80 
BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
were encountered. The analyses^ of samples brought to Calcutta 
appear to have been disappointing. 
In 1896 mining was again carried on in the Mirzapur District 
(United Provinces). About 1,000 tons of coal were raised, but the 
enterprise was soon abandoned. 
(xii). Central Provinces. 
RamJcola-Tatapani. — This area is situated in the Sarguja State. 
It comprises the north-eastern portion of an extensive spread of 
Gondwana rocks, which reaches into Central India on the west. 
It is bounded on the east and west by the rivers Kunhar and Rer, 
and covers about 800 square miles. 
Less than one-third of the area is occupied by Lower Gondwana 
rocks ; the remainder being covered up by newer deposits. It is 
much disturbed and cut up by faults and there are numerous 
sheets and dykes of trap. 
The coal-bearing rocks (Barakars) cover about 100 square miles. 
They contain a fair number of coal-seams, but few of them are of 
workable thickness or quality. The best seam is found in the 
vicinity of the Morne river ; it varies from 3| to 17 feet in thick- 
ness, and can be traced for more than a mile. 
The area was examined and described by C. L. Griesbach^ 
in 1878-9, but he did not hazard an estimate of the available quan- 
tity of fuel nor submit the latter to the test of analysis. Owing 
to the uncertainty on these points and the isolated position of the 
field its present economic importance is not great. 
Jhilmilli? — This coalfield is situated in the Jhilmilli State, and 
lies across the Rer valley on the south-west of the Ramkola- 
Tatapani field. 
The coal measures (Barakars) occupy a lenticular area of about 
41 square miles and their boundary is faulted on the north. 
In the Manikmara stream seven coal outcrops are exposed, the 
respective thicknesses of which are— I'O", 2"0", 3'6", 1'4", 1'2", 
6' 6", and 6'0". Only the top of the sixteen-inch seam was exposed 
» Rec, Q. 8. 1., XXX, 4 (1 897). 
2 Mem., Q. 8. 1., Vol. XV, p. 129 (1880). 
8 Hughes : Mem,, Q. S. J., Vol. XXI, p. 69 (1885). 
