704 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 7, 



The Curators and the Librarian having submitted their monthly 

 reports, the meeting adjourned. 



Confirmed Nov. 1th, 1855. J. W. Colvile. 



Report of the Curator Museum of Economic Geology. 



Geology and Mineralogy : Silt of the Hooghly. — I have completed a long 

 and careful examination of the average quantity and nature of the silt of 

 the Hooghly and of the solid matter held in solution in the water. I 

 have myself during twelve months taken water at the surface and at a 

 mean depth, and I have also a set of bottles of water taken at a depth of 

 three fathoms at the Gasper Light Vessel, through the kindness of Mr. T- S. 

 Parker, her Chief Officer, which give some singular comparative results. 

 I have moreover a set from the Rangoon and Moulmein rivers, which will 

 form the subject of another communication. 



Kunkur from Kedgeree. — Mr. Bensley of the H. C. Pilot service has 

 obliged me with a fine specimen of the kunkur forming on the beach at 

 Kedgeree, which is singularly interesting in a geological point of view, 

 for while the waters of the river there contain both muriates and sulphates 

 of lime and muriates of magnesia, the kunkur is simply a coarse grained 

 ferruginous sandstone ; the cement being oxide of iron only. 

 Economic Geology. 



Artificial bricks. — Colonel Goodwin has sent me a specimen of Asphalte 

 (which we already possessed) and one of a patent artificial brick, and of 

 this last he wished to know the composition. On examination it was 

 found to be much the same as the patent fuel, which is coarse coal dust 

 with the pitch from coal-tar, subjected when hot to a strong pressure, so 

 as to cause it to adhere firmly. The artificial brick however, has the coal 

 dust reduced to a fine powder, and about 10 or 12 per cent, of coarse 

 siliceous sand added to it, so as to give it great solidity, and it seems pro- 

 bable that in making them the heat is raised high enough to melt the 

 coal dust? Colonel Goodwin informs me that it is much recommended 

 for foundations, and for tanks and water-courses, but for these last purposes 

 I should fear that for a time it would give a disagreeable pitchy flavour 

 to the water, for upon putting a fragment into a cup containing rain- 

 water for twenty-four hours the taste of tar, or rather pitch-water, was 

 perfectly distinct : for floorings, however, these bricks would be in India 

 quite invaluable. 



Mr. Taylor s Burdwan Paving Stone. — I have been carefully examin- 

 ing the new Burdwan paving-stone sent down by Mr. Taylor of Toposi 

 Colliery, and have no hesitation in pronouncing it a most valuable addi- 

 tion to our Indian building materials. Mineralogieally described it is a 



