1853.] Report oh the Geological Structure of the Salt Range: 275 



In an analysis, however, such as the above, the amount of ash 

 obtained will invariably be less, than if a large sample of the coal 

 were operated on, as the masses have invariably attached to them por- 

 tions of the sand, clay, &c. in which they were imbedded. These 

 mechanical impurities fusing and forming a slag or clinker in furnaces 

 during the combustion of the coal, have been found troublesome. 



The Kalibagh coal is for ordinary steam purposes an excellent fuel, 

 but not an economical one, on account of the rapidity with which it 

 burns. 



The real evaporative power of coals is in the direct ratio to the 

 amount of carbon or coke they contain, and hence as good English 

 coal yields from 50 to 70 per cent. Kalibagh coal should have only 

 half their evaporative power, and about twice that of the ordinary 

 woods used as fuel in the Indus steamers, which yield from 1 6 to 

 1 8 per cent, of solid charcoal. 



The coal can only be procured in small quantities at a time, 

 months being required to collect a few hundred maunds. During 

 1850 about 2,500 maunds were dug, and from the 27th March 1851 

 to the 11th March 1852, 2,126 maunds were turned out and landed at 

 Kalibagh on the right bank of the Indus, at the rate of eight maunds 

 for the Rupee, a rate which never can remunerate the miners for 

 any length of time for the labour required to extract the mineral. 



The ordinary small Indus steamers consume English coal at the 

 rate of 600 lbs. an hour when steaming, and hence on the supposi- 

 tion that double the quantity of Kalibagh coal is required, 200,000 

 lbs. (2500 maunds) the out turn of coal for one year at Kalibagh 

 would only keep one vessel steaming for 166 hours. "We see no 

 prospect of the supply of coal increasing, nay the quantity obtain- 

 able, as far as we could ascertain from intercourse with the miners, 

 seems gradually decreasing. 



In the absence of any thing like a seam of coal at Kalibagh, we do 

 not consider it expedient for Government to spend money there in 

 sinking exploratory shafts. 



The coal has all to be carried on bullocks, mules or donkeys from 

 the pits to Kalibagh over a tolerable hill road, but as it is very hard 

 it stands carriage remarkably well. 



Clay ironstone has not been observed East of the Indus, but in 



