Discovery of Coal in Assam. 215 



Brumahpooter, I have the honour to annex a rough sketch map. 

 (See PI. IV. Fig 3.) 



2nd. Last month Captain Reid, Commanding Assam Local Artil- 

 lery and myself heard of this river, and went in search of it, as it had 

 not been previously explored, and was only known by name as one of 

 the auriferous streams of Luckimpore. Rising in the northern Abor 

 hills, and falling into the most western of the great Sootis, of the 

 Brumahpooter, it flows through that unfrequented portion of the 

 valley of Assam extending from the Dehing river to the Seesee 

 villages. 



3rd. As it is nearly dry in the cold season its hill course must be 

 a very short one, it emerges on the plains of Assam from a deep ra- 

 vine, between high cliffs of crumbling and very porous sandstone, 

 interlying which, we observed the veins of coal in layers, as near as I 

 could guess of from three to eight inches in thickness, with a very 

 gentle dip and inclination as if the direction of the veins was from 

 under the Brumahpooter. 



4th. Having no iron instruments of any description with us at the 

 time, and being anxious to return to our camp as speedily as possi- 

 ble in consequence of the intense heat of this confined valley, and 

 the increasing force of the mountain torrent we were endeavouring to 

 stem, I was unable either to observe much, or to secure more favour- 

 able specimens ; those sent being broken from the thinnest veins, 

 where a fracture in the overlying rocks had laid bare a portion of the 

 coal and rendered it easy of removal. 



5th. From the number of parallel layers seen in one spot however, 

 it is probable that a more extended search would bring to light 

 larger and finer veins. Such a search would best be prosecuted in 

 the cold season, when the hill course of this stream might be ex- 

 plored to some extent on foot, it being used as a route of communi- 

 cation with the plains by some of the Abor tribes. 



6th. On my return to Debrooghur, I sent the men, who had gone 

 with us, back with pickaxes, hoping they would be able to bring a 

 boat-load of the coal, but the river was so flooded when they got to 

 the foot of the hills that they were unable to take up the boat, and re- 

 turned with only a small basket full of broken fragments. 



2 F 



