562 Correspondence. 



suppose them to be the leaves of a camillia, or false tea. In neither of 

 the leaves in question do the veins setting off from the midrib form so 

 acute an angle as is observed in the leaves both of the true and false tea 

 plants of Assam. This difference is more perceptible in the Arracan 

 leaf than in that of the Tipperah plant, but the anastomoses of the 

 veins round the margin of the leaf in both is far less distinct than in 

 the Thea viridis, or true tea plant. 



Naptha and Petroleum. Capt. Bogle, the Commissioner of Arracan, has 

 reported to the Coal and Mineral Committee the existence of several 

 springs of these minerals at a place called Paidong, about 5 or 6 miles 

 distant from Ramree, 2 or 3 miles distant from the Cheduba roadstead, 

 with a good road all the way ; the wells are about 8 or 10 fathoms deep, 

 and around them the surface is scantily covered with stunted jungle. 

 Three wells yield about 10 or 12 maunds of Naptha in three months. 

 Captain Hannay also reported to the Committee the existence of several 

 springs of petroleum in Assam, and Mr. H. Inglis has also communi- 

 cated to the Committee the existence of springs of petroleum in Sylhet. 

 Samples of these have been arranged in the Committee's collection of 

 useful minerals, and reports on their extent, &c. are in course of prepa- 

 ration. 



Dr. Spilsbury has communicated to the Coal Committee intelli- 

 gence regarding the existence of a bed of good coal* within nine miles 

 of the station of Jubbulpore, at the head of the Nerbudda valley. The 

 coal appears to be of very superior quality, only containing about 2.9 

 per cent, of ashes. The situation of this bed is of great extent, and is 

 intermediate between that of the Hoosingabad coal brought to notice 

 at Bombay by Major Ouseley, and the coal recently found at Kotah in 

 the Mirzapore district by Captain Wroughton. Dr. Spilsbury also has 

 forwarded information of other indications of coal occurring in various 

 situations in the Rewah and Nerbudda territories, but as these will 

 be noticed in the reports of the Coal Committee, it is not our intention 

 to say more on the subject here than to acknowledge the information 

 received, and at the same time to solicit further particulars from this 

 and other quarters where coal and useful minerals occur. Along with 

 the coal Dr. Spilsbury forwarded several specimens of substances which 



* We were indebted to Capt. Ludlow for the first specimen of this coal, which induced us to 

 write to Dr. Spilsbury for particulars regarding it. 



