ens of bamboos and reeds in the sandstone quarries of
Glasgow, with the bark converted into coal, and the centre filled with
sandstone.

_Edward_.--But would not this prove that sandstone, also, was
derived from wood?

_Mrs. R._--No: it would only prove that the centre had been
destroyed and removed; for the sandstone is not chemically composed of
vegetable substances, but the coal is.

_Edward_--Still, I cannot conceive by what process the conversion
is effected.

_Mrs. R._ By a natural process, evidently; being a continuation of
that which converts mosses and marshes into peat. Nay, it is supposed
not to stop at the formation of coal, but, by a continuation of the
causes, the coal becomes jet, and even amber. The eminent chemist,
Fourcroy, in proof of this, mentions a specimen in which one end was
wood, little changed, and the other pure jet; and Chaptal tells us, that
at Montpellier there are dug up whole cart-loads of trees converted into
jet, though the original forms are so perfectly preserved that he could
often detect the species; and, among others, he mentions birch and
walnut. What is even more remarkable, he found a wooden pail and a
wooden shovel converted into pure jet.

_Edward._ Then I suppose, from all these details, that coal might
be formed artificially, by imitating the natural process.

_Mrs. R._ Mr. Hatchett made many ingenious and successful
experiments with this design, and Dr. Macculloch has more recently
succeeded in actually making coal. One of the strongest instances of the
process, is the existence of a great quantity of wood only half
converted into coal, at Bovey, near Exeter; this has been much discussed
by the geologists; but there is a bed of coal found at Locle, on the
continent, which is said to have been formed almost within the memory of
man, though I have not yet seen any good account of it.

Altogether, we have been much gratified with these Conversations. As a
hint, _en passant_, we remind the editor of such an oversight as
that at p. 350-1, "Order in which the _strata lies_ in the Paris
basin."

* * * * *

THE IDLER.

There were many newspapers in the room, but there was nothing in them.
There was a clock, but it did not seem to go; at least, so he thought,
but after looking at it for a very long time he found it did go, but it
went very slowly. Then he looked at his watch, and that went as slow as
the clock. Then he took up the newspa