1838.] Report upon the Coal beds of Assam. 951 



pose, which was accordingly done, and eight days were allowed for the 

 duty ; but this period being too short, even to reach Lower Assam 

 from the place at which the order was given, it is needless to say the 

 investigation was not undertaken. 



The next coal noticed in the sketch map, No. 3, is that which has 

 been longest known, a large quantity of superior coal having been 

 raised from this bed by Mr. Bruce in 1828*. 



It is situated on the Suffry, an impracticable tributary of the Disung, 

 but at what distance from the latter does not appear in the account given 

 of the place by Mr. Bruce, who lost several boatsf in his attempt to 

 reach the site of the coal. There is a small range of hills which offers 

 some impediment, (but Mr. Bruce states that it might be overcome by 

 widening the pass,) and by the formation of a road for hackeries. Inferior 

 coals were observed by Mr. Bruce, crossing the bed of the stream in 

 different situations, so that, if these last beds should be found to afford 

 good coal, the difficulties would be considerably less in reaching it there 

 than in the higher situation ; but in so remote a part of Assam as this, 

 perhaps no coal would be worth working, unless it occurred under more 

 favorable circumstances for transmission, than characterise any of the 

 Suffry beds. 



The Namroop coal, No. 2, in the annexed map, first observed by 

 Lieut. Bigge and Mr. Griffith, though like the last, of first rate 

 quality, and the Bruma-kund coal, No. 1, found by Captain Wilcox, 

 are probably beyond the reach of being profitably worked and introduced 

 to the navigable part of the Bramaputra ; so that of the six localities 

 in which coal had been found in Assam, at the time the preceding 

 reports of the Committee were written, one situation only (Suffry J was 

 known, from whence coal might be obtained, and that with some diffi- 

 culty, for local consumption in the province, at a cheaper rate than 

 it could be supplied from Bengal. 



Having thus stated what had been done up to the period at which 

 our last reports were published, we are the better prepared to show the 

 value of what has since been done in Assam. Coal has been found by 

 Captain Jenkins himself at Boorhath on the banks of the Disung, 

 the main river to which the Suffry coal had to be carried over so many 

 difficulties. By this discovery therefore all these are at once obviated. 



Another cpal bed has been found by Captain Hannay near Jypoor, 

 about twelve miles northeast of Boorhath, and within three miles of 



* A sample of it was tried at the mint, and found to be equal to Cherra 

 Punji coal. 



t Probably canoes. 

 6 D 



