Records of lie Geological Survey of India. 
[vol. VIII. 
(JO 
'i’ke regular mode of proceeding in this investigation would have been to explore the 
measures at Mohpani—to see how the coal-seams behave on this side of the basin to the 
deep of their only outcrop. Information might thus have been gained giving some .grounds 
for a definite opinion as to the position and depth of the coal elsewhere along this region. 
This course was not available, the ground being in the possession of the Narbada Coal 
Company. The interests of this colliery depend largely upon the conditions in question ; but 
as yet little or no light has been thrown upon them—no coal has up to date (June 1S75) been 
found beyond the limits of the faults against which the original working stopped. 
Thus the attempt that had to be made was not that of exploring a known coal-field, but 
to look for the coal-measures in a great series of formations where it was known they might 
occur. The explorations proposed were of two kinds : one depending upon the unknown 
limits of the rock-basin itself; the other upon the unknown lie of the coal-measures within 
the known area of the basin. 
So far as appears on a geological map, the northern limit of the rocks with which the 
coal-measures are associated would approximately correspond with 
Talley of the Narbadaf ° lJUl the slightly irregular line indicating the southern edge of the 
alluvial plains. Along certain portions of that line narrow outcrops 
are seen of metamorphie rocks ; and where these appear, tho continuity of the younger rock- 
basin is, of course, cut off. There are, however, wide gaps where no older rocks appear, where 
the valley-deposits rest against the coal-hearing formations. It was for a time supposed that 
the junction of the sandstones with the metamorphie rocks occurred along a great fault, by 
which the newer rocks were thrown up to the north and removed. Were this so, we should 
be entitled to draw a fixed fault-boundary to the possible coal-bearing ground across those 
gaps between the existing outcrops of the metamorphics. From a careful study of the rock- 
junction where seen, I came to the conclusion that no great lino of dislocation could be 
proved: the actual contact of the two rock-series was almost everywhere found to be the 
original one. I even got remnants of the younger strata on the north flanks at tho same level 
as on the south of the narrow ridgos of metamorphics. It thus becomes apparent that the 
gaps in the present boundary, where the alluvium laps against the sandstones, may only 
represent bays in the original edge of the basin of deposition of the coal-bearing formations. 
A full discussion of this question is given in my last report upon this ground; it can only be 
by a revision of that discussion that the exploration for coal in these blank areas can be shown 
to be unwarranted. 
The Mohpani colliery, on the Sitariva, lies in the centre of one of the longest of these 
blank portions of the boundary. Almost tho last rock seen in the river is the coal, in full 
strength, underlying steeply towards the plain. An attempt was made to work the coal 
here, but it was found to bo too much broken and crushed to be worth extracting. It was to 
tho north of this position that I recommended borings to be made in the alluvium, close to 
the branch railway, where coal, if found, would be very favorably situated. There were 
of course, other doubtful conditions besides the principal one already indicated: the bay may 
have been there, and yet the coal deposits have found small place in it: or whatever had 
found place there may have been to a great extent cleared out by the excavation of the 
hollow in which the alluvium now lies. The probability, such as it is, of coal existing under 
any considerable portion of the immense area covered by the alluvium seemed sufficient to 
warrant some outlay upon the search. Boring was attempted at Gadarwara station and at 
Sukakheri, at ten and four miles from tho boundary. Tho former trial broke down at a depth of 
251 feet. Tho hole at Sukakheri was carried to a depth of 491 feet, yet without piercing 
through the valley deposits. Both these trials were started when boring implements were 
