1840.] Report of the Coal Committee. 211 



Palamow. 

 Mr. Tytler, an engineer employed under the Controller of Steamers, 

 having been deputed, under the authority of the Marine Board, 

 to Palamow, describes a bed of coal six feet thick, exposed to a great 

 extent on the banks of the Amanath river, where Mr. Homfray 

 a short time before could only find a 3| feet bed, so interrupted by 

 ravines as to render the field very limited. There is however evi- 

 dence enough in the reports of Major Sage, and Mr. Tytler, as well 

 as in the information furnished to Mr. Ravenshaw, the Commissioner 

 of Patna, to show that coal is here abundant enough, the only doubt 

 is as to its quality. The samples of Palamow coal that we have 

 seen have been vitiated by the inexperience of the miners with an 

 intermixture of shale, so as to render them unfit for trial. Major 

 Sage, Executive Engineer, Dinapore, states that he had formerly 

 been in the habit of receiving supplies of coal from Palamow, 

 which he considered a good and useful fuel. We have no doubt 

 that a good coal may be procurable in Palamow, but such samples 

 as have been hitherto sent to Calcutta for trial have been inferior, 

 partly no doubt from their having been ill chosen from the numerous 

 beds that seem to occur in that district. Major Sage found the 

 following results from comparative experiments instituted between 

 Palamow and Burdwan coal, from which it would appear that the 

 former has the advantage in point of quality, 



Palamow. Burdwan. 



Coke, 46 2 46 2 



Volatile matter, ... 47 40 



Earthy matter, .. 6 8 .. ... .. .. 13 8 



100 100 



In experiments of this kind on a small scale, every thing depends 

 on the specimens selected for comparison. The Burdwan coal varies 

 in quality in different mines, just as Palamow coal would vary if 

 mines were once fairly established in that district. 



The best Burdwan coal we can induce the contractor who supplies the 

 laboratory of the Honorable Company's Dispensary to furnish, affords 

 25 per cent, of ashes, but the kind used on board steamers is said to be 

 very superior to this, and the Ranygunge variety with which other 

 coals are compared, is the best in Burdwan. Much judgment is 

 therefore necessary in selecting samples for trial from new coal dis- 

 tricts, when the object is to compare them with Burdwan coal. What- 



