PREVIOUS NOTICES, 9 



by a gentleman named Sweetland, with whom I was well acquainted. He was on the 

 staff of the very first explorers in India on account of railways, and was practically 

 acquainted with geology. The other Chapri to which you allude is, as you observe, 

 located on alluvium. A report similar to that got up by the Cazi was spread abroad by 

 a loJiar, or blacksmith, in the vicinage, shortly before Dr. Hooker came to Eotas, and 

 Mr, Williams (Government Geologist), in company with Dr. Hooker, explored the Bhukhi 

 Kho, or valley, in consequence fruitlessly. I subsequently discovered that the lohar 

 had purposely scattered fragments of Eajharra coal in the dry bed of the Bhukhi Kho 

 to give a color to his assertions." 



Dr. Hooker in his journal does not make any reference to this in his 

 account of his visit to E,hotas, but alludes to the information and assist- 

 ance he received from Mr. Davies. 



In his Report on the coal and iron of Bengal^ Mr. Smith, having- 



described the coal field in the neighbourhood of 

 Smith, D., 1856.' , . . *= , 



Eajharra, gives an account of his observations made 



during a rapid trip southwards into the Hutar field. He appears to have 



met with but one seam, which occurs in the Dearee (Dauri) Nuddee at 



the foot of a hill named Chenra. It is described as being two feet two 



inches thick and of very inferior quality. His further remark that — 



" the strata here have a ' dip ' to the west, which is unusual and may be taken to 

 indicate a serious disturbance in this coal field "— 



shews a certain want of appreciation of the laws of legitimate geologi- 

 cal induction j but otherwise I see nothing to justify a recently-printed 

 criticism of Mr. Smithes Eeport. On the other hand, in dealing with 

 the question of iron manufacture, his full mastery of his subject is 

 abundantly apparent. What he wrote in 1856 might be read with 

 advantage by promoters of iron works to-day** 



111 health prevented further exploration of the area, and the principal 

 coal deposits were not seen by him. But he was fully satisfied that the 



" Eeport to Government of India on the Coal and Iron Districts of Bengal, dated 

 Nynee Tal, 1856. 



" A reprint of Mr. Smith's Report will be found in Dr. Oldham's " Eeturn on the Coal 

 Resources and Production of India." — Calcutta, 1867. 



( 9 ) 



