88 VREDENBURG : RECENT ARTESIAN EXPERIMENTS IN INDIA. 



by slates and metamorphic rocks, and by schists and gneisses, some 

 of which have a more or less granitic tendency. Their highly 

 crystalline and compact texture is incompatible with the existence 

 of any great store of water. The very rare cases in which a flow 

 of water has been obtained from such rocks are due to exceptionally 

 disposed fissures. Not only can the possibility of such an occurrence 

 be only very rare, but such cases could never be predicted from 

 observations made at the surface. All the areas occupied by these 

 rocks should be left out of consideration in the problem of artesian 

 water-supply. In 1884 a boring was sunk 



Boring at Vizianagram. . 



in rocks of this class at Vizianagram, notwith- 

 standing the adverse circumstances of the case, and after being 

 carried to a depth of 350 feet, it failed to procure any supply of 

 water. 1 



(/o) Conclusion. 

 In conclusion, it may be stated that the possibilities of artesian 

 supply in India are not fully understood and have been very imper- 

 fectly tested. But even if they were much greater than outward 

 appearances would lead us to infer, still it would be a great mistake 

 to think that they could be of the slightest utility in any extensive 

 scheme of irrigation. On the other hand, leaving out of question 

 the problem of irrigation on a large scale, there are many minor 

 uses to which artesian water can be put to with great advantage, and 

 viewed in that light, the subject is certainly deserving of attention 

 and probably capable of development. 



1 This boring is mentioned in the " Geological sketch of the Vizagapatam District, 

 Madras," by William King. Rec. Geol. Surv. Ind., Vol. XIX, p. 143. 



( 88 ) 



