On, the Coal field of Pdlamil. 
218 
[JOLY 
gradually passes into a true stale. The greatest height which this coal attains is 
15 feet above the water line of the Amman&t,h river. 
Of these five seams, the whole of the coal above the water line appeared to Capt. 
F. perfectly valueless, possessing none of the properties which distinguish good 
coal. It is deficient in bitumen, and will not inflame, nor even burn at all with, 
out difficulty, and being urged by a hlast. Finding all above water line thus bad, 
he endeavoured to get at one of the inferior seams rvhere it dips below this line. 
It proved equally bad. The coal indeed was more compact, and had a little 
more lustre, but yet had none of the properties of good coal. He then en- 
deavoured to sink a shaft, so as to get at a still deeper seam, but want of means 
and time prevented his completing the experiment ; he found the rock latt-Iery 
(a micaceous sandstone) much darker, and approaching closely to the aspect of 
bituminous shale. 
From Singrah Captain Franklin proceeded to examine the place (Ganni&gh&t) 
Where the navigation of the Cfi.il is said to be interrupted. He states that the 
whole bed of the river is covered by hard gneiss rock, not fragments, but 
protrusions from a bed in sitic. A passage lias been worn in it by the river, of 
about 30 yards in width, through which rafts of wood and of bamboos pass every 
year in September, October, and Novemher. In the height of the rains they do 
not venture on account of the force of the current ; nor can they pass after Decem- 
ber for want of water. No boats had ever passed upwards from the S6o, with 
the exception of two brought for the use of ferries ; nevertheless it did not 
appear to Captain Franklin at all impracticable for light boats to pass in the 
months of September, October, and November ; and even if any difficulty should 
occur, it might be removed by blasting. 
Captain F. states in conclusion, that the coal of Singrah resembles closely 
that which he had met with in the Mahadeo hills ; it further agreed with specimens 
obtained in sinking a well at Jabbalpur ; to which if it be added that shale had 
been found in S61i6.jpur, he thinks himself warranted in inferring that there 
is a deposit of coal along the flank of these hills, and intimates his inten- 
tion to seek for profitable beds in a westerly direction. 
On the 5th May Captain Franklin reported his discovery of coal, at a place called 
Manpfir, situated 16 miles south of Ch6r,gerh in the district of Sirgfija. This coal 
was of a superior quality, befng much more bituminous than the Singrah coal, but 
being situated in a mountainous and jungly country, and the navigability of the 
adjacent rivers, the Kanhar and the Rafr, being doubtful 1 , the prospect of the 
discovery’s proving useful was slender. But the occurrence of the mineral here 
having so far justified his conjecture of the existence of coal along the declivity 
of the Vindia range, he proposed to search for it in other quarters, along that line 
possessing greater facilities of transport. 0 
On the 1 2th July, Captain Franklin reported that a third locality of this coal 
had been discovered by him at the confluence of the Tip&n naddi with the Sdn river, 
about 30 miles from the source of the latter, and about the same distance south- 
east of S6hajphr. In point of quality this coal is described as superior to that 
of M&npfir, and still more to that of Singrah. It contains a considerable pro- 
portion of bitumen, is easily ignited, and burns with a bright flame, and bitumin- 
ous odour ; but it neither cakes nor swells like good coal : the fragments retain 
their original shape after the bitumen is consumed. These particulars mark it 
as synonimous, lie thinks, with the coal of the millstone grit of England, which is 
always of an indifferent quality. But though inferior to the best coal, Captain 
F. thinks this coal might be found useful, provided it could be got at ; but un- 
fortunately the bed of the S6n is obstructed by rocks at two places below this 
point, and it appears that two attempts which were made to get boats down, 
had proved both of them unsuccessful. This is, however, a point which ought 
to be ascertained by a competent examination. 
Captain Prank I iu further states, that when examining the newer sandstone rocks 
which border the plains of Bundelc,hand, he found traces of coal at Sb&pfir, in 
Bejahr, and also in the glens of Ajigerh and C&linjer. He has no doubt that coal 
is to be found there, but perhaps only by sinking to a considerable depth through 
the rock The distance from water carriage is. however, a still stronger objection; 
but should this deposite continue to the eastward as far as the T6ns river, the 
proximity ot water carriage would give it a value superior to that of the best coal 
!l' ese «' :ive " '??“ S'-l^ated about 101)0 feet above tbe sea, while their 
SUSS e “ me 500 ’ led ,0 ,he coMlusio " tM 
