«& MINERAL STATISTICS. 



urgent, and in the absence of any assistance that could be specially 

 devoted to such enquiries, it was found impossible satisfactorily to 

 continue their publication. 



In March 1867, I submitted a brief and general sketch of the 

 position, character and extent of the known coal-fields of India, together 

 with the most accurate returns I could procure of the out-turn of 

 coal for the years subsequently to those included in the first series. 

 This first series had, as I have said, embraced three years, (1858,-59,-60), 

 and I was able (in 1867) to give approximately the results from 1861 to 

 1866, inclusive {d). 



In the following year (1868), I had taken the precaution to obtain 

 as full a series of these statistical returns as I could, and it was my full 

 intention to have published these (relating to 1867) at that time. Just 

 then, however, an Assistant was appointed to the Geological Survey, with 

 the special object of preparing and tabulating such statistical returns of 

 not only the coal, but also of all the mineral wealth of the country. ' This 

 gentleman, Mr. M. Pryar, subsequently visited the Kanigunj field, and 

 then obtained the returns for the year 1868, And all the previously 

 obtained returns (for 1867) were also handed over to him. 



I may notice here that from the larger proprietors there is no difii- 

 culty in obtaining accurate returns. They have at all times met my 

 apphcation for information of any kind with the most ready and satis- 

 factory compliance ; and are fully alive to the importance and 

 economy of introducing newer and better systems of work. The difii- 

 culty in obtaining these returns lies with the smaller proprietors, who 

 perhaps delve out a few thousand maunds in the year, and then often 

 abandon the work. Each of these wretched diggings produces an out-turn 

 so small that individually it scarcely affects the total ; but being con- 

 siderable in number, they give, in the aggregate, a by no means con- 

 temptible addition to that total. 



(d.) The " Coal resources and production of India" being return called for by the Right 

 Hon'ble the Secretary of State for India ; Calcutta, March 1867. 



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