110 ball: geology of aurunga and hutar coal melds. 



Unless very much better qualities of coal exist in the Aurunga field than 

 Coal not suitable for ^he very best seen by me, it is manifestly impossi- 

 iron smelting. i^jg ^jj^t iron can be manufactured on the spot. 



Hutar Field. 

 I have already pointed out that the coal-measure rocks of this area 



^.,, , . , 1, i present manv striking; differences from those of 

 Litnological characters ^ j o 



peculiar. ^j^g Aurunga field. To this rule the coal is no 



exception, as will at once be apparent by a comparison of the average 



assays in the accompanying table. From the Daltonganj coal that of 



^ , , -xi Hutar differs in containing a notably smaller pro- 



Coal compared with o ./ r 



tbat of Daltonganj. portion (7*15 per cent.) of fixed carbon, and wouldj 



therefore, have a less heating power. The proportion of ash, 10-7 per 

 cent., is the same in both. On the whole, however, the Hutar coal is 

 quite equal to the average of Indian coals, so far as regards quality. 

 Much uncertainty must attach to any estimate of quantity. Only 

 three seams of good quality, containing a thickness which could be 

 worked with profit, are known to exist; these are as follows : — 



Dauritiver section,, south-east of Hurilong . . 8' 0" seam. 



Hurtat river, at Toleh 8' 0" „ 



SupaM river, at Biada 13' 8" „ 



It is possible that the Dauri river and Hurtah river coals may be 



,, , ^ ., ... £ continuous right across, but since there is no in- 

 No defimte estimate of a ^ 



quantity possible. tervening section exposed in the Koel, or elsewhere, 



it would be most dangerous to base any calculation on the mere sup- 

 position. In fact, the lateral extension of both these seams being quite 

 unknown, it would be utterly futile to attempt any estimate of the 

 number of millions of tons they may contain. 



That the 13' 3" seam at Binda on the Supahi contains but a very small 

 quantity of coal is as certain as anything can be, the fault along which 

 the gneiss has been thrust up occurring within a few feet of the outcrop. 



I do not at all despair of this field being found to contain workable 

 seams of value, hut the facts at present available do not justify any con- 

 fident expression of opinion that such will certainly prove to be the case. 

 ( 110 ) 



