Water                   17.04 p.c.       4.62 p.c.
Volatile matter      28.61 "          27.24 "
Ash                      13.06 "            9.18 "
Fixed carbon        41.29 "          58.96 "
                           100.00           100.00

The proportion of water in this coal is rather high, the ash is also higher than is present in good coal, but this is not surprising considering that the sample is from the surface.  The fixed carbon is low,and the coal will not form coke.
R. H. HARLAND,
Assayer,
37, Plough Court, London, E.C.

Mr Harland adds: "For surface coal I regard the assay as very encouraging, especially as to the percentage of ash, since very little of the Newcastle (N.S.W.) coal contains less than 10 percent of ash, and what is known as Southern coal (Woolongong [sic] district) averages about 12 per cent. ash. It would be good coal furnaces and electric lighting purposes."  He suggests that a bore bore lower down be made, to prove what kind of coal is below.