1829.] 
of Bengal. 
285 
spects like most coal roofs ; the pavement or floor is very soft, so that it may be cnt 
to let the workmen enter; hut if the vein should not thicken, which however, there is 
every reason to expect, it will not pay the expense of working. 
This vein dips two and a half inches to the foot to the south or nearly so. The 
ascent and road out is difficult and dangerous, but several other veins will, I trust, 
he shortly found ; as the people now know what is wanted. 
In the Snsing river and streams, fragments of common coal are also found, hut 
less in quantity than about Laur ; fifteen people could only pick up one maund in 
seven days, and could not find its source. 
The Snsing Raja advised me not to go into those hills, without a strong force ; and 
even in that case not to remain long, as the people were very unsettled. Although X 
saw no necessity for a strong force, I did not conceive it worth while, from the 
nature of the country altogether, to lose more time, or to incur expense by carrying 
my researches further in that quarter ; as the difficulties (already too many) for the 
complete success of the business, would constantly increase- 
The hills and mountains extending all along the north eastern frontier, as well as 
those which I saw in the Ganges, arc deeply buried by earth and sand ; which I iina. 
gine has been furnished from time to time, by the decomposition of other mountains; 
and in the rainy season, the country round about them being always inundated, 
this circumstance is much against a deep mine of any kind being successful. It 
is remarkable, that in hills on the north eastern frontier, the strata in general 
run upon one side, of the mountain, and dip down the other, keeping up in some de- 
gree the shape of the surface ; and even in the plains, where a deep excavation is 
made, the earth is flat, in other places wavy, but often presenting an arched surface, 
as if small hills had been buried ; but they are certainly of recent formation. 
I have no doubt, that both the coal seams on the hills near Silhet will yet be of great 
value to that district, particularly as fuel is becoming scarce . coal will shortly be 
used for the purpose, of burning limestone, as well as for other purposes. But for 
the use of Calcutta, I am of opinion, the Jungle Mel. ills must still be resorted to for 
a supply, as the article is there to be met with under the most favourable circum- 
stances, and there is no obstacle whatever, excepting the difficulty of the navigation 
of the Damiida. Whereas there are many difficulties in the way of importing coal from 
the Casia mountains in great quantities : the natives (females excepted) will work but 
little, the men being almost constantly at war with each other. 
Their war is a war of extermination, without any object in view, except that of 
decapitating their enemies; the heads of those whom they catch, mostly by strata- 
gem, they stick upon bamboos, and dance with them in tiie Bazars, begging for 
wliat they can get. The Bengali population along the foot of the hills is very thin, 
and they have a great aversion to go into the mountains ; while labourers brought 
from distant parts are very liable to sickness during the rainy season, of which the 
major part of (hem die. 
The uncertainty yet of getting a seam thick enough to work profitably, and the 
distance from Calcutta being so great, that a boat at the utmost could not make 
more than three trips in a year, makes the business still more doubtful: the expense 
of carriage from that quarter would lie great, as it is at present sixteen rupees per 
hundred niaunds, and were more, boats employed, this would considerably raise the 
price of lime (already too high.) . . 
A considerable sum of money is at present sent out of the British territories tor 
wood, iron, and other articles for building boats used in the transportation of lime, 
and in the event of the coal trade being carried on, this would also he considerably 
U * Thc'hilis on the north-cast frontier furnish the following articles of trade, viz. 
reijarul wood for boat building, limestone, tire-wood, fron,wax,honey, pepper, cot- 
ton, betel not, pawn, lemons and oranges, rattans, bamboos, ivory ; tizpat, an aro- 
matic leaf like cinnamon, used in curries; agger, a substance used for frankincense : 
it is deposited by a worm which bores its way into a forest tree, and the tree is 
cutup into chips, and the part coilected through which the worm has passed, lhe 
natives take in return, money, rice, fish, fowl, and eggs. 
Having to the utmost of rny knowledge, stated the ioregomg observations, I shall 
here add a few words regarding a plan by which the coal trade in the Jungle Me- 
Mls may succeed and become profitable, notwithstanding the objections which I 
made to it last year. 
I propose that a few boats, some of three and others of four hundred m minds, he 
built on the hanks of the Dauiuda, of Raingerh Sal and iron, and that a few of the 
Burdwan boats (whose people are in the habit of navigating that river) , be hired for 
