HISTORY OF COAL DISCOVERIES. 5 



picked up loose pieces " of good quality," but the position of the bed 

 in situ was then unknown.'^ 



In 1837 Lieutenant Big-ge and Dr. Griffith, while exploring 



Lieutenant H. Bigge *^® ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Namrup, about nine miles east- 

 and Dr. Griffith, 1837. south-east from its junction with the Buri Dihing 

 in the Singpho country, discovered " a most valuable seam of coal in 

 the bank of the river ; the upper seam was about 3 feet in depth,t 

 the centre one 9 feet, and a lower one of 3. * * ^ We loaded a small 

 boat with this coal and sent it down to our camp for trial, when it was 

 found to be an extremely good coal, burning with a strong flame and 

 heat, and very lasting, but from the smell, containing a great quantity 

 of sulphureous matter. It does not burn entirely away, but makes a 

 large portion of cinder, and is, I should say, a very valuable description 

 of coal." Some of the coal, in which the structure of the original wood 

 was plainly visible, appears to have been lignite, and was not impro- 

 bably from fossil stems in the Sub-Himalayan rocks. The remainder 

 was doubtless coal from true beds, but Lieutenant Bigge's statement, 

 that the former variety passes downward into the latter, is certainly 

 incorrect. J 



Major White at the same time discovered several springs of petro- 

 leum close to the camp on the Namrup river, 

 ^•'°'' ^' ' which had hitherto been unknown to Europeans, 

 and apparently almost unused by the neighbouring Singphos.§ 



The Jaipur coal appears to have been first examined, if not dis- 

 „ , . „ -rr covered, bv Captain Hannay in 1837-38. On the 



Captam S. Hannay, > j r j 



1837-38. Ig-t February of the latter year he reported having 



found several outcrops, and also noticed the occurrence of clay iron-ore, 



* Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol. VII, p. 950. 

 t Thickness? 



J Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol. VI, p. 243. 

 § Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol. VI, p. 243. 



( 273 ) 



