Rajmehal Coal. 



503 



Moorshedabad, and nearly in the line of the canal proposed 

 by Major Forbes. A specimen of this coal afforded the 

 following results on analysis : — 



Specific gravity, ... 1'370 



Volatile matter, 42 0 0 



Carbon, ... ... ... 44 8 0 



Earthy matter, ... 13 2 0 



100 0 0 



A sample, consisting of a few maunds, furnished by Mr. 

 Pontet sometime before to Mr. Scott, the commander of the 

 Jumna steam vessel, also proved of favourable quality. 

 Mr. Pontet having been desirous of procuring the means of 

 extending his observation, these were provided, and on the 

 20th June, he despatched ten bags of coal to Calcutta, this 

 also proved a favourable sample ; but a subsequent dispatch 

 of 400 maunds consisted of shale and inferior coal. In ex- 

 planation of this last unfortunate circumstance, Mr. Pontet 

 stated, that the necessary aid did not reach him till the 

 rains set in, when the place being unhealthy, he was obliged 

 to leave the raising and dispatch of the coal to inexperienced 

 natives. 



The following is an extract from Mr. Pontet's letter, in 

 which he describes the operations in which he was engaged : — 

 " After the first vein of coal, we came upon a hard black 

 stone, and finding the operation of boring through it so very 

 tedious, I took upon myself to select a spot for a shaft, 

 and procured well-diggers and stone-cutters, who have been 

 for the last two months at work, at present to all appearance, 

 with satisfactory prospects, as one of the stone-cutters who 

 opened shaft at Burdwan, says this mine bears some resem- 

 blance to it. I am induced to persevere a few feet more, 

 in hopes of coming to an useful vein. The first twenty-three 

 feet of soil is red and black earth mixed with kunkur, 

 and under that, to a depth of forty-feet, are thirteen dif- 



