On the Coal Fields and Coal Production of India. 505 
younger formations. Separated by these overlying rocks, four 
distinct areas or fields may be enumerated—1]. Hura ; 1. Chuparb- 
hita ; 3. Pachwara; 4. Mhowagurhi ; 5. Brahmini. These are all 
on the western margin of the hills. It will be an interesting and 
economically important point to decide, whether the coal-measures 
extend underneath the traps, &c., to the east. If so they would 
be close to the water carriage of the Ganges. 
The coal is, for the most part, stony and bad. It is not now 
regularly mined, but a large quantity was extracted during the 
construction of the East Indian Railway. 
II.-IJI. Birspum, Drocurn, &c.* 
A number of small detached basins or outliers occur in the dis- 
tricts of Birbhum and Deogurh where metamorphic rocks mainly 
prevail. They are of little or no economic importance, and may 
be passed in this record without further notice. 
IV. KARHARBARI OR KURHURBALLT 
This small field, having an area of only 11 square miles, and 
which is situated in the district of Hazaribagh, at a distance of 200 
miles from Calcutta, by rail, is one of great importance, both from 
its position and the quality ofits coal. The sedimentary groups of 
Gondwana rocks represented in this area are Barakar and Kahar- 
bari, 500 feet (= coal-measures) and Talchir, 600 feet. 
The coal occurs in three principal seams which have an average 
total thickness of sixteen feet. They spread over an area of 84 
square miles. The amount of coal may therefore be estimated at 
1,360,000,000 tons, and the available portion of this at 80,000,000. 
A sample assay gives the following results—carbon, 66:3 ; 
volatile matter, 23; ash, 10°7. In working power, the Karhar- 
bari coals are to those of the Ranigunj field as 113: 100. 
Several companies are engaged in working mines in this field, 
namely, the Kast Indian Railway, the Bengal and the Equitable. 
Owing to the want of any proper system of registration in India, 
it is impossible to give accurate statistics, but I believe that up to 
June, 1875, the East Indian Railway had extracted 350,000 tons. 
* Hughes, Mem, Geol. Survey of India, Vol. VII. pp. 247, 255. Manual, p. 171 
+ Hughes, loc. ctt., p. 299. 
