132 
Geological Observations made on a 
„ [May, 
coal seams became thinner as they descended. The laminae of the coal show 
between them an appearance of woody fibre, which I do not think is uncommon. 
The coal itself is in appearance much like the Staffordshire coal, and burns in the 
same manner, leaving a white ash. The vegetable remains in the shale are of the 
same kind as those in England, in so far as they may be ranked nder the general 
names of calamites and equiseta ; one or two of them are not unfamiliar to me ; 
but for further information on this head, I beg to refer to Dr. Falconer, who has 
been good enough to give his attention to them, and whose detailed account of 
them may shortly be expected. I have merely to observe, that the impression, of 
which mutilated specimens have before been sent down, and about the nature of 
which many conjectures were raised, appears to have been a reed. But I never 
recollect to have seen any similar to it, and it is peculiarly abundant, and may be 
said to be characteristic of this formation. 
The sandstone seams which alternate with those of shale and coal, are more 
crumbling than I recollect them in England ; yellowish, and covered with ochry 
stains. Two specimens which I have examined, one from the surface, the other 
from about 20 feet below, and which was reckoned as remarkably difficult to work, 
both effervesce strongly with muriatic acid. They are, however, principally 
composed of fine granitic sand ; and probably the carbonate of lime has only acted 
as cement to them. We have no means at present of ascertaining the thickness 
of these calcareous joints; but the specimen from the other bank of the Da- 
mhda is not calcareous. With the sandstone alternates a micaceous shale, of a 
light ochry yellow colour, as well as the dark blue and blackish varieties 
. 7 d5 ’ keS ‘“7 yet bee , n observed to cut ‘ h e c oal strata ; and though Mr. Jonee, 
in his paper on them, speaks of some trap or greenstone layers, I was not fortunate 
enough to discover any such. But about 12 miles off appear three cones, called by 
the natives the Pachete hills, which, from their shape, must be trap ; and it is not 
impossible that dykes may hereafter be traced from them, into the adjacent 
country. A considerable hot spring is said to rise near them, and two others are 
named in the neighbourhood of Raniganj, one 27 miles to the west, in the bed of 
the Damuda and one about the same distance to the north, beyond the Adji river. 
eastward Z7 " n T°" “ kn ° Wn - T ° «>e eastward and north- 
eastward, its limits have not been traced Tn .1 
j pnrp ^aced. fo the north we are not without evi- 
is worked there ? IK ’ * ba ' lkS ° f thc *»* : * W of sandstone 
he south east fr doe, i 7 7* for paving. Weknowthatto 
I had no means of ascertaining the nature of the , 
about 50 miles farther on, when it appeard t l ft k U * g<>t Amchatar ’ 
granitic soil, which we see about Bwchr^h - but sh ^ * 
ar we see a conical hill before us, which appears L 7 * ™ ^ Amchat “ 
thing in shape, and become like the projecting- part of HP f* I * * * V °* Ch to vary SOm6 ‘ 
ping to the north. It is a greenstone InffiV f * hlgWy mcImed bed > dip ' 
crystals of hornblende, predominating in a base of dirk f “ d 
stone, if such a term be admissible. We see in the d t ^ Par ’ * ^ 
cones. Which, judging from the range- „f this are 777’ We8t ’ "““T 
for a similar reason, we might suppose the th probabl >' connected with it; and, 
hills, to be part of the same fine. “““ c0lles * 1 ha ve called the Pachete 
