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1
210
The Fairy-Land of Science
·
Arabella B. Buckley
153
Week
22
LECTURE
VIII
THE
HISTORY
OF
A
PIECE
OF
COAL
I
have
here
a
piece
of
coal
(Fig.
45),
which,
though
it
has
been
cut
with
some
care
so
as
to
have
a
smooth
face,
is
really
in
no
other
way
different
from
any
ordinary
lump
which
you
can
pick
for
yourself
out
of
the
coal-scuttle.
Our
work
to-day
is
to
relate
the
history
of
this
black
lump;
to
learn
what
it
is,
what
it
has
been,
and
what
it
will
be.
It
looks
uninteresting
enough
at
first
sight,
and
yet
if
we
examine
it
closely
we
shall
find
some
questions
to
ask
even
about
its
appearance.
Look
at
the
smooth
face
of
this
specimen
and
see
if
you
can
explain
those
fine
lines
which
run
across
so
close
together
as
to
look
like
the
edges
of
the
leaves
of
a
book.
Try
to
break
a
piece
of
coal,
and
you
will
find
that
it
will
split
much
more
easily
along
those
lines
than
across
the
other
way
of
the
lump;
and
if
you
wish
to
light
a
fire
quickly
you
should
always
put
this
lined
face
downwards
so
that
the
heat
can
force
its
way
up
through
these
cracks
and
gradually
split
up
the
block.
Then
again
if
you
break
the
coal
carefully
along
one
of
these
lines
you
will
find
a
fine
film
of
charcoal
lying
in
the
crack,
and
you
will
begin
to
suspect
that
this
black
coal
must
have
been
built
up
in
very
thin
layers,
with
a
kind
of
black
dust
between
them.
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