CHAPTER VII. 



ECONOMIC RESOUCES. 



Section 1. — Coal. 



In the accompanying table I have given the results of my assays 



of the specimens of coal vs-hich I collected in the three fields. 



These results are completely confirmatory of the opinions which I 



., „ formed in the field as to the relative merits 

 Comparative merits or 



the coal. Qf the seams. The coal of Daltonganj has the 



advantage of having been opened up, but I doubt if this is sufiicient 

 to account for the difierence in the percentages between it and the 

 Aurunga coal, and this is the more probable, since the Hutar coal has 

 yielded such good results. 



The Daltonganj Field. 



No doubt whatever exists as to the excellent quality of the coal 

 in this field. It has been proved, both by assays and actual experi- 

 ments, to have great heating power, and to be admirably adapted to 

 steam purposes. 



Mr. Hughes' estimate of 11,600,000 tons as the amount of available 

 coal is, as far as I have had opportunities of forming an opinion, a safe 

 minimum. Although there is good reason for believing that the coal 

 of this area, as in the Aurunga field, occurs in basins of limited extent, 

 that is to say, that it is not of equal extent with the coal-measures, 

 still there is a fair probability that there may be basins of coal in the 

 portion of the field to the south-east where the rocks are much con- 

 cealed by superficial deposits. This can only be ascertained by sys- 

 tematically conducted borings. The Singra seams too, which are not 

 included in Mr. Hughes' estimate, contain coal of so good a quality that 

 it might very probably be worked profitably by open quarries for some 

 years.^ In any case, the 11,600,000 tons would last for 50 years, at the 



'■ The Singra coal was being used for lime=hurning at the time of my visit. 



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