Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 425

1950

Notices of Coal in China.

387

mountains which support the subterranean treasures, afford disinte- grated granite, of which the celebrated porcelain is fabricated, The furnaces in Kingteh-chin, the great seat of this branch of industry, are chiefly heated by coal procured from adjacent mines. The generic designation for the mineral produced from the Chehkiáng mines, is Kiángshán coal, the naine of the district in Küchau fu, in the S.W. part of the province, whence it is chiefly derived. A large quantity however comes from the conterminous districts of Síngán, and Cháng- shán. The principal mines are at the Wúkwei mountain, near Kí- tung, and at the Chenkiá lake in the first named district. There are several varieties, that most valued is termed " wood coal;" it exhibits, where it is laminated with the fibres of the bituminated vegetable, distinct, bright, conchoidal fracture; at all other points it presents a dull, coarse grained, scgregated texture. Specific gravity, 1.29. It burns with some smoke, and cakes; emitting a small quantity of hy- drogen gas, leaving light colored ashes. It possesses a much larger proportion of carbon than ordinary bituminous coal, and some speci- mens compare very favorably with that brought from England, and stored at Ningpo for H. B. M. steamers; yet generally speaking, the coal found on this continent is unfit for the steam engine, that from the islands being better adapted for such purposes. One of the varieties is called iron coal; "it is slaty, and can be ignited only with the aid of the bellows; another is the Barbarian coal, which burns rapidly, with a large amount of smoke, and resembles brown coal. The peculiar properties of other varieties are designated by their names as "stink- ing coal," crackling," and "smoky coal;"—an inferior quality comes from one of the mines, abounding in sulphuretted hydrogen, and closely resembles the coal found near Canton.

The "wood coal” is generally reduced to powder, and formed into cakes with mud, and employed in furnaces for culinary purposes, and in chafing dishes for warming public offices. It is used to some ex- tent by blacksmiths. Coal cakes are much used at Hángchau, in the liquor shops, in order to keep warm rice-whiskey on hand at all hours of the day; and in the tea shops, where boiling water is in constant requisition. The furnaces are certainly primitive, consisting of a few bricks making a close square or circular chamber, generally about four inches in diameter with a small grate below, and inclosed above. When the cakes are perfectly ignited by a few chips, and the smoke ceases to rise, the top is covered over with mud, through which, before drying an orifice is pierced half an inch in diameter. The vessel containing whiskey is then placed over the hole, and is thus kept hot