158 RANIGANJ COAL FIELD. [Pt. II. CHAP. I. 



In 1823, or the commencement of 1824, Chinakuri Colliery was 

 opened by Mr. Betts, probably upon the spot 



Chinakuri, 1823-24. ■ & J l f 



where had formerly been Mr. Heatly's works. 



Damiilia, 1824. 



Damiilia was, about the same time, or a few 



months later, in 1824, re-opened by Messrs. Jessop and Co., but they 



lost it sometime afterwards by a law suit, and 

 Narramkuri, 1830. J 



opened Narrainkuri in 1830. The Salunchi seam 

 Salunchi, 1831-32. . , 



(near Chinakuri) was nrst worked a year or 

 two after, and the old mine -at Chinakuri was abandoned at the same 

 time, or soon after about 1836. 



The quarries at Chanch and Nuchibad were also commenced about 

 Chanch and Nuchibad, 1830 > or within a few years subsequently, by Mr. 



Homfray, of the firm of Jessop and Co. Choki- 



Ckokidanga, Dhosul, ,. ■. r , , in ^ 



1834. danga, Mamadpur, was opened by Dr. Jtvogers in 



1834, and Dhosul by Mr. Blake about the same time. 



Within a few years from this time several of the principal collieries 



then existing passed into the hands of other pro- 

 Carr, Tagore and Co., 

 1855. prietors. One thousand eight hundred and 



thirty-five was a bad commercial year, and many large agency houses 

 failed, among them Messrs. Alexander and Co. Baniganj mine was 

 purchased by Babii Dwarkanath Tagore, and subsequently worked by 

 the firm of Carr, Tagore and Co. It is said that, so much was the 

 value of such property depreciated at the time of the sale, that the 

 whole estate, including several valuable patni and other tenures, 

 together with all the buildings, and works, steam engines, &c., on the 

 mine, nearly 250,000 maunds of coal* at market, and a large quan- 

 tity more at the mine, together with all advances made to boatmen, 

 was sold for 70,000 Kupees : less than the value of the coal at market 

 alone ! 



In 1837 Narrainkuri, Chanch, and Nuchibad passed into the hands 



* Above 9,000 tons. 



