficiently strong to bear (with props or pillars) the superincumbent weight of, from 180, to 800 feet of various terrene substances, which lie between it and the earth's surface. Previously, however, to treating of this primal Treasure, so valuable to its possessor, and so beneficial to the Public, it will be the writer's obvious duty to familiarize his reader's mind with the intervening Strata, through which the miner has to pass, ere he arrive at it :-a Treasure, which the author once heard a practical Collier emphatically denominate the Yolk of the Egg. Generally, throughout the whole district, those Strata, or Measures (as the miners call them) run, as specified below. For, although there be a diversity in the Measures, and a difference in the Depths of the Pits, throughout the whole District, a Section of one will furnish Facts, on which to found some accurate judgment concerning the others. For this purpose the following is selected from what may be deemed a perfect Mine, at Park-Head Colliery, the Property of Lord Dudley. 1 Soil and clay 2 Brown clunch Ft. In. 5 6 ....30 0 .... 2 0 ... ..10 0 0 3 Thin coal, called the two-feet coal...... 4 Brown clunch, with balls of ironstone 5 Brooch coal, soft, but good in quality. ..... 3 2 6 Bindes ironstone (weight, per sq. yard, 4 cwt.) 3 7 Herring coal and slums, not worth getting 2 3 8 Pins ironstone, good in quality (weight, per square yard, 4 cwt.)............... .... 3 6 9 Strong black clunch 10 Penny earth ironstone, of inferior quality (weight, per square yard, 4 cwt.) 11 Top rock, brown in colour, mixed with balls of ironstone 12 Shutters.. 13 Brown rock 0 2 6 3 ............. ................ 14 Broad earth, consisting of tender brown clunch13 (weight of a square yard, one ton) 17 The roofs; coal, good in quality and very bright 3 18 Ditto white coal, good......... 23 Fine coal-parting; consisting of black clunch 0 26 Stone coal-parting; consisting of strong black bat...... 27 Stone coal; good.... 28 Patchalls; very inferior 22 29 The sawyer; good 30 The slipper; ditto 31 The benches; furnace coal 32 Strong black bat 2 3 0 33 Grains, and whitery ironstone (wt.sq.yd.4 cwt.) 6 0 34 Gubbin (from 5 to 7 cwt. per sq .yard)................................ 6 0 35 Strong black bat............ 36 Top heathen coal; very good......... 42 White ironstone and measures (weight per sq. Measures of a Pit sunk below the thick Coal, in the Foxyard Colliery, by Messrs. Parker & Co. Ft, In. 5 1 From the surface to the bottom of thick coal....42 11 2 Bottom of thick coal to bottom of heathen coal 17 6 3 From heathen coal to bottom of new mine stone 29 4 From new mine to top of sulphur coal ............21 5 Sulphur coal and two others, with the two partings 6 Fire clay 5 7 Coal 8 Fire clay 9 Black bat and coal 10 Rock, mixed with ironstone 11 Coal 12 Fire clay 13 Bat and rock 14 Ironstone measures 15 Rough Rock 16 Fire clay Q |