JULY — SEPT. 1857.] 



Coal at Nellore. 



291 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



Appearance of Coal at Nellore. 



(Extract of a letter dated February 4th, 1857 from G. Powell, Esq. Assistant 

 Engineer N. D. to Col. Faber, Chief Engineer, Madras.) 



" I proceeded to the Caligherry Talook of Nellore in order to procure if 

 possible, some more coal, from or about the locality where, in 1856 I 

 found a piece of tolerable good quality. ********** 



* * * * I have found in four different spots, small pieces of a 

 black heavy substance, possessing every appearance of coal : which, from 

 its strong similitude to that matter, I have taken the liberty of calling 

 "coal :" and consequently the places from whence I eventually procured 

 it in quantities, "Seams :" to each of which, for the sake of reference, I 

 have attached a letter, Ex : Gr : Seam A. Seam B. &c, leaving however 

 its merits and quality to be judged of and proved by a more competent 

 authority, for which purpose, I collected a small quantity from each Seam, 

 and have yesterday despatched two coolies to your Office, with samples 

 of the various sorts found, together with their accompanying clays, crys- 

 tals, sandstone and limestones : having at the time of collection carefully 

 noted by an inclinometer, their dip and strike. In some instances however 

 owing to the variety of directions in which the coal lay, I could obtain no 

 positive dip or strike but was obliged to take an average one by noticing 

 the angle and direction which the majority had. 



" With the exception of one specimen called " coal in laterite," the 

 whole has been collected from within a circle of about five miles diameter 

 of which, a village called Yapanapy, (three miles North East of Caligher- 

 ry) may be considered as the centre. 



" The position of the various " Seams" is as follows. Seam A. is about 

 half a mile due North of Yapanapy, in the South bank of a nullah, which 

 forms the Southernmost supply channel of the Chinnacranca tank and 

 running nearly due East and West passes half a mile North of Yapanapy. 

 Seams B. C. and D. are in the banks of branches of the same nullah : but 

 these run nearly midway between Yapanapy and a village called Polum- 

 paud. It was I believe, between the latter, and a village called Iyapa- 

 reddypollium where I found the coal in 1856 ; which I imagine must have 

 been detached and carried some considerable distance, from its bed in one 

 of these nullahs, by the water which usually flows down them in the 

 monsoon season. 



