PART 3 .] 
Medllcotl, SAapur Coal-field. 
75 
such trials should be commenced. Throughout the whole length of the basin from 
east to west, the Barakars are exposed in a more or less continuous outcrop. On the 
east, where unfortunately the coal is in much greater force, the position is quite out 
of reach of present demand in an upland valley of the Punch river, which is a tributary 
of the Wein Gunga, which, as the Prenhita, is an affluent of the Godavery. The head waters 
of the Tawa adjoin those of the Pencil; but they fall rapidly to a much lower level, flowing at 
first in deep gorges, which soon open out into broad undulating plains. This broad valley 
of the Tawa, though containing some large patches of Hat alluvial land, is for the most 
part barren, rocky, and uneven. The high road between Hosungabad and Betul crossing it 
from north to south is decidedly a rough one. 
The annexed map represents a portion, about twenty miles long, on the southern and 
Map western borders of this valley. It is taken from sheets 6, 7, 1'2, 
and 13 of the Topographical Survey. The topography is very 
far from being as accurate as is required for close geological work, but for present purposes 
it will suffice in the hands of any one in the least fitted to look after coal, The boundaries 
of the coal-measures are about as close as the transitional character of the formations admits 
of. The other geological features are accurate so far as given, but a good deal remains to 
be done in the way of following out trap dikes, quartz reed's, and like details. 
General characters of groups. 
The first thing to be done is to indicate what rooks constitute the coal-measures, or in 
a wider meaning, the Barakar group. Coal and carbonaceous 
shale are seen to he confined to a special line of country; but it soon 
becomes apparent that the rocks containing them are not constantly separated from the ad¬ 
joining rocks by any sharply defined features, that in fact, the measures only form a zone, 
horizon, or group, in a closely connected stratigraphieal series. The demarcation of fixed 
boundaries thus becomes a matter of much difficulty, and must be accepted subject to cor¬ 
rection. In the absence, or very rare occurrence, of fossils, the problem lias to be worked 
out conditionally from lithological and stratigraphieal data. 
The whole rock-series is composed exclusively of sandstone and clays, the former greatly 
preponderating, except at the base. The character of the bedding throughout is massive, 
and, as is then generally the case, irregular. It is ouly in the most general way that either 
jock can he said to prevail in any particular zone. There are, however, some types of com¬ 
position and of texture more or less characteristic of different portions of the series, and it 
is upon these that the discrimination of the several groups in a great measure depends. 
Throughout a great thickness of strata at the base the sandstones are very fine-grained and 
of a pale greenish-yellow tint.; the clays are hard, splintery, and silieious ; both often enclose 
large erratic blocks and other debris, forming coarse conglomerate, generally with a large 
preponderance of matrix. These beds form the Talehir group. Above this comes the coal- 
hearing zone, the Barakars; in which the sandstone is generally white, somewhat coarse and 
gritty; the clays being shaly and carbonaceous. The sandstone of the next overlying 
band of the Motur horizon is softer than that of the coal-measures, more earthy and of 
mixed composition, and having corresponding gray, brown, and greenish tints; the clays are 
lumpy, sandy, and oehrey. The distribution and the relations of these groups will appear 
from the description of the local sections. 
The difficulty of demarcating the several formations is much increased by the dislurb- 
Conditions of disturbance. f nces that haTO aI1 ' ected the wllole series > Producing intricacies 
in the boundaries very troublesome to make out where the pri¬ 
mary characters of the groups are so undecided. The dips arc not often high, but they vary 
much; and faults are numerous, some having a great throw. There are also many trap 
