Should this prove to be the "Snow Shoe" vein, the immense body of coal in the tract beneath it, would almost defy calculation, and tire the mind to follow the long retinu of figures to denote its number. Should it be the Queen's Run, still the amount in its own bed, and the vast amount in the two beds beneath it, would render the supply such as could not in a long series of years be exhausted.

The character of the coal in this upper vein is of the highest order, clear, shining, free from sulphur and clear of slate. It can be mined and loaded at about four tons per day to each man. The floor of the vein is impregnated with iron ore, and should it be found in sufficient quantity to warrant working, it can be removed after each gallery is cleared of coal, by taking up the floor, removing the iron, and leaving the rubbish in the useless space. Even the pillars of coal might be removed from these parts of the mine, the props be taken away to use elsewhere, and that portion of the roof allowed to fall in. By this course the entire coal, with the iron ore, could be worked out, and even the props be made useful a second time.

A shaft was opened to prove the vein, some four or five hundred yards distant from the drift, and the quality of the coal, the thickness of the vein, the general appearance of the strata, were all the same as at the drift, placing the bearing of the field beyond a doubt.

The second vein which was proved, near the " Bear Wallow," shows a sandstone roof, slate floor with eleven (11) inches of coal next to roof, reposing on two and a half feet of superior quality of fire-clay, covering three and a half feet of coal. This forma tion does not correspond with the Rolling vein, and is, I think, additional proof that the upper vein here is not the Queen's Run vein. The upper stratum of coal of 11 inches in this vein is said to be a good gas coal. The fire-clay at Queen's Run costs 70 cents per ton to mine, while at this vein it could be mined at a trifling expense while removing the coal.

The distance between this and the upper vein is 44 feet, while the distance between the Rolling and Queen's Run is only about 18 or 20 feet, which is a still further proof.

The coal also is of a very superior quality, and as no fault, ravine or draught exists between this point and the drift, it must not only underlie the same extent of field, but also all the intermediate space, and a corresponding radius upon all sides of the upper field.

The "Bear Wallow" is not the limit of this branch; it extends over a mile in distance further, in a direct line, from the ・ drift, covering perhaps one thousand acres, or more. Professor Rogers, in his State Report of February 8, 1840, page 158, speaking of this yery tract, says: "This basin is prolonged, no doubt, across the head streams of Beach Creek, and embraces the coal measures at Snow Shoe and Phillipsburg."

I would recommend a series of judicious openings at various points upon this mountain, taking the bench lines as a guide, and thus determine, as nearly as can be ascertained, the certain extent of each vein. This plan, carefully attended to, would occupy a series of some months' work, but the whole might be planned out in a series of observations extending over some few weeks, and the labor be subsequently executed according to the plan, as rapidly as circumstances would permit. It would be advantageous to the general interest of the company to have this done before the final completion of the railroad, as such provings or openings would indicate the most feasible points at which to operate upon the coal beds, and, perchance, have no small bearing upont he terminus of the road, or some, if not all, of its branches.

The almost perfect horizontal position of these beds shows them to have been free from the disturbing influence of many portions of the coal district, and also presents conclusive evidence of their proximity to the central portion of the great coal basin; a position well calculated to render them productive of a superior quality of coal, free from foreign and extraneous matter, and unaltered by chemical or natural changes. The fact of the rich, clear, brilliant, sparkling fracture of coal from this vein is proof of the validity of this statement; and should the fact of these two veins being above the Queen's Run become indisputably established, it would present additional evidence of the perfect repose which has never been disturbed since the formation of this portion of the coal measures.

Inferring from the geological indications which are in all parts of this section so uniformly evidence of extensive coal deposits; taking that peculiar silicious formation, a sandstone of such individual features that it cannot be mistaken; together with the clay slates of various shades of color, and distinctive marks of identity; and the fossils of that class that ever appertain to the coal formation, the geologist cannot but yield to the unmistakable testimony, which is at every step obtruded upon his view, and submit to the conviction, that coal depositions greater than have even been estimated, are buried for the present beneath these mountain surfaces. The formation of the rocks, their mineralogical structure, their fossiliferous products, being such as ever accompany the coal beds, are characters-to point to the location of these resources so necessary to the comfort and social advancement of the human race-written by the hand of Omniscience too indelibly to be effaced, too legibly to be unread, and impressed with the uniform truthfulness and veracity of

Deity.

The same yellow sandstone so suitable for a building material, which I mentioned as being abundant at Farrandsville Mines, is equally so upon this section, accompanied by a white fine

grained sandstone, admirably adapted to the manufacture of glass, and equally ample in quantity.

I find that these various points are most of them well stocked with a good growth of timber, consisting of pine, oak, hemlock, &c. &c., suitable for market, easily accessible, and of no small value. Much of the summit land upon the tables or level tops of the mountains, is of a superior quality for agricultural purposes; and in the opinion of many farmers of intelligence and experi ence, would produce abundant crops of wheat, corn, potatoes, &c.; and should the passes of these mountain districts ever be rendered easy of being travelled over, there can be no doubt but that these lands will be eagerly sought after and occupied by ag riculturists, not only for their productive qualities, but also for their salubrity. Their elevated position, pure air, good water, and naturally rich soil, will cause them to be desirable locations for the tillers of the earth."

If men of families can be employed upon the works, I would suggest the policy of selling to them some fifty acres each, upon condition that they should cultivate the same, reserving, of course, all mineral right, and allowing the payment to be made by a monthly deduction from their wages.

This plan, with perhaps some modifications, would retain in employment steady, honest and sober men; and awaken among those thus settled a feeling of interest in the prosperity of the mines which would be ultimately of the utmost advantage to the company. More labor will be done by a cheerful, interested man, than by one uninterested and having no inducement beyond his daily stipend to urge him to exertion. As an additional incentive to full labor, a moderate bonus might be given to the man producing the greatest quantity of coal, during the month, this bonus to be applied to the payment of the land; thus making him feel that every stroke of the pick, was elevating him to a position of a free landholder; while the balance sheet of the company would manifest in figures, the additional profit certain to arise from such a plan.

The surveyed route of the railroad from the drift to the vein, commences on the south side of the Susquehanna, about one mile below the mouth of the Taugascootac, which latter stream it crosses, and then follows for about four miles upon a natural grade formed by a valley of denudation caused by the course of the creek. The very position of this natural grade would exemplify the perfect repose of this part of the coal basin, to which I have previously adverted. This route is continued until within about five miles of the drift, over which latter portion the grade will be heavier, still not sufficiently so to prevent the construction of an easily traversed road. Leaving the mines, the distance will be about five miles over the heavier grade, then four miles over the natural grade, and terminating upon a level

of several acres, upon the Susquehanna shore, making the entire length nine miles, which can be passed over with the utmost ease by a loaded train in thirty minutes. About 50 or 60 feet from the shore a small island is formed, the channel between which and the shore is at the present low stage of the river about ten or twelve feet deep; capable of accommodating three or four boats side by side, and loading them direct from the cars, with coal loaded at the mines.

There is also a large portion of the upper lands which from my limited time I was unable to examine at this visit; in fact to do ample justice to the portion of the lands I have hastily examined, would require a much longer period than I have bestowed upon them.

Should this tract ultimately prove to contain the Snow Shoe Vein, then the four veins which must of necessity underlie it, will give an area of over two thousand acres to the coal field on this one portion of the tract alone.

In my opinion the remainder of the tract will cover about seven thousand acres of coal-bearing fields; the exact position and quantity of each will have to be determined by future exploration.

S. P. L.

JOURNAL OF MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

THE MINING CODE OF VENEZUELA.

Or the acts that must precede the application asking for the grant of a mine.

Article 1. No person can introduce sounds or borers on a ground that does not belong to him, without the express permission of the owner of the ground, or with the permission of the government given after having heard said owner, with the object of obtaining his consent in consequence of a previous arrangement made with him. If the ground should belong to the nation, no permission shall be needed to make all the investigations deemed necessary for the discovery of a mine.

Article 2. No permission for investigating, or grant for mining, can give the right of sounding and digging or opening galleries, nor establishing machinery or storehouses in inclosed spots, nor on grounds contiguous to habitations, without the formal consent of the owner of the grounds.

Article 3. The owner of the ground can make investigations without previous requisites on the spots exempted by the foregoing article, as also on the other parts of his property; but he is bound to ask for a permission of the executive before establishing on those grounds the working of the mines. In no case can the investigations be permitted on a ground previously granted.

Article 4. Any Venezuelan or naturalized foreigner has the right of asking for a grant for mining if grantable.

Article 5. When the workings are to be made in houses or habitable places, or that the workings are to be carried out in places where other contiguous working is going on, the petitioner must give security for paying whatever indemnification in case of any accident. In such case the applications or oppositions of the persons concerned shall be laid before the ordinary tribunals.

Article 6. The Executive judges of the motives or considerations according to which the preference is to be given to one of various petitioners, preferring always him that should have first registered the denunciation and presented the ore found in the mine.

Article 7. From the moment that a mine is granted, even when it should be to the owner of the ground, or superfice, said property shall be distinct from the ownership of the ground, and considered as a new property upon which new mortgages can be laid without affecting those laid, or to be laid, on the superfice.

OF THE GRANTS.

Article 1. The petition for a grant shall be made to the Governor of the province, who is to register it under the same date, and order it immediately to be published by edicts. To the petition must be necessarily accompanied a registered document proving that the petitioner has definitely bargained with the owner of the superfice, except it should be him that asks for the grant, or that it should be on grounds belonging to the nation or commons.

Article 2. Said edicts shall be published during thirty days in the capital of the province and in the ward where the mine is located. They shall be also published in some periodical or journal should there be any published in the province.

Article 3. The secretary of the Governor shall deliver to the petitioner a certified copy of the record of his petition.

Article 4. The petitions in competition and the oppositions that should have been made, shall be admitted by the same Governor until the last of the thirty days fixed, counted from the day of the edicts, and shall also be recorded in the same manner as the principal petition. The oppositions shall be notified to the persons concerned, and the records shall be exhibited to all those that may wish information.

Article 5. At the expiration of the thirty days, and the requisites prescribed in the foregoing articles having been complied with, the Governor of the Province shall remit all the proceedings to the Secretary of the Interior.

Article 6. The Executive shall decide definitely in regard to the petitions for grants, and no opposition shall be admitted by the Secretary of the Interior unless said opposition should refer to the ownership of the mine acquired by a grant or otherwise, and only then it shall be ordered that the parties should apply to the ordinary tribunals to dispute their rights.

Article 7. The extent of the grant shall be determined in the writ of cession; it shall be limited by fixed spots taken on the surface of the ground and figuring vertical planes drawn from the superfice toward the interior of the ground to an indefinite depth, unless the circumstances and the locality should require another class of limitation.

The extent of each cession shall be of 1200 varas if the vein is vertical, and of 2400 varas if it should be horizontal.

Article 8. Several cessions can be possessed by the same person individually, or the representative of a company; but always with the obligation of having in operation the workings of each cession.

Article 9. The yieldings of the mines worked in Venezuela shall be exempted from all national and municipal duties, including tolls, during twenty years, to be counted from the publication of the present law.

Article 10. The engines, tools, apparatus and other implements imported for the working of said mines, shall be likewise exempted from import duties during the same time of twenty years.

The exemptions granted by this article do not comprehend the port charges that are to be paid by the vessels in which the minerals should be shipped, nor of those that may import the machinery, tools and other implements for their working.

Article 11. A premium of six reals 55 82-100ths cents] per tun is granted to the extraction of mineral coals, and eight reals per tun for the extraction of sulphur, alum, the nitrates with basis of soda or potash, and the sulphates