DAMUDA SERIES. 43 



About 40 feet underneath the bungalow on the north, there is a 

 quarry in the sandstones whence a quantity of infiltrated lime kunkar 

 has been from time to time extracted. No. 3 of the above section supplies 

 the principal ingredient for the material from which the pottery at 

 Patharghata is manufactured. 



On the eastern half of this hill the sandstone are covered by trap, 

 not by alluvium j the locality is described more fully further on. 



All the localities mentioned in the preceding pages where rocks of 

 the coal- measure series occur, are situated to the west of the Rajmehal 

 hills. But there are several points on the east where rocks of this 

 series have been observed. Such cases serve to render not improbable a 

 wide-spread extension of the series under the main mass of the hills. 

 North-west of Rajmehal, at a distance of about four miles, there are several 

 small hills formed of coarse sandstones which rise up abruptly out of 

 Coal-measures on the the alluvium to a height of from 30 to 40 feet, and 

 east of the hills. which in some instance are capped with laterite. 



As being free from the effects of Gangetic inundations, these hills were 

 selected as sites of forts, palaces and musjids by the Mahomedaus, shortly 

 after their invasion of Bengal. The ruins of many of these are still in 

 sufficiently good condition to give an idea of their original character. 



The important question in reference to these rocks, whether coal is 

 _,.-', f , . associated with them or not, can alone be deter- 



Existence ot coal to ' 



be determined only by m i n ed by boring. Although coal, if found, would 



probably be of similar character and no bette r 



than that found in other parts of the area, still the vicinity of the 



Ganges and the consequent vastly increased facilities for transit would 



enhance its value considerably. 



Should any boring be made, the most favorable localities would be 

 at the foot of the Pir Pahar, or at that of the small hill near the Lakim- 

 piir Indigo factory. Small exposures of doubtful Barakar rocks occur 

 at one or two places, as at Turbuna on the east of the hills, and in the 

 valley north-west of Burhait in the centre of the hills. 



( 197 ) 



