HUGHES : DEOGHUE. COAL FIELDS. 5 



north of Belkiari. Both of these belong to the series of east and 

 west faults which play an important part in determining the 

 contour of our larger fields. The Belkiari fault is cut off to the 

 west by the Busjori faulty and to the east it appears to cross the Adjai, 

 and be connected with the fault which throws the Barakars of the 

 Sahajori coal-field. 



2. Bamuda series, Bardkar group. — Of this, the most important 

 group, I am sorry to say that it scarcely covers an area of 5 square 

 miles ; and that its economic value, even with all the advantages of a 

 line of railway running directly through it, is scarcely worth consideration. 



There are two independent areas of Barakars : a smaller one in 

 which Mr. Sandys sank some shallow pits on the banks of the Bogroro 

 river — and a larger one in which I believe no explorations were made. 

 The rocks in both these areas belong to the lower portion of the Barakars, 

 and are principally sandstones. The middle beds, which in some tracts 

 covered by the coal measures furnish a large amount of ore for iron- 

 smelting, do not occur. The boundaries are natural except along the 

 line south of Khutmirki where a fault brings the Barakars against 

 the gneiss. 



In the smaller area of Barakars, the beds occur in the form of a 

 basin, with a moderate dip throughout. Two seams are exposed in the 

 Bogroro on either bank, but their outcrops are very obscure, being indi- 

 cated only by thin streaks of coaly shale, very much decomposed, and 

 having nearly the whole of the carbonaceous colour washed out. The 

 quality of the fuel which occurs in them is defined by the term " coaly 

 shalc*^ There is no probability of an improvement in sinking deeper, 

 as the beds are shallow ; and they cannot repay the outlay of even the 

 cheapest method of extraction as they are too thin, neither of them, 

 appearing to be as much as 3 feet thick. 



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