860 COAL 



1 Owing to the want of miners and machinery to work this mine on a large scale, the 

 average amount of coal being taken out at present does not exceed 200 tons per month, 

 which is barely sufficient to supply the steamers navigating the River Jacuahy. This 

 river falls into the Lago dos Patos, which has its outlet in the Atlantic Ocean at the 

 seaport of Eio Grande do Sul. The coal is said to bo as good for steam purposes as 

 Newcastle coal, with the exception of leaving more ash. 



' The coal-beds in the Republic of Banda Oriental are situated on the head waters of 

 the river Negro, between lat. 31 and 32, long. 54 and 65, where they can be 

 traced for several miles along the margins of the river and some of its tributaries ; the 

 beds vary in thickness from 3 to 6 feet. 



' The coal-deposits actually determined and surveyed in the province of Sta. Catherina 

 are at Boa Vista and at the river Tubarao, at " Passa-dous," between lat. 28 and 

 29, long. 49 and 50. Here beds of coal of considerable thickness can be seen along 

 the margin of the river, and appear to extend over an area of several leagues, though 

 the limits of the deposits have not yet been ascertained. The fossil plants found in 

 this coal are of the same character as those found in the ironstone shales interstratify- 

 ing the coal-beds on the River Candiota in the province of Rio Grande do Sul. 



' Beds of bituminous schist extend over considerable areas at Missao da Corda, on 

 the river Mearim, and in the valley of the river Itapicuni in the province of Maranhao, 

 and, associated with lignite, it is found along the margin of the river Camaragibe in 

 the province of Alagoas, also at the mouth of the river Camamii in Bahia, and in 

 various parts of the province of Pernambuco. From experiments I have had made in 

 England, these schists yielded from 15 to 20 per cent, of crude oil, though some 

 specimens I saw in Pernambuco were so rich in oil as to readily ignite when applied to 

 the flame of a candle. 



' Lignite and brown coal are found in thin isolated beds in many places along the 

 coast of Brazil, and in the provinces of Minas Geraes, Goyaz, and in the valleys of the 

 Ribeira de Iguape and Tiete" in Sao Paulo.' 



THE WEST INDIAN ISLANDS. Cuba, in the vicinity of Havannah, produces a kind 

 of asphaltum much resembling coal, the analysis of which gives, carbon 34'97, vola- 

 tile matter 63 '00, ashes 2'03. At New Havannah a similar combustible is found; 

 but it contains 71'84 of carbon. True coal does not appear to have been found in 

 Jamaica. Sir H. de la Beche (' Trans. Geological Society of London'), describes three 

 or four thin seams of coal imbedded in shale near the north-eastern extremity of the 

 island. 



BARBADOES. Bitumen is found plentifully : and, on Grove Plantation estate, a good 

 coal is stated to have been found. 



TEINIDAD. The pitch lake of this island is well known. Near it. and it is believed, 

 extending under it, a true coal of superior quality is worked. 



INDIA. From the ' Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India,' we extract the 

 following authentic information as to the coal resources of India : 



Coal Resources of India. 



1. Rajmahal Hills. In this district coal-deposits occur in many places. In the 

 basin of the Brahmini, four or five seams are known, varying in thickness from 3 to 

 12 feet. In the valley of the Bansloi stream further north, several valuable beds of 

 coal also occur, and in the Goomani Valley, and towards the north-western end of 

 the range near Rorah. While the East Indian Railway was being constructed, many 

 of these beds were worked ; but since the opening of the line, very little has been 

 clone. This railway should have opened a trade from this coal-field to Calcutta. 

 '. 2. Baneegunge. This coal-field is at a distance of 120 to 160 miles N.W. of 

 Calcutta ; its greatest length being nearly E. and W. about 30 miles, and the 

 greatest breadth nearly N. and S. about 18 miles. The area of coal-bearing rocks is 

 about 500 square miles. 



The coal of this field is a non-coking bituminous coal, composed of distinct laminae 

 of a bright jetty coal, and of a dull more earthy rock. The average amount of ash is 

 some 14 or 15 per cent., varying from 8 to 25 per cent. The western end of the coal- 

 field produces coking coal at Sanktoria. 



The Raneegunge coal-field has the advantage of two branches of the Indian Railway, 

 which traverse its richer portion. Professor Oldham has estimated that 14,000,000,000 

 tons are fairly obtainable from this coal-field. 



3. KurhurbalL Situated north of the river Barakur, about 80 miles south of the 

 Luckieserai station of the East Indian Railway. Its greatest length is 6 miles ; its 

 breadth nowhere being more than 24 miles. There are several beds of good coal 

 from 8 to 14 foot thick. The coal of JKurhurbali is of better quality than most of the 



