The Statistics of Coal, by Richard Cowling Taylor, contains an
im- mense amount of specific facts and general information connected with the subject of fossil fuel and mineral combustibles, or indeed combustibles of any kind. Mr. Taylor exhibits the statistics of the coal of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australasia; and treats of the various bitumi- nous substances of the world, as well as of peat and wood. Nor does he overlook the iron manufactures which depend upon these combustibles, or, when he can get at it, the state of education, with a variety of other matters in the mining districts, or relating to mines and their produce.
A large quantity of valuable information has been collected ; but for general purposes the compiler has rather overdone his work, from the number of subjects he has introduced into his volume, and some deficiency in the power of grasping and arranging such an immensity of facts as he deals with. For special use, an index directs the inquirer to any parti- .cular subject he may wish to refer to; but in a critical sense, the book is rather a storehouse of raw materials than a well-arranged exhibition of the statistics of coal. It furnishes ample matter for those who wish to _present a resume of this, or several other subjects ; but it does not do so in itself.
Part of this defect arises from native bent. The author seems better fitted to accumulate knowledge than to impart it; and something must be ascribed to the difficulties of collecting and shaping matter for the first time,—for Mr. Taylor states that no work resembling his own has ap- peared. A good deal may be attributed to a defective arrangement. After an introduction, which instead of a luminous but limited survey of the subject, mixes up together a variety of topics that rather distract than ooeupy the mind, particulars are exhibited in geographical order. The divisions of the globe are successively taken, the coal-producing countries of each division following in their usual precedence. Had the treat- ment been confined to mere statistics, the extent of the field, the amount of the produce, or trade particulars of mining, this arrangement would have been very good ; but the compiler is less limited by any plan than by the materials he can get hold of. For particular inquiry, this method will often be found useful, from the great quantity of matter it brings together ; but its use, we suspect, will be chiefly to ready writers or speakers, who may wish to collect their information easily.
The volume is illustrated by maps and diagrams ; and in an unaffected preface Mr. Taylor apologizes for imperfections and errors arising either from himself, or from his position in America, where documents relating to the details of the subject are less procurable than in Europe.
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