ECONOMIC RESOURCES : IRON. 119 



than they appear to be. There remains only to be discussed the means 

 of conveyance of these ores to the fuel. 



The question of the expediency of constructing a line of railway to 

 connect the canals with the Palamow coal-fields being under considera- 

 tion and report by the Public Works Department^ it is unnecessary for 

 me to do more than add a few lines on the subject, and this the more 

 particularly, as I have no personal knowledge of the comparative merits 

 of the different routes which have been proposed. 



From what has gone before, it will be apparent that, in so far as 

 I have examined the country, I am committed to the opinion that the 

 only localities where there are iron ores and limestone suitable in all 

 respects for iron manufacture are situated in the Aurunga field and its 

 outlier ; and that the coal which is most likely to be suitable for smelt- 

 ing these ores and for steam purposes is that which is found in the 

 Daltonganj field. 



The connection of the Daltonganj field with the East Indian line 

 is then the most important and primary part of the project, and that 

 this should be effected by means of a line from Dehree and thence 

 onwards by the canals seems a necessary conclusion. But it has been 

 proposed to extend the line from Gya to the coal-field via the Mohur 

 valley. Into the discussion of the comparative merits of these schemes 

 I am unable to enter, and it only remains for me to point out that if 

 iron is to be made, the ores and limestones of the Aurunga field will 

 have to be carried to the Daltonganj coal, or vice versa. Probably 

 the former would be the less expensive plan, as the coal and iron would 

 have to be carried to and fro respectively, while in the former, the ore 

 and lime would simply have to be drawn from the Aurunga field and 

 smelted at the coal mines. 



Roughly speaking, the distance of the Aurunga field from the Daiton- 



Distance of iron from g^^°j ^oal mines vid the valley of the Amanut 



good coal. would be about 50 miles. The probability of its 



being possible to carry the ore with profit for this distance by a specially 



( 119 ) 



