8 ball: gology oe the rajmehal hills. 



great abundance in that neighbourhood is also alluded to. Iron and 

 pottery clay are stated to be abundant at Patharghata, and Mr. Jones 

 gives his opinion that " the latter locality would be a proper place for 

 " erecting a foundry for shot and shells and other cast-iron work ; but 

 " would by no means admit of working iron into bars, as the expense of 

 " procuring a power of any kind to drive a mill would absorb the profit." 



I am not aware of any deposit of iron near Patharghata which 

 would justify the above opinion, and the statement that large iron mines 

 have been worked at Sikrigali and Pointi is, I believe, incorrect. 



In the Gleanings in Science for 1831 there is a 

 Dr. Buchannan, 1831* . ,»,,„.,-,', 



paper on the minerals ot the Rajmehal cluster of 



hills from an unpublished manuscript of Dr. F. Buchannan. This paper 



consists chiefly of an account of the principal minerals and rocks of 



economic importance which were known to occur in the Rajmehal hills. 



The geological structure is only very briefly alluded to. 



Dr. Buchannan's opinion regarding the origin of some of the 

 minerals, though in accordance with accepted theories at the period at 

 which he wrote, does not agree with the more accurate knowledge pos- 

 sessed of these subjects at the present day. Owing to changes which 

 have taken place in the topographical nomenclature of the locality, it is 

 not easy to identify some of the places mentioned by Dr. Buchannan. 

 Briefly epitomized, the paper contains the following remarks : — 



Whinstone or Lava forms the principal part of the hills. It occa- 

 sionally occurs in horizontal layers. 



Homhlend in mass weathers into rounded masses. " On account of 

 " the ease with which it is wrought, and of its durability, this stone is in 

 " great request among the natives." There is a quarry of it near Paingti 

 (Pointi). 



Hornstone occurs at Sikrigali (where it contains exuvia of a fern) 

 and at other places. 



* Gleanings in Science, Vol. II, pp. 1-8, 33-39.' 



( 162 ) 



