MEMORANDA RESPECTING SUMATRAN COAL * 
By Lieut.-Col. Low, M.A.S. 8c C.M.R.A.S. 
I was favored lately by the lion’ble the Governor (Lieut.-Colonel 
Butterworth C.B.) with specimens of a coal which had been given to 
Captain S. Congalton, of the H. C. armed Steamer Hooghly by the 
Sultan of Linga. 
The Captain has obligingly written to me as follows : “ I got 
the coal from the Sultan of Linga, who says, that any quantity of it 
can be procured in his countiy which lies up the Rittie river in Su¬ 
matra. This river is very shallow, and lies in 42’ S. Lat. and 103° 
30’ E. Long, in the Straits of Durian. I have burned about f of a 
ton of it in the Steamer. It burns very well with little or no smoke. 
But its greatest fault is that it breaks into small pieces and runs 
through the fire bars. It is light in comparison with English coal. 
I dont know what the streak is that looks much like rosin.” 
On examing the coal (but not chemically) I observe it to have 
the following appearances and properties i 
It is the lightest coal en masse which I recollect to have ever 
seen. It is very frangible, and breaks off as easily, perhaps more 
easily, transversely than in the direction of the laminae. The cross 
fracture is fiat eonchoidal. The appearance of the surface, shining 
resinous, and the streak is dark brown, although the coal in lump 
looks quite black. It yields readily to the knife. It has much of 
the aspect of cannel coal, but is less shining and compact, and will 
not admit of being shaped into ornaments, on account of its being 
too soft and friable. In all of the above particulars this coal differs 
considerably from the Tanjong Katong and Pulo Tiga coal describ¬ 
ed in the 1st vol. of this Journal p. 146.1 cannot perceive any trace 
of fossil matter in it. But the associated strata may possibly con¬ 
tain such; although no specimens of these have been obtained. 
The laminae of the coal are thin and are occasionally intersper¬ 
sed with thin seams of a transparent substance of a reddish yellow 
colour. There are also crystals of alumn more sparingly inter¬ 
spersed. lu my specimens there are a few pieces of dark grey 
We noticed the discovery, and gave a short'description and analysis, of 
this coal in August, 1847, sgg Discovery of coatfyc. ante, vol. i. p. 158. Eo. 
