INTRODUCTION.

Vll

with perseverance, and interest Society in thecause of suffering humanity, the correspond-ence which forms part of this work was carriedon ; and although the greater part of it wasprivate, and consequently unknown to theworld, still I am induced to believe, fromseveral concurrent circumstances, that theletters, which were presented to the publicthrough the medium of a most i-espectableand well-conducted Newspaper, * did not pass

without awakening in the minds of many in-telligent people sensations of commiseration,and a desire to see further light thrown on aneglected subject, particularly with those whohad fully considered the miseries resultingfrom the explosions of fire-damp in coalmines.

Satisfied of this, and additionally stimulatedby every new account which presented itself,I gradually approached that collection ofmatter—that abundant stock of information

* The Morning Chronicle.