RECORDS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OE INDIA. 
Part 3.] 
1875. 
[August. 
The Sjtaptjr Coal-field, with notice of Coal-explorations in the Narbada region, 
by H. B. Medlicott, m. a., f. g. s., Deputy Superintendent, Geological Survey of 
India. 
Section 1.—Notice of recent exploration. 
„ 2.—The western extension of the Satpura basin, 
n 3.—Possible coal-fields on the lower Narbada. 
„ 4.—The Shapur coal-field. Summary. 
I.—Notice of recent exploration. 
The question of the coal-supply in the Narbada valley has now been for long before the 
public, and is still unsettled. Molipani is still the only locality where workable coal is known 
to occur; and the extension of the coal here is as yet unproved. Since December 1872, explo¬ 
rations have been carried on in several places under the orders of Government, but so far 
without result. The region to which these remarks apply is the northern portion of the 
great Satpura basin of the coal-bearing rocks, within comparatively easy I'each of the Great 
Indian Peninsula Bailway. It has long been known that there are numerous outcrops of 
coal along the south margin of the field; but the distance would greatly add to the cost of 
exploitation. To that ground, however, we must have recourse if our endeavours to find 
coal in a more favorable position prove unavailing. With this in view, a survey was made 
during the past season of the western and more accessible portion of the southern region, 
known as the Eetul or the Sluipur coal-field. 
Before proceeding to describe this field, with the aid of the annexed outline-map, I would 
give a sketch of the explorations up to date. It cannot be said that any of the experiments 
has proved a failure, because no one of them has attained the full limit contemplated for 
the search. No success, however, can he reported as yet; and in one case some disappointment 
lias to be recorded. Having had the entire responsibility of choosing the positions for the 
trial borings, I am, of course, anxious, for the satisfaction of Government, that a right under- 
standing should exist of the grounds upon which I decided: it is so easy after the fact to 
condemn a project as hopeless; and there are always people ready to take the credit of 
wisdom on such occasions. The data available were never more than could warrant a fair 
possibility of success, as was duly explained at the first. 
