IV. Blavford, Tawa Valley. 
9 
But although no new localities have been met with, the progress in our knowledge of the 
coal-bearing rocks of India during the 10 years which have elapsed since Mr. Medlicott 
examined the Tawa Valley has been so great that it appeared possible that some additional 
particulars might be noted, and that a better idea of the mining prospects of the locality could 
be formed. In this anticipation I have not been wholly disappointed, although I regret to say 
that the result of my examination is to induce me to take an even more unfavorable view of 
the coal seams of the Tawa Valley than Mr. Medlicott did. I doubt if a single seam is known 
to occur in the valley which could be mined to any depth with profit under existing circum¬ 
stances, and with one possible, but very dubious exception, I am decidedly of opinion that 
no seam could be worked under any possible circumstances, The possible exception is in the 
Rawundeo section, to which Mr. Medlicott particularly called attention, but there are some 
peculiarities, connected with the seams there found, which make me think their availability 
for mining purposes doubtful. 
In order to show my reasons for the unfavorable opinion formed, I shall proceed briefly to 
describe the several localities. It must be remembered that these are all outcrops exposed in 
streams, and that the sand in the bed of the stream shifts from season to season exposing portions 
of rock and outcrops at one time, which it conceals at others. This is especially the case with 
those coal seams which usually underlie beds of coarse sandstone, and the latter, being hai-d, 
stand up in small terrace-shaped masses against which the sand accumulates, concealing the 
softer coal beds beneath. For this reason it is improbable that any two successive observers 
will see exactly the same section, if their visit be in different years, and in some cases I was 
unable to find again seams mentioned by Mr. Medlicott, and, vice versa, I saw some which he, 
I believe, did not. 
1. Sonadi.—I saw coal in three places here. Mr. Medlicott only in two. The highest 
seam is about 19 inches thick, with 4 or 5 inches of shale overlying it, and, upon this, coarse 
sandstone. All other seams are thinner. The second seam in descending order is 10 inches 
thick, with a roof of coarse sandstone. Beneath this comes— 
feet. 
inches. 
Coarse sandstone, about 
. 10 
0 
Goal ... ... 
... o 
6 
Shale and sbaly sandstone ... ... 
. 4 
0 
Coal ... ... ... 
. 0 
8 
About 100 yards further south another seam occurs, about, 1 foot 6 inches thick of coal and 
shale mixed. The roof here also is of coarse sandstone. 
2. Sooki Nulla.—Only strings 3 or 4 inches thick occur, as noted by Mr. Medlicott. 
3. About 2 miles east of Sliapur, in the Machna River, a seam 2 feet 3 inches thick is 
seen associated with shale, and a lower seam, 3 inches thick, as above mentioned. The upper 
seam can be traced for a short distance, about 100 yards. 
4. Murdanpur, on the Machna.—Mr. Medlicott saw two seams here ; one was probably 
concealed by sand at the time of my visit, but it was only 6 inches thick. The other amounts 
to 3 feet in places, but is extremely variable. The roof is again coarse sandstone. The seam 
is seen for several yards along the south (right) bank of the stream, but is not seen, where, 
if continuous, it should recur on the north bank. It is possible that there may be a fault, 
hut I could find no indication of one; it appeared to me that the associated sandstone re¬ 
appeared without th6 coal seam, and my impression was that the latter had thinned out and 
vanished completely. 
^ _ 5. Rawundeo, on the Tawa River.—A careful description and a measured section of 
this locality are given by Mr Medlicott at page 154 of the Memoirs. Yet such changes have 
been produced by the stream in 10 years that I had much difficulty in recognizing several of 
the beds. I believe the rocks in the upper part of the section to be better exposed on the 
whole now than they were in 1855, while the lower portion is now comparatively concealed. 
I counted 11 outcrops of coal, Mr. Medlicott 13, of which he considers several to be repetitions 
caused by small faults. At the same time he mentions that there was no clear evidence of 
faulting, and I certainly do not think there is any in the upper part of the section, and I 
think, so far as the number of seams exposed is concerned, that he has underrated the resources 
of the spot rather than otherwise. Some of the coal is of excellent quality, and one or two 
seams are 4 feet thick, in places at all events 
B 
