302 GEOLOGIC Ali SURVEY 



trifling that during the S.W. monsoon the navigation of even 

 very heavy barges could involve no serious difficulty. 



The north-eastern extremity of the area occupied by the 

 Kadapa and Karnul rocks received extra attention from 

 the fact that coal was stated to have been discovered a few 

 miles off Jaggiapetta. The discoverer (as he believed himself), 

 a very enthusiastic amateur geologist, Lieutenant-Colonel now 

 Major- General F. Applegath, Madras Army, (retired) could 

 not rediscover his coal seam when he took Dr. Oldham, the late 

 Superintendent of the Geological Survey, over the ground in 

 company with Mr. A. J. Stuart, M.C.S. Dr. Oldham failed,, 

 after a careful inspection of the ground, to find any indications 

 of the proximity of coal, though from the shape of the ground 

 and the very bare character of the whole country the sections 

 were extremely clear. A very close survey of the J aggiapetta 

 country was just commenced in 1868 by Mr. C. M. Oldham 

 and taken up and carried out in great detail by the author 

 in 1868-69, but without finding the faintest vestige of carbo- 

 naceous matter. There was much reason to conclude that 

 the original discovery had been brought about by a trick 

 played upon the gallant officer, but he would not admit 

 the possibility of a hoax, and went very near charging 

 the members of the survey and others with conspiring to 

 deprive him of the fruits of his discovery. For a long time- 

 he kept renewing his applications to Government to supply 

 him with the means to make borings. Being a man with 

 influential relations and friends his appeals were eventually 

 listened to so far that the Public Works Department was 

 directed to make borings so as to test the truth of his alleged 

 discovery or of the non-existence of coal maintained by the 

 Geological Surveyors. Mr. Vanstavern's conclusions, as 

 communicated to the Madras Government and endorsed by 

 Major Hasted, E.E., Superintending Engineer, were that after 

 the sinking of 11 boreholes " no coal nor any combustible 



