822 Mineral Resources of India. [No. 129. 



undertaking, and that they have no doubt from this trial of their meet- 

 ing with good coal, if they will be at the trouble of searching deeper 

 for it, as this appears to have been gathered only from the surface of 

 the mines. 



Mr. Sumner retired at this period to England. Mr. Heatly alone 

 remained in the neighbourhood. Tradition current in our family 

 relates, that he brought out regularly -bred miners from Europe, and 

 local tradition, according to Mr. Jones, confirmed the fact of Euro- 

 peans having been engaged in the work, but carried off by a destruc- 

 tive fever. The certainty of a market was however gone, and the 

 exertions of the proprietor became consequently less energetic. It 

 happened singularly enough, that at the very time Government de- 

 clined taking coals of the quality sent, new purchasers suddenly 

 appeared on the very spot. In December 1777, Messrs. Farquhar 

 and Motte addressed Government to be permitted to bore cannon 

 for them, and to cast shot and shells, in a memorial which I shall have 

 occasion to notice in a future paper. It has the following passages : — 



" After having obtained the best information in our power, we are 

 " of opinion, that the pergunna called Jerriah, lying between the rivers 

 " Dummooda and Burraker in the province of Pachete, is the fittest 

 " situation for the iron works. The river Dummooda is navigable as 

 " high as that place. It abounds with iron ores, and has the singular 

 " advantage of being contiguous to the coal mines of which Messrs. 

 " Sumner and Heatly have a grant." Another passage runs thus; 

 " By this article, however, we have no idea of prejudicing the rights of 

 " Messrs. Sumner and Heatly, who you know, Gentlemen, have the 

 " exclusive privilege of working the mines of coal or of any mineral or 

 " metal, iron excepted, within certain districts of Beerbhoom and 

 " Pachete." 



It is not probable, however, that Mr. Farquhar (known subsequent- 

 ly as the purchaser of Fonthill Abbey from Beckford,) proved any 

 very profitable customer to the mines. Disease and death thinned the 

 number of Europeans employed on them. Government began to see 

 the impropriety of permitting their revenue and judicial officers to 

 engage in farming speculations, and the orders of July 1781, prohibiting 



