BUNDELCUND. 9 1 



I counted forty-eight alternations ; this again alternates with thicker 

 layers of coarser grit; both these and the thin films are often quite 

 free from irony admixture. In percentage of metal this ore cannot 

 come near the other ore, but it seems to be highly prized by the natives 

 as the old workings and the surface of the country attest ; there is not 

 a shrub on the hills for a long distance round — it is still, however, very 

 largely used, the ore is carried 20 and 40 miles to be smelted. The 

 extent of this deposit is from its nature promising, but I cannot speak 

 from facts as I only crossed the formation in one direction. 



Note on Coal. 



I have before alluded to Capt. Franklin's mention of coal, in describ- 

 ing the rocks in which he supposed it to occur — it may be well, how- 

 ever, to give a special notice of it here as my attention was officially 

 called to the locality by Sir Robert Hamilton. 



Though Franklin appears to have started the opinion that coal existed 



. Previous notices and nnder the Vindhyan rocks, he does not stand alone, 

 opinions. Within the last few years the question was revived 



by a Mr. Quinan, I believe, a railway engineer; he gave a very decided 

 and favorable opinion ; this was brought to the notice of Government by 

 Mr. Oust, then Collector of Banda, who recommended strongly that borings 

 should be made under the management of Mr. Quinan in order that so 

 important a question might be placed beyond conjecture. I saw the 

 official correspondence in the Collector's office at Banda, but there was no 

 record later than Mr. Cust's letter of recommendation. When I was ex- 

 amining the Boghin section myself, I chanced to meet an employe of some 

 railway contractor, who was out searching for timber; he had seen Frank- 

 lin's coal shale and regretted to me that he had not a fortune to stake on 

 the enterprize. I give these facts that people may know that there are 

 two sides to the question ; I did not in any case discover the arguments 



