110 EANIGANJ COAL FIELD. [CHAP. IV. § 4. 



V. Nunia Valley, West Division. 



This embraces all the area occupied by the Raniganj beds North of 

 the Grand Trunk Road, and not already described. It is a small dis- 

 trict, comprising only the mines of Sitarampur, Dam&da, Fatipur, and 

 Gharwi. So much of the ground as lies between the Central and 

 Western branches of the Nunia is covered with alluvium, all void of 

 sections, and completely unexplored by means of borings and sinking. 

 There can, however, be little doubt that it is underlaid, in part at least, 

 by the seams now to be described, as seen in the section afforded by 

 the "West branch of the Nunia. 



This section is, perhaps, on the whole, the best and most continuous 



_. . . , ± seen in the Ranis-ani series. The higher beds of 



Diminution in coal to ° ° ° 



West and South. ^^ sev [ e $ are ^ j n & \\ probability, wanting, 



and the coal seams are, in general, thinner and fewer than those which 

 occur about Raniganj and on the Singaran. There appears to be a 

 very great diminution in the size of the seams generally towards 

 the West and South, a circumstance which will be further illustrated 

 in the discussion of the beds occurring South of the Damuda. 



Commencing on the top of the ironstone shales, near the village 

 of Malakola, the first beds seen are the usual 



Section in Nunia. 



slightly sandy carbonaceous shales. Upon these 



come, all regularly dipping at about 15° to the S. S. E., the following 



beds : — - 



1 . Rather fine somewhat felspathic sandstone, a few massive bands occur, but the 



rock in general is thinly bedded and soft. 



2. Fine thin-bedded micaceous sandstone, with hard, yellow calcareous bands and 



nodules. 



3. Ditto, rather coarser. 



4. Carbonaceous, shaley sandstone, and shale. 



5. Fine muddy shales, with numerous fossil plants well preserved. 



6. Fine, brown micaceous sandstone, carbonaceous in parts, with bands of hard, 



nodular, calcareous rock. 



7. Carbonaceous shales and ironstone. 



8. Ditto and sandstone. 



