954 Report upon the Coal beds of Assam, [Nov* 



to collect the coal at as little expense as possible," Captain Hannay 

 observes, " I selected the vein nearest to Jypoor, and before I came 

 to this determination, I employed myself in exploring the neighbourhood ; 

 and have been very successful in finding coal and iron in great plenty." 

 As the sample, consisting of 224 maunds, has not been found of so good 

 a quality as the Assam coal that had been previously sent down to 

 Calcutta from the Suffry beds, we have annexed in the preceding note 

 the whole of the details given by Captain Hannay of his operations. 



It would perhaps have been better, on such an occasion, if samples of 

 different kinds had been transmitted, rather than a selection of that 

 which from its hardness seemed to be the best ; indeed it may be 

 doubted if hardness in coal denotes a superiority, and if the circum- 

 stance, noted by Captain Hannay, of the bed becoming somewhat softer 

 the deeper the excavation was carried, be not a very favorable sign. 



We are not however to expect that a first sample, from the outcrop we 

 may say, of a single bed in a new and extensive coal field, should be of 

 a first rate quality. The only fault of the sample of this coal selected by 

 Captain Hannay is, that it contains a considerable quantity of sulphur, 

 which, from trials made at the mint, appears to render it unfit for anneal- 

 ing silver, and that 40 maunds are only equivalent to 32 maunds, of the 

 variety of Burdwan coal in use at the mint at the time, for getting up 

 steam. Captain Forbes is, however, of opinion, that this sample of Assam 

 coal would be found nearly as good as Burdwan^ when burned in the 

 comparatively small furnaces of the boilers of steam- vessels. 



As far as the Assam coals generally have been tried, their qualities 

 have been found to be so good, that we may regard the small cargo 

 transmitted to Calcutta by Captain Hannay, as chiefly valuable in 

 showing the facility with which the article may be raised and transported. 

 Captain Jenkins, in enclosing the bill of expenses incurred in raising 

 and transmitting a boatload of Jypoor coal to Calcutta, observes : 

 " I need not point out to the Committee, that this attempt to work the 

 coal beds in the neighbourhood of Jypoor has been made under very 

 unfavorable circumstances ; the greater part of the last dry season had 

 passed away before Captain Hannay was able to commence operations ; 



pass over the vein of coal, and which come from the summit of the hillocks, I found 

 several beds of sandstone of the description called by the miners whitepost ; it is 

 soft, and easily broken, and was intermixed with large masses of iron ore, and 

 soft red sandstone, and there were also two small veins of coal, which although 

 several feet higher than the larger vein evidently appeared to belong to the same bed, 

 having the same dip and bearing. In the beds of these water- courses, and also 

 throughout this low hilly tract, there are found large pieces of petrified wood, round 

 pieces of white quartz and worn fragments of mica slate, having quite the appearance 

 of a salt mine." 



