ANNITERSART ADDEESS. 25 



years. The seams in this area vary from 9 to 32 feet, giving an 

 aA-erage of 6 feet each to twenty-two seams ; and on the whole an 

 average of 15 feet. 



The same explorer describes the Karanpura coal-fields, in 

 which some of the seams attain a thickness of from 14 to 21 feet. 

 These fields form a part of the Damuda Valley, and Mr. Hughes 

 gives the areas of all the basins in it thus : — ■ 



1. Eaniganj, 1,000 square miles. 



2. North Karanpura, 472 ditto 



3. Bokaro, 220 ditto 



4. Jherria, 200 ditto 



5. South Karanpura, 72 ditto 



6. Eamgurh, 40 ditto. 



These 2,004 square miles do not, however, make up all, and 

 only a portion of the coal-fields of India. But of this vi^e may 

 take the calculation of Mr. Hughes as correct, — that of the 

 Karanpura fields alone there is proved to be a quantity capable 

 of meeting all demands, and that in the northern basin of the 

 name (No. 2 of the list), taking only 250 miles instead of 472 

 square miles, there are eigJit tlwusand seven Jiimdred and fifiij 

 million tons of coal. 



In the south (No. 5) basin, taking only 15 square miles, as 

 the average ascertained thickness of the seams (deducting 20 

 feet for partings) is fully seventy feet, that area will supply 

 75,000,000 tons. There are eight seams, with a total thickness 

 of 62 feet, and sixteen with a thickness of 159 feet 3 inches. 



The thickness of the seams in most of the Indian fields is 

 remarkable. Thus, in the Baniganj beds, nine seams have an 

 acrprreffate thickness of 120 feet : eleven, amountino; to 100 feet ; 

 and four, in the lowest Damuda series, attain to 69 feet (W. T. 

 Blandford, in Memoirs^ vol. 3, part 1). The last announcement 

 is of a new coal area, west of the Damuda Yalley, which supplied 

 coal during the mutiny war of 1 857 ; and which Mr. Hughes thinks 

 will prove of great advantage. It is called the Daltonganj field. 



