Page:Transactions of the Geological Society, 1st series, vol. 2.djvu/66

56 coals in the Isle of Man, that the present topic is introduced here, than to prove their real existence. To preclude however, farther investigations and observations on the score that coals cannot possibly be discovered, would be presumptuous and imprudent, but nobody has yet, that I am aware of, substantiated their existence, The only serious attempt I believe to find coals in the isle, was made at Derby-haven, many years ago by a speculator from Cumberland. After having gone to a certain depth, not finding traces of them, he gave up the search as fruitless.

While I was in the isle (June 1811), two or three spots in the north-western part, were particularly pointed out to me as places where coals did actually appear, or were cropping out. But when the matter was strictly enquired, the reports turned out unfounded. While on the subject of coals, I shall beg leave to present here an account of the coals imported into the Isle of Man from Whitehaven in the county of Cumberland, arranged under the form of two series; the one comprehending ten years from 1781 to 1790, the other including twelve years from 1798 down to 1809. Both statements may be relied on, the first was inserted in a scarce book, the second in a late and though local, most respectable publication often already referred to.

The increased consumption of coals in the Isle of Man will not