W. T. Blanford, CLE., F.R.S. 3 



consisting of W. T. and H. F. Blanford, with Mr. Theobald, was 

 despatched to examine and report on a coalfield near Talchir, about 

 '60 miles north-west of Cuttack in Orissa. 



This survey had some important geological results. The coal 

 was found to be abundant, though of very inferior quality, but the 

 •first steps in the classification of the Indian coal-bearing rooks were 

 taken in the separation of a lower division called Talchir, and of 

 a higher group, provisionally classed as Mahadeva, from the coal- 

 bearing beds themselves, to which the name Damuda series was 

 given by Dr. Oldham. This subdivision proved the key to the 

 classification of the great series of formations subsequently named 

 the Gondwana system. Another and even more interesting discovery 

 was the occurrence of large boulders in fine silt in the Talchir strata, 

 and it was suggested that the boulders had reached their present 

 position by the agency of ice, a view which, although long regarded 

 as doubtful, has in the course of the last thirty years been abundantly 

 confirmed by discoveries of a similar formation of like geological 

 age in many parts of India, in Australia, South Africa, and South 

 America, and by ample evidence of a glacial origin for these erratics. 



Eeturning to Calcutta in May, the Blanfords were ordered to 

 Darjiling for the monsoon months. The next year (1857) they 

 were separated, the younger brother being left in charge of the 

 office then established in Calcutta, whilst W. T. Blanford accompanied 

 Dr. Oldham during the working season 1856-7 in a survey of the 

 Kajmahal Hills. Daring the latter part of the time W. T. Blanford 

 examined the country to the westward of the Kajmahal Hills, and 

 returned to Calcutta in May, 1857, just at the moment when the 

 Mutiny broke out at Delhi. He had actually ridden down part of 

 the Grand Trunk Road through the discharged sepoys of the 2ud 

 Grenadiers, whose regiment had just been disbanded at Barrackpore, 

 and one of the last officers he had seen in the district traversed was 

 a few days later murdered by his men at Deoghur. 



Dr. Oldham left shortly afterwards for England, where he was 

 occupied on official work till nearly the end of the year. Henry 

 Blanford went to Madras at the head of a Survey party, and W. T. 

 Blanford was left in charge of the Survey and offices throughout 

 the Mutiny year. He joined at this time the Calcutta Volunteer 

 Oavalry Guards, a corps; who were of much use in preserving the 

 peace of mind of the residents in Calcutta, but were never called 

 upon to take the field. 



The year 1857-8 was occupied in a survey of the Orissa coast- 

 land, but few districts in the interior of Northern India were 

 sufficiently settled after the Mutiny to be safe for small parties to 

 travel in. The seasons 1858-9 were mainly devoted to a complete 

 survey of the Raniganj Coalfield, the most important source of 

 coal in India. The ground had been previously surveyed by 

 Mr. D. H. Williams,^ Dr. Oldham's predecessor, but the whole of the 



1 Mr. D. H. "Williams was formerly attached to the Geological Survey of^ Great 

 Britain under De la Beche, and surveyed large areas of the South Wales Coalfield. 



