728 A Description of the Coal Field [No. 128. 



Damoodah. A mile and a half higher up, are the openings of Mr. Rogers 

 and Mr. Blake. This last gentleman commenced in 1832, with a 

 view of conveying its produce down the Adji ; but hitherto the greatest 

 extent has not exceeded a few thousand maunds, such is the ungovern- 

 able nature of that stream and the shallowness of water, and dangerous 

 rocky bottom, that all efforts to overget it proye unavailing. There is 

 but one way of turning the Adji to any account, which is by convey- 

 ing the coal in carts lower down the river, about 25 to 30 miles, and 

 where the river navigation is less dangerous, although even from that 

 point it is much inferior to its equally ungovernable brother the Da- 

 moodah. The vein of coal is but one along this line, and when one 

 reaches to the Hidgelgurreah hill, and between it and the Adji, the 

 iron-stone measures are found cropping out ; these I shall hereafter no- 

 tice. The next nullah above the Singharun, and on the same bank, 

 is the Nooneah. This is the most considerable of all those minor 

 streams at its confluence with the Damoodah, where are situated the 

 collieries of Messrs. Carr, Tagore, and Co. ; and Messrs. Gilmore and 

 Homfray, both of which adjoin each other, and are at a distance of 

 only a few hundred yards from the main river. The popular name 

 of Raneegunge, is derived from the proprietary rights of one of them 

 having been vested in the late Ranee of Burdwan, and which also 

 gave rise to the equally fallacious term of Burdwan coal. These 

 collieries have their pits sunk down to the main vein of coal, gene- 

 rally to a depth of ninety feet, the vein varying from seven and a half to 

 eight and half feet in thickness; the covering immediately over the 

 vein is dark shale, and over which is a soft friable sand-stone, and 

 which enables the vein to be excavated in openings of generally 

 four yards in width ; the working underground being conducted 

 on the pillar and stall system, and with so excellent a roof over 

 the coal it allows full three-quarters of vein to be excavated, the prin- 

 cipal loss or waste of coal being attributable to its nature, being a free 

 burning or non-binding coal. The small, or dust, which is produced 

 in its working being of no value, is left in the hollows of the work. 

 Fortunately, there is no appearance of fire-damp in this vein of coal, 

 and the whole system of working has enabled them hitherto to be kept 

 extremely well ventilated. This vein of coal is perceptible for seven 

 or eight miles up this nullah, and is found cropping out in very 



