5i THE COAL OF ASSAM. 



Authorities. It seems, in fact, that law has set authority at naught. It 

 is not for me, nor would this be the place, to give an opinion how far 

 such a state of affairs is congenial to the prosperity of the country 

 under existing political conditions ; I allude to it in order that I may 

 give due credit to Captain Comber, Deputy Commissioner of Luckim- 

 pore, and to Captain Lamb, Deputy Commissioner of Durrung, for such 

 aid as they succeeded in giving me while working in their districts, at 

 no small risk of being prosecuted in their own Courts. My entire 

 means of carriage for the greater part of my stay in the Assam Valley 

 was supplied by the Assam Tea Company ; without the assistance thus 

 so generously afforded, the extent of my explorations must have been 

 very much curtailed. 



The basis of my operations was given to me by the Commissioner 

 in a Memorandum of information, containing a notice from each district 

 of localities in which coal was known or supposed to exist. A copy of 



this document is appended."^ 



- - — ■ J 



* Notes on tJie occurrence of Coal in the Districts of Assam. 



Captain Comber reports as follows : — 



" I cannot find in the records of my Office any notice of coal 

 Luckimpore. 



" being discovered elsewhere than in the vicinity of Makoom. 



" My not having yet been able to visit that part of the district renders it difficult 

 " for me to give much information on the subject. Coal was discovered some years ago on 

 " the Terap River, and other spots in the vicinity of Makoom, and I would refer you to 

 "the hand sketch submitted with Lieutenant Lewis' letter No- 35 of 15th February, 

 "showing the different spots he visited where coal had been found; in only one place, 

 " however, has the coal been dug much, and that is the mine on the Terap River near 

 " Makoom, nor can I find that any attempt has been made to push the discovery fm-ther, 

 " more coal having been already found than means available to work it ; but it is supposed 

 " that the whole of the country lying between the Boree Deehing River on the north, the 

 " Patkai range (our territorial boundary on the south), the Namsang River east, and the 

 " Terap, or even beyond it, on the west, is one vast coal-field. 



" I would propose that on the arrival of the Geologist, I should accompany him to the 

 " spot where I might be able to aid him in his geological researches, by engaging such 

 " of the Singphoes and Nagas as can afford information of the whereabouts of coal. 

 ( 388 ) 



