VIII. 



DESCRIPTION 



OF THE 



NORTH WEST COAL DISTRICT, 



Stretching along the River Damoda, from the neighbourhood 

 of Jeria or Juriagerh, to below Sanampur, in the Per- 

 gunnah of Shear gerh, forming a line of about sixty -fim 

 miles. 



By the late Mr. JONES, 



Of Calcutta. 



The face of this country is regularly undulated by short broken swells, 

 resembling a chopping sea : the perpendicular height of many of the 

 hills, which I have levelled, averages about sixty feet. The soil is not 

 more than six feet deep, slightly calcareous, resting on grey sandstone 

 that effervesces with acids, and in many places, where it is bare an 

 efflorescence of soda may be scraped off. The sandstone is not more than 

 seven feet thick on the table hills, but generally thicker and coarser 

 grained in the valleys. The coal and coal metal bassets out in many 

 places, but are delusive guides to the miner, as the greater part of them 



are 



