INDIA. 



MINERAL STATISTICS. 



COAL. 



Exactly ten years since, in June 1859, I had tlie gratification of 

 publishing the first attempt at a careful or detailed return of the amount 

 of coal raised in India. This return related exclusively to the so called 

 Ranigunj field, and had been prepared with a special object, as bear- 

 ing on the determination of the very important question referred to me 

 for investigation and report regarding proposals for an extension of 

 the then existing line of railway, so as to afibrd the largest amount of 

 accommodation to the collieries (a) . 



This preliminary investigation led to a more careful examination of 

 that coal-field, and during the progress of that examination, chiefly by 

 Mr. W. T. Blanford, detailed returns were compiled by that gentleman. 

 These were given with his report in 1861 (^), and contained detailed 

 statements in a tabular form of the mode of working, number of pits 

 date of first establishment, steam power employed, thickness of seam of 

 coal, together with numerical statements of the quantities of coal raised 

 during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860. 



With these returns from the Ranigunj field, I subsequently in- 

 corporated similar returns from all other known workings of coal in 

 India, and thus, in June 1861, the first general return of the out-turn of 

 coal in India was published (c) . 



It was hoped that these statistical returns could have been main- 

 tained steadily from year to year. But the pressure of other work was too 



(a.) " Report on the Raneegunge coal-field, with special reference to the proposed exten- 

 sioti of the existing litie of railway," issued separately : reprinted with report on 

 " Coal resources and production of India," 1867. 



(6.) Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, Vol. Ill, 179. 



(c.) Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, Vol. Ill, Art. 3. 



Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, Vol. VII, Art. 2. 



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