HUGHES : DEOGHUK COAL FIELDS. 3 



The heig-ht of the general surface above the sea taken at a point 

 in the same longitude coincides nearly with that of the larger fields in 

 the valley of the Damuda. This fact is important in its hearing- on the 

 enquiry as to how far the old surface of deposition has been altered, by 

 faulting, subsequently to the formation of the rocks. 



There is but httle jungle, and that is too thin to afford perma- 

 nent shelter for any larger animals than jackals, foxes, and a few 

 small rodents. The hills however surrounding the fields are well 

 wooded, and are the favorite resort of those formidable man-eating tigers 

 which have made Deoghur . notorious in the sporting annals of 

 India. 



III. — Geological Structure op the Outliers. 



These small spreads of coal measures I have termed outliers with 

 reference to the main body which extends up the valley of the Damuda 

 constituting the Ranigunj, Jherria, Bokaro, Ramgurh, and Karanpiira 

 fields^ Another outlier, is the Kurhurbari field; and within the 

 limits, or nearly so, of latitude which I have given above, there are other 

 small areas of Talchir and Damuda rocks besides those which I am 

 about to describe under the name of the Deoghur fields. 



I have retained Deoghur as a general title for the three outliers, 

 although each may be referred to by a special name. The town of 

 Deoghur (Baijnath or Bajinath) is a well-known resort of Hindu pilgrims, 

 and formerly gave its name to that part of the district in which the 

 outliers occur, all of which is now included as a portion of the Sonthal 

 Pergunnahs. 



A. The Jainti Coal-field. — Describing the outliers, of which there 

 are three, in the order of their size, the first one with which we have to 

 deal is that west of the Adjai, and which I propose to call " The Jainti 

 r ( 249 ) 



