1*854.] Examination and Analysis of four specimens of Coal. 385 



This mixture again seems aggregated, rather than hardened, into 

 masses which have just consistence enough to hold together, but 

 which crumble and break with the greatest ease. On the fresh 

 fracture they seem mere aggregations of the harder and softer 

 substances and at times appear laminated, as if deposited by water 

 or assuming a pseudo form of scaly graphite. 



The somewhat lenticular masses which form the hard fragments 

 are of a curved and flattened form, but remarkably bright on their 

 external surfaces, which indeed have altogether the appearance of 

 dark coloured graphite, and as some of them write well like black 

 chalk, the illusion is more perfect ; they are also sectile, and at times 

 laminar. The cross fracture is a dull black. 



I found a fair average of the massive kind of the earthy soot coal 



to contain in 100 parts — 



Water, 10.00 



Gaseous matter, 9.75 



Carbon, 39.95 



Earthy ) Silica, 28.150) 



Matters. £ Alumina, 4.00 £• 40.30 



andiron. ) Iron, 7.70 ) 



100.00 



It is thus a very impure, earthy, carbonaceous compound, to which 

 I can find no parallel in any book accessible to me, and thus have 

 distinguished it by the name of Earthy Soot coal, though the Soot 

 coal of England contains, I think, much more gaseous matter. I 

 forbear offering any speculation about it ; but it would be curious to 

 know if it becomes a graphite at a greater depth ? its per centage 

 of Iron being about that of the graphites, and it is impossible to say 

 what these surface veins are an indication of. 



No. IV. 



Teesta Coal. 



From the bed of a small stream to the West of the Chaiva Nuddi. 



This coal is accompanied by a specimen of the rock in which it is 

 found, which is a compact, light, bluish-grey sandstone, with much 

 white mica in its laminar partings. 



