1865.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 85 



The following is Major Ouseley's note, — 



Dated 31st January, 1865, 



" In September 1864, I first heard of this mud ; I got specimens of 

 it in October ; I sent some to the Commissioner (Cnrrie) of the division 

 early in November ; I sent some to the Chief Commissioner in Novem- 

 ber, and to the Exhibition in December, under the name of peat. The 

 Chief Commissioner said it was an interesting discovery, and he had 

 made it over to Bonavia for report. Some of the fuel was burned before 

 the Financial Commissioner and King early in December. Bonavia 

 said the article was practically useless for fuel, as it would not flame 

 under a blow-pipe. Every one who saw it said it was not peat, 

 but no one can say what it is. I have called it an argillaceous shale, 

 highly bituminized, and it appears to me to be composed of argil, 

 carbon and silica. I have written three letters containing the fullest 

 information I could gather on the subject to the Secretary, Chief 

 Commissioner, since the 17th instant. The points to be determined 

 are : is this fuel so superior to wood as to render its consumption at a 

 remunerative price practicable, and can it be found in sufficient quan- 

 tities in this country, to render its discovery of any use. The natives 

 have always known of its existence and that it smoulders. I account 

 for this by observing that in a common native chula, or on the ground 

 in small quantities, it does not flame ; it requires to be built up or put 

 upon bars like an English fireplace, with a chimney or something that 

 will draw it, before it will burn (in small quantities) like coal — of course 

 a large diy heap in the open air, lighted from below, will blaze freely 

 enough. The natives say that in former ages god-like people used to 

 offer enormous sacrifices (home) of ghee and grain, and this is the 

 reason they make no kind of use of it. 



" Near the village of ' Kundhowlee,' Pergunnah 'Dheengwas,' Teh- 

 seel ' Behar,' District c Pertabgurh' in Oudh is a jheel or swamp of 

 about 12 acres, in which is found a mud, which, according to native ac- 

 ; counts, smoulders like wood. I visited this swamp in November 1864, 

 and found it, owing to the failure of the rains, quite dry. After digging 

 in this swamp to a depth of from 9 to 12 feet a layer of something like 

 ashes is found, which is from one foot to a foot and a half thick, below 

 this conies a layer of black mud from one foot to five feet thick ; this, 

 when put on a hie in a damp state, smoulders away ; when dry, it burns 



