6 MALLET: COAL-FIELDS OP THE nIgA HILLS. 



some of the masses of which required two men to lift them. The 

 remains of old workings from which this ore had been extracted in 

 former years were still visible. Captain Hannay also observed petroleum 

 rising- from some of the coal outcrops."^ At the time of writing he 

 had already commenced clearing a large seam, one mile and a half south- 

 east from Jaipur. The particulars regarding the manner in which the 

 coal occurs, and how he worked it, are described at length in a subse- 

 quent letter dated 15th Septemberf ; 1,050 mans of coal were raised alto- 

 gether, of which upwards of 800 mans were sent to Dihing Mukh at a 

 " total expense"' of Rs. 96-5-6, or rather less than 2 annas a man. 

 This sum, however, does not include any allowance for supervision, which 

 was performed by Captain Hannay himself. 



Out of the above quantity, a boat-load of 224 mans was sent to 

 Calcutta for trial. The coal was reported on rather imfavorably as inferior 

 to that previously sent by Mr. Bruce from the Saffrai, and as containing 

 a considerable quantity of sulphur ; for steam purposes 40 mans were 

 found to do the work of only 32 mans of Burdwan coal. As pointed 

 out, however, in the Coal Committee's report, the deficiencies of a first 

 sample, taken from the outcrop of a single bed in a new and extensive 

 field, ought not to be allowed too much weight. J 



While Captain Hannay's excavations were in progress, more definite 

 ^ . . TV- information was gained by Captain Jenkins 



1837-38. respecting the coal in the Disang, the existence of 



which had been previously indicated by Lieutenant Wilcox. The first 

 seam met with was in the channel of the river, about a mile above the 

 village of Borhat, and is described as about 8 feet in thickness ; 

 another was found about a quarter of a mile distant in the banks of a 

 little water-course, and was traced at intervals for about 200 yards^ 

 throughout which distance it appeared to maintain a thickness of several 



* Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol. VII, p. 368. 

 t Ibid, p. 952. 



X Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol. VII, p. 954. 

 ( 274 ) 



