TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 63 
strata have been penetrated to 214 feet below sea-level without finding rock-salt. 
The brine rises there to a height of about 130 feet above sea-level; whilst at Wins- 
ford rock-salt beds, similar (as far as worked) to those at Northwich, occur at a 
depth to the upper bed of from 90 to 120 feet below sea-level. The brine rises 
there to a height of about twenty-five feet above sea-level. The line thence passes 
into Staffordshire, near Whitmore. 
A fault ranging from south-west to north-east, passes by the north-west of the 
Peckforton hills across Delamere Forest, by the north-west of Northwich, dividing 
that salt from the easterly ends of the Waterstone, or lower beds of the keuper, and 
thence to the east of Timperley. The north-east boundary of the Northwich salt 
was not determined. The south-east is formed by a line parallel to the north-west 
side, about 1300 yards distant therefrom. 
Within this area frequent subsidences of the land take place. From this cause 
the locks on and the banks of the Weever have been here raised. The land where a 
factory stood, near Northwich-bridge, has sunk so as to form a wharf. A few 
years since, the subsidence near the junction of Whitton-brook and the Weever was 
at the rate of three inches per week: at this point a lake is now rapidly forming, 
The salt pans at the works by the Weéver have been frequently raised, and many 
are now abandoned. The course of Whitton-brook, which in 1811 was made six 
feet deep, now varies in depth from ten to thirty feet. About two miles to the 
north of Northwich, near the north-western boundary fault, some fields are sinking. 
In this area the brine stands at the same level, and varies simultaneously in all the 
pits. That the rock-salt of Northwich does not extend beyond the above limits, is 
further shown by the fact, that the neighbouring ground beyond the above boundary 
lines does not sink, and the brine where found beyond the said boundary is reached 
and stands at various levels—all differing from that at Northwich. 
Minute descriptions of the salt, and the methods of working the same being given 
in yarious well-known works, the same were not here noticed. 
Notice of the Coal of India, being an Analysis of a Report communicated to the 
Indian Government on this subject. By Prof. Anstrev, M.A., F.R.S. &c. 
The coal districts of India may be considered as five in number,—three in Northern 
India and one in Cutch, whilst the fifth includes the province of Arracan and the 
coast of the Birman empire near Tenasserim. Of these the Cutch coal is certainly 
not of the carboniferous epoch, and it appears to be of little importance at present 
and unpromising, 
The whole district, extending from the neighbourhood of Hoosungabad on the 
Nerbudda river (lat. 23° N, long. 78° E.), on the left or south bank of the river, and 
extending in a north-easterly direction for a distance of about 400 miles to Palamow, 
thence eastward, for 250 miles, to Burdwan, near Calcutta, and running north- 
ward, for 150 miles, to Rajmahal, exhibits, it would appear, at intervals by no means — 
distant, a continually repeated outcrop of rocks, consisting of sandstones and shales, 
with occasional limestone. Throughout this wide tract a number of beds of coal 
have been recognised, of variable thickness and value, but all appearing to exhibit 
evidence of the existence there of a great coal-district. 
On the flanks of the Garrow Mountains, near the Burhampooter, and on both- 
banks of that vast river, we find another, perhaps a continued outcrop of similar 
beds, also containing coal, and reaching in a north-easterly direction for nearly 400 
miles, The intermediate plains, whose breadth between Rajmahal and Jumalpore 
is about 100 miles, are chiefly alluvial, and thus it is pogsible that there exists a vast 
range of carboniferous strata, reaching for upwards of 1000 miles along the flanks 
of the Himalaya Mountains, the distance from the mountain chain gradually in- 
creasing as we advance westward, the mountains trending northwards and the out- 
crop of the carboniferous bed southwards, until finally, the distance between them 
being upwards of 500 miles, the relation is not easily recognised. 
I. Commencing with the neighbourhood of Calcutta, we have first to consider 
the Burdwan coal-district, with which I shall group the Adji and the Rajmahal 
fields, all these being on the banks of either the Hooghley or Ganges, or on the tri- 
butaries of these rivers, The Burdwan district has been Jong known, and a good 
