264 Notes upon the Geology of the Bajmahal Kills. [No. 3. 



throughout very picturesque and varied scenery. A large area of 

 their surface is still clothed with forest jungle, but a considerable 

 portion has been brought into good cultivation by the Sontal settlers, 

 as well as by the aboriginal hill-men. * 



Of the mineral structure of these Hills, the earliest notice was 

 that of Dr. Buchanan,t subsequently some detached papers in the 

 current periodicals, and the report of the Coal and Iron Committee 

 were the chief sources of information regarding their geological com- 

 position. Recently (1851) Capt. Sherwill has published Notes of 

 a tour in these hillsj, in which he gives a good general sketch of 

 the tribes inhabiting the hills, and some passing allusions to their 

 geological formation. Of a small portion of the southern end of the 

 range, Dr. McClelland gave a Map and description in his report for 

 1848-49. 



The statements of these authors, the occurrence of a number of 

 detached localities in which Coal had been stated to occur, especially 

 along the western flank of the hill range, the possibility of these 

 coal-beds proving only a continuation of the valuable beds of the 

 Damoodah valley, the importance of determining, even though un- 

 favourably, the true value of such deposits, and the fact that Sukri- 

 gully (at the North-Eastern corner of the Hills) had been indicated 

 as a locality likely to prove favourably situated for the manufacture 

 of iron, all rendered a careful examination of the district disirable. 

 An abstract of the results of this examination is now given. 



The Eevenue Survey Map of the district, (a tracing of which we 

 procured through the kindness of Captain Thuillier, Deputy Surveyor 

 General) not being lithographed, it became necessary to construct 

 working copies from the tracing, and again to transfer the geological 

 information. [Further, these Maps being prepared and published 

 by separate Pergunnahs, while geological districts are totally irre- 

 spective of such fiscal boundaries, considerable delay unavoidably oc- 



* It appears to me quite erroneous to view this range of the Rajmahal hills as in 

 any way a part of the great Vindhyan range, the true termination of which to the 

 N. East is in the Curruckpore hills, near to Monghyr. They are entirely distinct 

 in topographical position, in general direction, and in geological structure. 



f Gleanings in Science, vols. 2 and 3. 



% Journal of Asiat. Soc. Bengal, No. VII. 1851. 



