THE COAL OF ASSAM. 



29 



Some of these springs, espceiiilly that at the Namba_, might, I 



should think, be made use of medicinally; but 



Salt and petroleum. ,, ,, -, , ^ • -i i -l • ^a. 



the salt and petroleum might become important 



articles of commerce if obtainable in any quantity. Regarding the salt 

 I cannot venture to make any suggestion ; the pung near Asaloo is the 

 only one I have seen ; it is a small stagnant pool of brine, the mouth of a 

 former shallow pit, at the very bottom of a valley ; the whole is so 

 smothered in jungle that I could not observe the rock anywhere near ; 

 the position is within a great band of disturbance (the continuation of that 

 along the scarp of the Cossya Hills at Teriaghat), and the rocks seem to 

 be of the Sub-Himalayan period. The position of these springs in the 

 very heart of the hills almost precludes the possibility of their being 

 worked profitably to any extent. The petroleum is, I think, worthy of 

 attention. The springs of the Makoom River are far the most abund- 

 ant that I have seen, but even here the discharge of petroleum is in- 

 considerable, producing a thin film on the surface of the stagnant pool 

 of dirty, white water ; this is occasionally skimmed oflF by the natives ; 

 but everything is in a state of nature j no excavation seems ever to have 

 been made to facilitate the discharge of the oil. The locality is in a small 

 drainage depression ; the whole ground, over an area of many yards square, 

 exhales olefiant gases ; in the pools, which occur approximately along an 

 east-south-east line, the discharge of gas is so copious and continuous 

 that when lighted it flames almost without intermission. Of water-dis- 

 charge there may be said to be none. Both these conditions are considered 

 favorable ; the abundance of gas suggesting that the reservoir of liquid (if 

 such there be) has not been tapped ; the little that does come is no more 

 than, would be caught up by the bubbling gas. On the other hand, where 

 there is a discharge of water, it is a fair sign that the oil has run off. Two 

 or three experimental wells or borings would, I think, be warranted to test 

 these springs ; but the very disturbed condition of the rocks will necessitate 

 knowledge and caution on the part of those who undertake the work. 



( 415 ) 



