Chap. IV. § 4.] raniganj group. 125 



relations of the different portions of the series are distinct, and may be 

 seen by a glance at the map. The coal seams, for instance, about 

 Sitaramptir, Gharwi, and Fatipiir, on the West branch of the Nunia, 

 are evidently continuations of those seen in the Hural Jor, and their 

 extension occurs in places around Shatalpur and Deziragarh, and South 

 of the Damuda, for the faults which occur are insufficient to produce 

 any great difference. It is impossible, without either underground 

 workings or far more numerous and more perfect surface sections than 

 exist, to identify particular seams at a distance of 5 or 6 miles, but it 

 is clear that the beds accompanying the coal are continuous, and strike 

 steadily across. There is by no means any certainty that the coal 

 seams are continuous over any extensive area. The disappearance, 

 throughout the West and South of all the thick seams so conspicuous, 

 not only around Raniganj, but also in the Singaran, renders it impro- 

 bable that such is the case. The Chinakuri seam, South of the river at 

 Hiraktind, is but little more than half the thickness it attains at Salun- 

 chi, and it seems totally to disappear further South, as no similar seam 

 is seen in the Besram stream. Here, however, many thin seams 

 are found, which are wanting at Chinakuri ; the run of ironstone 

 proving the identity of the horizon. 



So many large faults cut up the rocks in the neighborhood of the 

 central stream of the Nunia, owing to the sudden twist which there 

 takes place in the strike of the beds, that the strata, which were 

 clearly traced up to that point, become difficult to understand to the 

 East, especially as, beyond this, there are scarcely any good sections. 

 The small ironstone shale band, which was so valuable a guide in the 

 upper part of the series, may perhaps be represented by a thin and 

 rather sandy run, which is seen South of the Grand Trunk Road, just 

 West of the Ntinia. In this case, the beds of coal worked near Nunia 

 Bridge are nearly on the same horizon as the old Chinakuri seam, the 

 new or Salunchi seam, if it ever existed here, having been removed 



