7 2 
Heetmh <f the Geological Survey of India. 
[vor,. rn , 
thickness,, is seen near the village of Tendumuri, more than a mile south-west of Chitra. It is 
nearly horizontal, having a very low irregular dip to the west or south-west Part consists 
of fair coal, the remainder is shaly. 
The only seam examined from which it is possible that a useful supply of fuel might 
he obtained is exposed in the same stream rather uearer to Chitra, being about a mile from 
that village, close to the boundary of the village of Tendvimuri. It is very badly seen, but 
appears to be of considerable thickness, perhaps twenty feet. The upper portion is so much 
decomposed that no trustworthy estimate could be formed of the quality without digging 
Into the seani: the lower portion appeared to be fair in places. The dip is about lo D to 
north-north-west. 
The villagers, as usual, would give no information, so that I could only trace out tin- 
coal seams by the laborious process of searching the beds of the streams, and' from want of 
time I was unable to ascertain whence the greater portion of the fragments seen in the 
Maud were derived; but when passing through Ranchi, fneufenant Sale, in charge of the 
Chota Nagpur Topographical Survey Party, (old me he had found a seam of coal about 
four miles north-west of Rabkub in a small stream running into the Ms'md, and it is probable 
that this may be the source of the blocks I saw in the river bed. 
I should add that several coal localities have been lately found by the officers of 
the Topographical Survey and recorded in their maps. They are all north of Korba 
and Udipur. 
When passing through Jashpur, the Rajah told me that coal has been found in bis terri¬ 
tory in the lvhurea country, twenty-four miles north-west of Jashpurnagar. This would be 
about 100 miles, or rather more, west by south of Ranchi. 
Calcutta,.Hint Hay 1870. 
Note on Petroleum in Burmah. &c\, by William Theobald, Esq., Geological Snrow 
of India. 
Two very distinct sorts of earth-oil are met with in the countries lying to the eastward 
of the Bay of Bengal, viz., the limpid oil of Arakan and the viscid oil of Burmah, which last 
is commercially known as the Rangoon oil from its port of shipment, though really obtained 
at the Yenan-khyoung and other wells in Upper Burmah. The limpid oil of Arakan varies in 
tint from pale yellow to deep sherry brown, with a peculiar opaline tinge, something like that 
produced in alcholtolie fluids bv the presence of fusil oil in excess. The Rangoon oil, on tin- 
other hand, is of very uniform color, a peculiar yellowish green and of tarry consistency. 
1 may here remark that, the only other Indian oil T urn acquainted with is that produced 
in the salt range in the Punjab. This oil is of a consisteney almost intermediate between 
the Arakan and Burmah oil, and differs in tint from both, being brown, devoid of the peculiar 
greenish hue of the Rangoon oil. and of a decidedly reddish color by transmitted light* 
The wells producing the limpid nil are situated near lvyoukphoo, Rarnree, and the neighbour¬ 
hood, and are all confined to the western side of the Arakan range, and none of them occur 
at any great distance from the coast, whilst the viscid oil of commerce is similarly confined ti¬ 
the eastern side of the same range, occurring most plentifully in Upper Burmah, but met 
with here and there in very sparing quantity as low down as the parallel of M ytinoung. 
Of the inode of occurrence of the Arakan oil and of the rocks with which it, is associated 
little is known. The wells are mostly shallow, almost superficial, and would seem only to yield 
sufficient oil for local use, though their productive capacity has probably never been fairly 
tested. 
The Burmese oil is worked much more energetically, though the geological relations of 
the oil are little better known than in Arakan. Some of the Yenan-khyoung wells are, 1 am 
informed, sunk to a depth of ItX) or 150 cubits, first, through a little surface clay and then in soft 
sandstone. The age of these beds is not precisely known, but analogy would point to the 
nummulitic formation as being the source of these oils. In the Punjab, the oil rises through 
contorted beds of nummulitic limestone, and is there in all probability derived from thick beds 
of carbonaceous shale with lignite, which are associated with and underlie the nummulitic 
group. As the miimuulitic group is largely developed in Burmah, we may, in default of any 
precise information on the subject, refer in like manner the Burmese oils to the same group. 
* Or. 01,1mm has drawn my attention to a remark of Mr. Wynne. that the oil obtained near Rawul i’indi -s 
green, when it issues to the surface. The distinction, therefore, drawn by me between the color of the Punjab and 
Rangoon oils would seem to depend mainly on the relative length of time either has been kept, and does not seem, 
as at tirst inferred, to originate in any essential difference of composition.—W. T. 
