1842.] of the Damoodah Valley. 739 



The hills around the south-west extremity, and near to the Su- 

 banreeka, contain a very poor description of copper, which is stealthi- 

 ly worked by the natives. The ore is very poor in metal, so also 

 in the Beerbhoom district, and not very distant from where the coal 

 is found in the Braning ruin. At a place called Doomka, there is lead 

 found in several places, but that is also poor in metal. It probably is 

 an outlier of the same plumbose formations as is found near to Deoghur, 

 although twenty-five to thirty miles distant. 



Talc is found in many places in the neighbouring hills, but the 

 plates are not very large. 



One might suppose, that where sandstone is found throughout this 

 country, that some good paving stones might be obtained, but with the 

 exception of two places, I have never met with any sandstone which 

 separates in beds. At Cherooleah, on the Adji, large quantities were 

 formerly raised, but were principally hewn from large boulders of 

 sandstone and loose outlying rocks ; the grain is very coarse, and the 

 stone soft. It however answers well for common purposes, but is unfit 

 to be applied to fine work. 



Note. — Aytura, Chinacoory, and Damoully, (Mr. Homfray's Damooleah) were 

 three of the six mines opened by Mr. Heatly in 1774. The scattered position of 

 these over the country, shew that the field had been explored with some attention 

 at that early period, and its most capable spots determined with judgment. Chi- 

 rooleah also lies within the limits applied for and granted to Mr. H. So little appears 

 to have been done since, as far as regards the examination of the great coal field 

 of these districts, that though the early discoverers speak uniformly of Beerbhoom 

 coal, and Pachete coal, and even Mr. Jones, " saw nothing to indicate the existence 

 of coal in the Burdwan district," the publications of the Coal Committee invariably 

 term this the Burdwan field, an error that might lure some sanguine capitalist into 

 speculations like those of the Bexhill Colliery on the Hastings' Sand, chronicled 

 by Sir John Herschel, (Disc. Nat. Phil. p. 45). The silence of the same authorities 

 has compelled me to support a narrative of the early history of coal, (placed in Mr. 

 Torrens' hands) by rather tedious quotations from public papers, as its authenticity 

 might otherwise be called into question, since the Committee having easy access to 

 Government records, and this being their special province, appear to be unacquainted 

 with the facts. 



S. G. T. H. 



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