Pt. II. Chap. I.] collieries— history, 



159 



of Messrs. Gilmore, Homfray and Co., and in the same year China- 



Gilmore, Homfray and MrI WaS P urchased from Mr. Betts, Junior, by 

 Co -' 1837 - Messrs. Carr, Tagore and Co. 



Mangalpur and Rogonathchuk were opened in 1840 by Mr. 

 Erskine. About this time, or a little ear- 



Mangalpur, 1840. 



lier, quarries were worked by Messrs. Carr, 



Tagore and Co., at Deziragarh, Hirakund, and Narrainpur (or Nudia), 



while others were carried on by natives at Barmiiri, Beldanga near 



Raniganj, Kantagoria (now Bhangaband), and some other places. 



In 1843 the concerns of Messrs. Carr, Tagore and Co. and Messrs. 



. _ . _ Gilmore, Homfray and Co. were amalgamated 



Bengal Coal Company, ° 



1843 - into the Bengal Coal Company, who abandoned 



Narrainkuri, and for the time, almost all their mines, except Chinaktiri 

 and Raniganj, the old mine at the latter place having been destroyed 

 by fire in 1842. A new mine, however, was at work before the loss of 

 the old one. This Company has existed ever since, and has now, by far, 

 the most extensive collieries of any proprietors in the field. 



From 1840 to 1847, (during which period Mr. Williams's survey 



1'840-47-greatincrease t0 ° k P laCe O 84 ^) ; the two papers by Mr. 

 of workings. Homfray, already mentioned, were published 



(1842 and 1847) ; and the final report of the Coal Committee was issued 

 (1845),) there was a constant and large increase in the quantity of coal 

 mined. According to Mr. Homfray, the number of maunds imported 

 into Calcutta from Raniganj was, in 1839, 10,00,000 — in 1846 

 25,00,000. The Coal Committee give 17,00,000 as the probable con- 

 sumption in 1845,* and 12,00,000 for the average of the four previous 

 years. Mr. Homfray's figures give respectively 20,50,000 and 

 16,30,000. Several new mines were opened; among them Sirsol, by 

 Babu Gobind Parsad Pundit; Nimcha,f Sangamahal, Gopinathpur, 



* Eeport of 1845, page 150. 



f In a different spot from the present mine. These mines were scarcely worked at all. 



