On the Tenasserim Coal Field. 429 



An addition to the salary of the European overseer, who has the 

 responsible charge of all tools, materials, &c. of 30 rupees per month is 

 recommended, and I venture to suggest, that if the work proceed on 

 the scale proposed, the allowances of the superintendent be placed on 

 the same footing as those of engineer officers holding charges of 

 equal importance and responsibility. I consider Second Lieutenant 

 Hutchinson qualified in every respect to conduct any operations 

 at the coal field that may be determined upon. 



25. It is proposed to raise the coal from two shafts by means 

 of cattle whins, which can be constructed on the spot from a model, 

 which has been left with Lieutenant Hutchinson. There is abundance 

 of good timber at hand (the peemah) for this purpose. 



26. Placing the utmost limit of expenditure, with the means above 

 detailed, to provide for all contingencies at 2200 rupees per month, 

 the cost of coal at the pit's mouth, when the machinery is fixed and 

 the mine fairly open, may be thus estimated. If only 10 tons be 

 raised daily from each shaft, 20 tons per day, 25 days =5 00 tons 

 per month, at a cost of 2200 rupees. The cost of one ton will there- 

 fore be 4 rs. 6 as. 5 pie, or 2 as. 6 pie per maund. The coal is at pre- 

 sent brought down the river on bamboo rafts. The present cost of trans- 

 port to Mergui by contract, amounts to 2 as. 9 pie per maund, being 

 carried on men's shoulders a distance of 1300yards to the river ; but if 

 conveyed on a train road and lodged upon the raft, for which the new 

 arrangements provide, the cost of carriage to Mergui would be reduc- 

 ed to 1 a. 7 pie per maund, making the total cost of coal brought 

 alongside shipping at that place, four annas one pie per maund. 



27. While upon the raft, the coal is almost wholly immersed 

 in water. Landing it at Mergui should be avoided as much as possi- 

 ble, and it should, in all practicable cases, be shipped from the rafts. 



28. During four months of the year, from 15th June to 15th 

 October, a steam tug with tenders lashed alongside might be useful- 

 ly employed in conveying coal to Mergui, and would perform nine 

 trips in the month; but owing to the sudden turns and set of the 

 stream in various places before noticed, together with the shallow- 

 ness of the water, and the rapidity of the current at those parts 

 during the rest of the year, I am unable to suggest any better or 

 more economical method of conveying coal down the river during 

 that period, than by the bamboo rafts hitherto used. 



3 K 



