94 
BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
the coal measures, but iu none of the holes was a workable coal 
seam eucountered. 
Chhindwara. — The exposed area of coal measures in Chhindwara 
covers an area of about 100 square miles and stretches from within 
a few miles of the Shapur field, in an easterly direction for 50 miles 
to a point 10 miles nearly due north of the civil station of Chhindwara. 
They occupy a portion of the valleys of the Tawa, Pench and Kanhan 
rivers. 
Since the discovery of the fields in 1852 by Dr. Jerdon ^ 
and Lieutenant Sankey, a large number of reports have been made, 
the most important being by Blanford ^ in 1866 and E. J. Jones ^ 
in 1887. The latter distinguished five semi-detached areas of 
coal measures, which he named the Sirgora, Barkoi, Hingladevi, 
Kanhan and Tawa fields, respectively. 
The Sirgora area covers rather more than a square mile. The 
best coal seam found is from 4 to 5 feet thick and has been 
proved over about Jth of a square mile, but its outcrop probably 
extends for 1| miles. 
The most promising outcrops are found in the Barkui (Pench 
Valley) area which has an extent of about 7| square miles. The 
principal coal seam is known as the Barkui seam. It is 6 feet thick 
and of good qualitVc It was worked for some time many years 
ago, but owing to difficulties of transport the works were eventually 
abandoned. A second seam 3| feet thick outcrops between the 
villages of Bhandaria and Dongur-Parasia ; whilst a third, 15| feet 
thick and containing 12 feet 3 inches of coal is found between 
Chinda and Dighawani. Another promising seam, 5 feet thick, 
outcrops about | mile N. W. of Gajundoh. 
In the Hingladevi area which occupies nearly 3 square miles 
the only outcrop of importance occurs in the Hingladevi stream 
near the deserted village of Dhow. It is said to be about 5 feet 
thick. 
The Kanhan area covers 12 square miles. Seams respectively 
exceeding 10 and 8 feet in thickness occur near the villages of Datla 
and Panar.T. 
In the Tawa area, notwithstanding the fact that the measures 
occupy an extent of some 79 square miles, outcrops of coal are few. 
1 Qnir. Jour. Geol. Soc, X, 55 (1852) 
2 Brc, a. S. I., XV. 121 (1882). 
' Mem., 0. S. I., XXIV, i>t 1 (1887). 
