INTRODUCTION. g, 



the average lead from which source is 232 miles— brought the 

 question of the coal resources of this field into prominence. 



One thick band of upwards of 40 feet of carbonaceous and grey 

 shales associated with some thin layers of coal near Durlipali, and 

 several thin coal-seams near Bonjari and Khaliabahal, had long been 

 known to exist in the Lillari nala. Dr. King was deputed to ex- 

 amine and report upon the prospects of this field as a staple source 

 of coal supply. Under his directions ten boreholes and one shaft were 

 put down which gave such poor results that no further action was 

 taken in prospecting for coal until the discovery of a seam of coal 

 under the site of the Eeb bridge (see Plan) on the Bengal-Nagpur 

 Railway. On this discovery a grant was made by Government to 

 the Bengal-Nagpur Railway Company to explore the coal area around 

 Telanpali. In this exploration five boreholes and one shaft were put 

 down. The general result was not encouraging, but on the report 

 being submitted to Mr. Griesbach, Director of the Geological Survey 

 of India, he, not being satisfied that the lower measures of Barakars 

 which usually contain the best coal-seams had been sufficiently proved, 

 advised the deepening of borehole No. 4 (near Kodopali — see Map) 

 until the undoubted Talchir rocks were struck. In pursuance of this 

 opinion Government sanctioned the work of carrying the boring to a 

 depth of 600 feet. According to the boring record a seam of coal 

 j'g" thick, with a 6" band of stony shale in the middle, was struck at a 

 depth of 347 feet, then for a hundred feet a remarkable succession 

 of alternating bands of thin coal and shale were encountered, and 

 the remaining 38 feet passed through fine sandstone, the hole being 

 stopped at a depth of 485 feet in this stone before reaching the 

 Talchirs. This boring result was deemed by Mr. Griesbach suffi- 

 ciently encouraging to advise going on with the work for another 

 100 feet or so until the undoubted Talchir rocks were struck, unless 

 the crystalline rocks were struck at a lesser depth. The boring 

 contractors, however, said that the cost of drilling to this depth would 

 be very great and Mr. F. H. Smith of the Geological Survey of India 

 was deputed to visit th cspot to ascertain whether it could be regarded 



B2 ( 3 ) 



