HUGHES : KURHURBaRI coal FIELD. 



II. — Previous Observers. 



Dr. McClelland. 



The first who prominently brought to notice the Kurhm-bari field 

 was Dr. McClelland, who examined it geolo- 

 gically during the latter part of the year 

 1848, and published a report enunciating his views in 1850. This 

 was a valuable contribution, and looking to the difficulties of the 

 ground, the entire absence of maps to work with, and the fact that 

 nowhere had the coal been opened out, it is not surprising that some 

 errors crept into Dr. McClelland^s statements. He certainly misin- 

 terpreted the stratigraphical evidence in the north of the field, and 

 formed an excessive estimate of the total thickness of strata and coal. 

 By '^ actual measurement^. Dr. McClelland gave 12 beds of coal, amount- 

 ins: to 80 feet 6 inches : — 



1 At Koomarsote 



2 „ Kooldeelia 



3 „ Domahanee Ghat 



4 ,, Oopurdaha Ghat 



5 „ Suttee Ghat 



6 „ Jacoota 



7 „ Ramnuddee 



... 1 bed 



4' 



6" 



... 1 



}> 



4' 



0" 



... 2 



„ 



9' 



(y 



... 3 



„ 



15' 



0" 



... 3 



„ 



33' 



0" 



... 1 



„ 



10' 



0" 



... 1 



" 



5' 



0" 



12 



80' 6" 



By estimate, (Par. 136) he makes the number of seams twenty, and 

 the total thickness 92 feet. 



The quality of the coals is stated, in almost every section, to be 

 " superior". This term, superior, however, seems to have been indiscrimi- 

 nately applied to shaly coals, slaty coals, and bituminous coals. One 

 of the Koomarsote nuddi coals (Par. 138) is spoken of as being at 

 once of a slai^ character, and superior quality. 



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