B ARAK A.HS. 



17 



been admitted, I am not yet ready to allow, in the absence of other 

 testimony, that a sub- division of the Barakars is a necessity. 



The same remark applies to the upper part of the group, where 

 one or two plants may be referred to upper-Damuda forms. 



By far the most abundant rock is, massively bedded yellowish-grey 

 felspathic silieious sandstone, that undergoes muta- 



I locks. 



tions due to different degrees of decomposition in 

 the felspar, to the presence of calcareous matter, and to the changing size 

 aud relative proportions of the felspar and quartz grains. 



Shaly sandstones and shales bear an insignificant proportion to the 

 whole, and carbonaceous shales and coal are rare, though essential consti- 

 tuents of the group. Pebbles are not so frequently present as in other 



localities, and there is an entire absence of the 



Pebbles rare. 



strong conglomerate beds that are so constant an 

 accompaniment of the lower portion of the Barakar group in the Jkaria, 1 

 Bokaro, aud Karanpura fields of Bengal. 



There are several exposures of the Barakar group ; and as they can 

 Several exposures of conveniently be described under separate heads, I 

 Barakars. propose doing so for facility of reference. Relatively 



to the main body, which occupies a superficies of 1,587 square miles, the 

 other areas are outliers of small extent, but the accident of geographical 

 position has made the two westerly ones the most important economically, 

 so far as immediate commercial considerations are concerned. 



One of these is the Umaria coal-field, of which I have already written 

 several notices, and on which the interest attaching to the coal resources 

 of the Rewah Gondwana basin has for the last few years hinged. As it 

 takes precedence in order of situation, according to the plan of descrip- 

 tion already adopted, T will refer to it in detail first. 



As a matter of interest, I give in column' the 

 Square areas. . 



exposed areas or the various helcls : 



1. Sohagpur field or main area ..... 1,587 sq. miles. 



2. Kurasia field ........ 48 ,, 



3. Jhilmili field . 41 



1 Written Jlieiria in the Memoirs of the Survey. 



B ( 153 ) 



