On the Coal Fields and Coal Production of India, 521 
utilizing it in the manufacture of artificial fuel, but the process 
found to be requisite was too expensive, and the difficulty of 
boring in these crushed rocks is so great as to render it impro- 
bable that this coal will ever be commercially available. 
One seam is 11 feet in thickness. The average of five assays 
of the coal gives the following composition :— 
Carbon, ; . : : , . 70°66 
Volatile, . : : - : - 920 
Ash, : : : : é . 20:14 
100 
Into a description of the complicated geological relations of 
these beds with those forming the adjoining mass of the Himna- 
layas, I do not now propose to enter. Mr. Mallet has arrived at the 
somewhat startling conclusion that the coal measures are younger, 
and underlie the highly metamorphic rocks of the outer slopes, 
To do justice to his arguments would require more space than is 
at present available for the purpose. 
The fact that this locality is the only one north of the Ganges 
where Gondwana rocks occur, is of great interest in connexion 
with any discussion as to the early relations which existed between 
the Peninsular and Himalayan regions, and indeed the formation 
of the Himalayas themselves. 
ASSAM.* 
Five distinct coal fields exist in the valley of the Bhramaputra, 
in the province of Assam. They are distinguished by the follow- 
ing names :—XXXII. Makum; XXXIII. Jaipur; XXXIV. 
Nagira; XXXV. Janji; XXXVI. Disai. It will be convenient 
in this abbreviated account to treat of them collectively. 
Some uncertainty exists as to the age of the rocks, but the 
balance of evidence seems to favour the view, that it is middle 
tertiary (Miocene), and therefore distinct from the Cretaceous 
and Nummulitic coals of the Khasi hills. 
The coal differs from that of the Indian coal fields in having a 
* Mallet, ‘‘Mem. Geol. Survey of India,” Vol. XII., pt. 2. ‘ Manual,” Vol. IL, 
p. 701. 
