818 On the Assam Petroleum Beds. [No. 167. 



Nahore Doong, an old Salt Well, situated about two miles from this, 

 on the road to the Naga hills. 



About 200 yards on the Jeypore side of this old Salt spring, the 

 road crosses a vein of coal, of considerable thickness, accompanied 

 by several beds of soft sandstone. This road is merely a ravine, which 

 like many others, intersect the low hills here, in different directions, so as 

 to give them the appearance of being distant from the more regular 

 forms of the low range, which rise suddenly from the plain ; in fact, 

 many are quite detached, and rise in knolls of some 50 feet high, sur- 

 rounded on every side by a natural ravine, in which coal, various soft 

 rocks, shells and clays, usually associated with the former substance are 

 seen on regular strata, and also detached pieces of fossil wood, clay iron 

 ore, and exceedingly hard quartz rock. This kind of ground extends 

 for about a mile E. and N. of the coal first mentioned, and I believe 

 there are few ravines in which there is not an appearance of Petroleum, 

 either exuding from under a mass of limestone on a level with the bed of 

 the ravine, or at some height up the slope of the hillocks. 



From this locality, or rather at two spots where, from the quantity 

 of Petroleum visible on the surface, they are designated Tel Doong. 

 (or Oil- springs) I have taken the specimens now sent, but you must 

 recollect that these are taken from the mere surface, and it is quite 

 possible that a more interesting and valuable formation of the same kind 

 might b6' found at some depth, particularly as regards the connection 

 of calcareous matter with that from which the Petroleum is thrown 

 up. I mention this, because, from the 'appearance of the specimens of 

 blue limestone found in the bed of the Dehing River, under the water 

 (it being evident that this river cuts through the whole of the strata 

 before-mentioned) it might be possible to find at the depth of the 

 Dehing bed, inland, a purer limestone than that which is on the surface. 

 However it may be as well to say, that the different strata appear to 

 bend Eastward, and dip to the South towards the high range of Naga 

 mountains, in the lower portions of which there are numerous salt 

 springs, the prevailing rock there being clay slate. Nothing like 

 mountain limestone is to be seen, as far as my travels extend, on 

 the Assam side of these mountains : and I have an idea that with- 

 out some extensive formation of this kind in contact with our carbo- 

 niferous strata or bitumen springs, we shall fail to find a calcareous 



