824 Mineral Resources of India. [No. 129. 



tion to them. He applied for a surveyor to complete a map of the 

 several districts under his charge. Lieut. Ranken was, at his request, 

 appointed and prepared a map, which yet exists at the Surveyor Gene- 

 ral's Office. It does not mention a word about the existence of coal, 

 and I am therefore inclined to attribute the notification of a coal mine 

 situated on the river Coyle, a little below Palamow, to Mr. Heatly, who 

 was on intimate terms with Rennell, then Surveyor-general. Rennell's 

 map of Behar, dated 1779, announces the fact, and Arrowsmith has only 

 copied it into his Atlas from Rennell's. 



From this period there is a wide gap. In Williamson's " Wild 

 Sports in the East," (an admirably characteristic work, published in 

 England in 1808, and pretty nearly as unknown now as the times he 

 delights to paint were in his,) there is an incidental allusion to coal. 

 It occurs in pages 7 and 8, Vol I. 



" Cooking is carried on in the open air by means of embers ; coals 

 " being unknown in India, except in the Ramgur country, where the 

 " Soobanreeka river runs for some miles through a mine of excellent 

 " quality. The country being extremely mountainous, and no navigable 

 " river within at least a hundred miles, though small streams abound, 

 " added to the vast abundance of fuel, occasions that valuable commo- 

 " dity to be neglected. The India Company indeed find it easier to 

 " send coal from England, as ballast, to their arsenals abroad, where 

 " quantities are occasionally used in fusing metals for casting ordnance." 

 It was singular enough, that at this very period the India Company 

 did not indeed find it easy to send coal from England. In a general 

 letter, dated 8th April, 1808, paragraph 24, they point out to the local 

 Government the enormous expense to which they were subjected by 

 the exportation of coal to India; wishing to know the purposes for 

 which it was wanted ; whether charcoal will not be equally servicable, 

 and stating if no remedy can be devised, that they must transfer their 

 ordnance works home. The Earl of Minto was then Governor Gene- 

 ral, and drew the attention of the Military Board to the complaints of 

 the Court of Directors. 



To Capt. A. GREENE, Secretary to the Military Board. 



Sir, — I am directed by the Right Honorable the Governor General 

 in Council to transmit to you the enclosed copies of the 23d, 24th, 27th, 



