164 COAL MINES 



are the saddle strata that cover the hills like a cap, and seldom reach 

 down to their bases : others again lie like shields or patches on the side 

 of the hills, and extend a considerable depth below the bases. Beneath 

 all these the proper coal beds will be found. The formation appears to 

 me, from the result of many experiments, to be wavy and wheeling in a 

 slight degree, carrying its line of bearing to an amazing extent with little 

 variation ; its breadth on the south-west side in the direction of Banhora, 

 is not more than eleven or twelve miles from the river, further on in 

 that direction the protruding rocks are sienite, hornblende, quartz, and 

 masses of mica or talc, cemented with a small portion of sand. At 

 Hajkol, seven miles above the confluence of the Damoda and Sai-a- 

 can rivers, the attendants on coal are lost, and the river is blocked up with 

 gneiss, felspar, and granite. The coal district then turns otF, crossing 

 Jeria in the direction of Sahar : coal bassets appear a considerable way 

 beyond. The attendants on coal also appear in the Saracan river, regu- 

 larly downwards on the JBii hJiuni side, without any interruption, except 

 a large whyndyke that appears seven miles above Madgeah, running in 

 the direction of Bishenpur. The whole of the district affords rich and 

 valuable iron ore of various kinds, but no limestone has yet been disco- 

 vered, except the calcareous concretions that are found on the surface of 

 the ground, and such as are in general use as a substitute for limestone all 

 over Bengal. 



Descripiion of the ivories at llaniganj , icith the different occurrences that 

 took place during the sinking of the three shafts. 



' Previous to opening the works at the above place, I made small 

 sinkings down to the clay slate or coal-metal in the valleys in every 

 direction within three or four miles. I found them invariably dip E. by S. 

 which threw the line of hearing to the back of the Rajmahal hills, 



considerably 



