720 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



(No. 456 of 1846-47.) 



From Lieut. -Col. W. N. Forbes, Mint Master. 



To C. Beadon, Esq. Under Secretary to the Goverment of Bengal. 



Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 290, 

 elated the 7th April 1847, forwarding a copy of a letter and enclosures from 

 the Governor of P. W. Island, Singapore and Malacca, together with the 

 specimen of Coal which accompanied them, and in reply to state that, as the 

 specimen supplied was insufficient for experiments conducted in the Steam 

 Engine, or other mint furnaces, I requested Dr. W. B. O'Shaughnessy, 

 Chemical Examiner to Goverment to examine it in detail, and I have now the 

 pleasure of transmitting in original his very satisfactory report on its assay 

 and analysis. 



I have, &c. 

 (Signed) W. N. Forbes, 



Mint Master. 

 Calcutta Mint, the 20th April, 1847. 



(No. 26.) 



From Dr. W. B. O'Shaughnessy, Chemical Examiner to Government r 

 To Lieut.-Col. W. N. Forbes, Mint Master. 



Dated, Chemical Examiner's Office, Fort William, 30th April, 1847. 



Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 14th inst. requesting me to furnish a 

 report on a specimen of Coal received from e the Government of Bengal, I have 

 the honor to send you the accompanying memorandum of the results of its 

 analysis, which shows that this Coal is by far the most valuable hitherto 

 found in this or adjacent countries. 



2. The coal is identical with the " Cannel" or " Wigan" kind. It is free 

 from sulphur, cokes well and yields such an abundance of gaseous inflam- 

 mable matter as to be of the utmost value for generating steam or manufac- 

 turing gas. The proportion of ash is moreover very small. The discovery 

 of this kind of coal promises moreover to prove of additional importance in 

 as much as it is generally found to accompany deposits of the richest and 

 best ordinary coking coal. 



3. The documents sent with your letter are herewith returned. 



I have, &c. 

 (Signed) W. B. O'Shaughnessy, 



Chemical Examiner. 



