14 HUGHES. — KARANPURA COAL-FIELDS. 



I shall refer to the flora of the Damuda series farther on when 

 speaking of its age. 



With the above general remarks, I shall now proceed to describe 

 in full detail the lithological characters of each sub-division, commen- 

 cing with the Barakar, and refer specially to their local distribution, 

 and to the seams of coal that occur in them. 



Bardkar group. 



This is the lowest group of the Damudas, and everywhere, except- 

 ing in the Eaniganj district, is the one richest in .workable bedg of coal. 

 There are three fairly marked divisions of the strata, but I have not 

 attempted to trace them out minutely in the field, owing to the great 

 amount of time and labor that would have been involved, without any 

 practical result, as regards the economic value of the group, which in 

 the present stage of our geological researches is the most important 

 object to keep in view. The lowest division of the Barakars consists of 

 pebble beds, coarse sandstones and grits, and coal seams of large size. 



The middle division does not possess pebble beds. Its sandstones 

 are finer grained, it has coal seams of moderate thickness, and there are 

 several beds of iron ore. 



The upper division is made up mainly of shales and shaly sand- 

 stones, with iron at the top, and coal seams of small size. 



The physical impress of the lower Barakars is very decided. The 

 coarse grits at the base, together with the pebble beds, produce a series 

 of low hills of a rough uneven appearance, often in more or less parallel 

 ranges with shallow ravines and vales between. The country which 

 these rocks occupy is always sterile, and can only bear thin spreads of 

 jungle. 



The middle and upper Barakars produce a nearly level surface, and 

 thus conform to the type of country which usually results from the 

 degradation of the ironstone shales and the Baniganj beds. 



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