Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
26 
[VOL. I. 
thinner seams, or inferior coal, than could be profitably mined near Cliindwara, might be 
worked with advantage at Chanda. Camp; Chanda District, April ‘2,0th, 1867. 
During the present season, borings have been carried out close to the town of Chanda 
itself, and have proved the existence of coal, about 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. The coal is 
said to be hard, but, as no trial of it has yet been made, its quality is really unknown. It is 
highly probable that this bed will prove to Ire an extension of the beds seen on banks 
of the Wurda by Mr. Blanford. A shaft has also been sunk at Googoos, noted above. 
Up to present date (July) it, had been carried down perpendicularly to a depth of 30 feet, 
giving a section of 16 feet, broken ground; 7 inches, clay; 6 inches, coal; one foot shale ; 
5 inches, coal ; 5 feet 9 inches shale, hard and firm; and then 9 feet 6 inches, of coal; in which 
the men were (on the 13th July) still working without any sign of change, the coal improving 
in quality. All the beds were found to dip at 10° to 11° to the west-south-west, lying con¬ 
formably one on the other. 
These excavations have been carried out by the energetic Deputy Commissioner Captain 
L. Smith, who has also had the able co-operation of Mr. A. Binnie, f. g. s., Executive 
Engineer. The results seem to place beyond a question (what from the evidence visible 
at the surface, Mr. Blanford was inclined to doubt), that the coal beds are continuous, and 
afford promise of a large supply of fuel. It is highly probable that the two thin seams 
of coal, with intervening shale, amounting altogether to 2 feet in thickness, represent the 
bed seen by Mr. Blanford on the left bank of the Wurda, and that this is therefore distinct 
from that visible on the right bank; the latter being, possibly, the representative of the 
lower and thicker bed cut through in the shaft noticed above. Mr. Blanford fully pointed 
out the impossibility of arriving at anj' sound conclusion in a country so covered as that 
around Chanda.—(T. 0.). 
Blanfobd, W. T. Coal near Nagpitk, being copy of a letter to the Seer, to Chief Commis¬ 
sioner, Central Provinces—(dated Camp, Chanda District, 12th February, 1867). 
I have just finished the examination of the various sandstone rocks which are found 
on the edge of the trap area in the Nagpur district, and as the Chief Commissioner will 
doubtless bo desirous to have early information as to the possibility of coal being found 
in them, 1 will state briefly the results of my examination. 
The sandstone of Taklee and Seetabuldee and all which occurs along the edge of the 
traps to the south of Nagpur as far as the boundary of the Chanda district belongs to 
beds of later age than the coal-bearing series. The sandstone hills east of Oomrair con¬ 
sist of beds older than the Indian coal rocks. In neither, I think, is there any chance of 
coal being found. The sandstones of Kamptee, Sillewara, Bokhara, and all met with 
west and north-west of those places as far as Kailod, also the rocks of Hootkyree and 
Chorkyree, and probably the sandstones near Bazargaon, belong to the Indian coal-bearing 
series, but I can find in them no indication of the occurrence of coal, nor of the rocks, 
such as carbonaceous shales, which generally accompany coal. Indeed there is a very 
remarkable and unusual absence of carbonaceous matter throughout; even the plant fossils 
have everywhere lost every trace of carbon. 
By far the greater portion of the beds belonging to the Indian coal-bearing series near 
Nagpur are concealed by thick alluvial soil, and it is impossible to say whether coal exists 
among the concealed rocks or not. For the reasons just mentioned, I think it improbable 
that it does occur, so improbable indeed that I cannot recommend search by boring. 
Still if it be thought that, in so important a matter, the question should be definitely 
set at rest, I would point out the following spots where borings to a depth of 200 or 250 feet 
would explore rocks not visible at the surface :— 
]. Bokhara, north of the little hill just east of the village. 
2. Sillewara, north of all the quarries. This bore to be stopped at once if metamor- 
phic rocks are reached. 
3. Bhurutliwara, at the village. 
4. Soon air, in the river. 
5. Kailod, south of village. 
6. Agra, near Chorkyree, the Nulla west of the village. 
7. Shahpore, north-west of Bheead and cast of Bazargaon ; at the village. 
