282 Notes upon the Geology oftlie Bajmalial Rills. [No. 3. 



roads traversing the district in all the principal directions Lave been 

 constructed under Mr. Pontet's direction. In this respect, as in 

 many others, the Government district offers a most striking and most 

 favourable contrast to the adjoining zemindaris, in which it is almost 

 impossible to move about excepting on Elephants, and which are 

 marked, not so much by the badness of the roads, as by the total 

 absence of any of these means of communication.* 



From some of the sandstone beds, (as at Mussinia) mill-stones 

 are extracted, but in the rudest and most expensive way, by cutting 

 the stone out of the solid mass from the centre of the beds. The 

 demand for these is small, and but few are extracted. 



In addition to the district referred to above, the small area in 

 which coal, and its associated rocks occur near to the villages of 

 Khutunga and Tnngsuli, on the northern bank of the river. More 

 about five miles from Soory, (Beerbhoom) was carefully examined. 



. It is quite isolated, being surrounded on all sides by primary 

 slates, gneiss, and granite rocks. Prom east to west the sandstones 

 and shales extend about 2 miles in length, and from north to south 

 about one mile, covering an area of about 2\ square miles. There is 

 no thickness of these rocks, and among them no coal of any value 

 occurs. There are thin seams, and irregular layers, but of no com- 

 mercial value. The rocks have a general but slight dip to the 

 south by west (about 50), and fill a little hollow or basin in the- 

 primary rocks. 



* It is, I think, to be regretted that more eare and skill have not been devoted 

 to the selection and laying out of these roads within the Damin-i-koh ; and to 

 rendering them more permanent. The Sontals are fully alive to the value of the 

 facility of communication, and readily construct a road ; but they naturally take it 

 to, or through their own villages, or divert its course to avoid the slightest obsta- 

 cle. Many of these roads are, in consequence of these deviations, nearly twice as 

 long as they need have been from point to point. This may be of little conse- 

 quence now, but every yeas; is extending the cultivation of these hills ; and every 

 year is rendering it more desirable that these lines of communication should be 

 improved. The same time and labour now devoted to the annual repair of a road 

 the direction of which may be changed the next month, would suffice for the 

 making and repair of a more permanent road in a fixed direction. 



