KHASI HILLS. 143 



Coal is also seen near to Cherra Poonjee exposed on the road-side at 

 Coal near Cherra *^^ Northern extremity of the native village ; 

 oonjee vi age. again about half a mile further on traces of coal 



are seen, but in both these places it seems too much disturbed and too 



irregular to be of any value. 



Coal again occurs further to the North near the little village of 



Surareem on the road-side, but in very small 

 Near ourareem. ■' 



quantity. This out-crop would seem to be con- 

 nected with the thick bed which shows under the village of Lairungoo, 

 in the face of the steep glen, towards the East (see Fig. 1). Close under 

 the Southern end of the village, this bed of coal is six feet thick, dipping 

 about four degrees towards the North-West. The seat of the coal here 

 is dark carbonaceous shale, with fragmentary vegetable remains hio-hly 

 carbonized, about one foot thick : under this is a reddish-grey sandstone. 

 Passing Northward along the face of the cliff, the coal thins out to one 

 foot, and again increases to five feet. Owing to the thick coverino- of 

 forest and of fallen debris, the section is not very easily made out. 

 Limestone of precisely the same character as that at Cherra Poonjee, 

 and containing nummulites and other similar fossils, occurs under the 

 coal ; separated as at Cherra Poonjee by thin-bedded and strong sand- 

 stones. The much greater distance of this bed of coal from the plains, 

 and the greater elevation at which it occurs, will prevent its being 

 economically used, excepting for local supply. 



Coal is also found at, or near to, the village of Bairung, South of 



Cherra Poonjee ; and at a much less elevation 

 Near Bairung. 



(1,250 feet above the sea level). It is seen in a 

 deep dell, or kind of amphitheatre, in the rocks. Imbedded in sandstone 

 there are some few irregular appearances of the coal. It has been 

 slightly opened out, and worked. The dip is from 3° to 5° to the South. 

 The coai occurs in irregular beds of carbonaceous mud, mixed with sand 

 and clay, with occasional patches of tolerably good coal imbedded. It 



