44 HUGHES: SOUTHERN COAL-FIELDS OF REWAH G<5nDWANA BASIN. 



characteristic Raniganj form, but it appears that it occurs almost as 

 frequently in the Barakar as in the Raniganj group, as shown in the 

 following list 1 : — 



Raniganj field 

 Satpura I5;isin 

 Auianga field 

 Bdkaro 

 Talchir 



Raniganj 

 group. 



Barakar 

 group. 



To the east of Sohagpur an admixture of coal and carbonaceous 

 shale — the latter largely preponderating — shows at 



Carbonaceous shale at ° 



Chainptir aud Jauitia- the edge of the trap formation between Chainj>ur 

 and Jamua-Jamoi. The bed measures 7 feet, but 

 did not impress me favourably as a source of coal. 



It was my intention to have had three or four borings made in the 

 neighbourhood of Sohagpur to place our knowledge of that part of the 



Borings not carried on an exact footing, but unfortunately circum- 



out- stances arose which necessitated the presence at 



Umaria until the close of the working season (18S3-84) of the Assistant 

 Mining Engineer, to whom the task of carrying out my views had been 

 entrusted. Neither here therefore, nor at Lalpiir, Khaira, or Dhanpuri 

 — all villages, further to the east and south, where sites had been marked 

 out for trial borings — have any underground readings been obtained. 



Judging from the evidence available at the surface, I should not be 



disposed to commend the area immediately ad join- 

 Area adjoining railway t ■ hit, , 

 between Murcha pass and ing the railway from the Murcha pass to Sohagpur 



Sohagpur, not valuable. » . ... , . . .. , , . 0 , , 



tor initial mining operations in this held. 



There are more decisive and cheering indications of fair coal lands i 



Son river. 



the vicinity of the Son ; and as a convenient line 

 of description to follow, I shall take the river up 

 where it enters the Barakar area north of Anukpur 2 and comment on 

 the outcrops in it, and near it until it passes beyond the confines of the 

 field. 



1 Pal. Indica, Fossil Flora of the Gondwana System, Vol. Ill, Pt. 2, p. 71. 

 8 Anukpur is the residence of the Chief of Sohagpur. 



( 180 ) 



