379 MINERAL PRODUCTIONS OF THE TENASSERIM PROVINCES* 
stated, to have completely closed all further research as to the prac¬ 
ticability of obtaining supplies of coal from this quarter equally 
cheap and of a less dangerous character, and this determination on 
tire part of government is the more to be regretted, as from a subse¬ 
quent report on the coal in question, by the able and talented secretary 
to the coal committee, Dr J, McClelland, he clearly explained that, 
apart from the circumstance of the general character of the coal 
extracted being of but second rate quality, the fact was apparent of 
a wrong seam having been worked; one indeed highly pyritous, 
which should have been regarded merely as an indication of a 
purer deposit, perhaps within a few feet of the one worked, and 
which a practical miner would have passed as being unadapted for 
steam purposes. 
By far the most important discovery of coal in these provinces 
is that which was examined and reported upon by the late Dr Hei¬ 
fer, situated at the source of the little Tenasserim river, where it is 
found out-cropping at the surface in live different localities, forming 
the same bed :—the quality of this deposit appears from the following 
analysis of it to be unexceptionable, not excelled in fact by the best 
English coal for steam purposes 
Bituminous volatile matter.47 
Carbon.. 52 
Ashy deposit. 1 8 
In parts 100 
The quantity exposed to the day would indicate an inexhaustible 
supply below, and as the process of extraction in the first instance 
to the extent of many thousands of tons could be confined to open 
workings, without the necessity of expensive appliances of machi¬ 
nery, the question naturally arises, why has this invaluable deposit 
been neglected, and what are the present existing causes that retard 
a further investigation of it ? 
In explanation of the former, it will be necessary to refer back 
to the period, (1840) when this discovery was made; closely follow¬ 
ing that of the deposit on the great Tenasserim river, which 
latter possessing superior facilities of location, and on first ex¬ 
amination supposed to be of excellent quality, commanded the 
preference of working, and having been abandoned as already 
noticed, after incurring a heavy loss to government, it can readily be 
imagined that any fresh undertaking of the kind would meet with 
but small encouragement from government under the circumstance 
of recent loss. Again, it would appear that accompanying the notice 
of this discovery to government, some doubt had been expressed in 
regard to its position being within our boundary, upon which data 
the report of the coal committee thereon was found to the following 
effect. u Although the quality is excellent, yet its distance from 
the coast is such as to render it of very doubtful utility on the 
