RECORDS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OE INDIA. 
Part 2.] 1869. [May. 
Annual Repoet of the Geological Suevey of India and of the Museum of 
Geology, Calcutta, fob the yeab 1868. 
In reporting the progress and doings of the Geological Survey of India during the year 
1868, I shall take each branch of our labors in the same order as I have for the most part 
observed on former occasions. 
Mr. W. T. Blani'ord has, during the whole of the year just past, been engaged with the 
Abyssinian Field-force, and since its return in arranging and examining the largo collections 
he made during the expedition. Mr. Orrnsby was compelled to leave for Europe early in 
the year, having suffered from exposure to the tropical sun. And Mr. Charles Oldham left 
on furlough in November. On the other hand, Mr. Tween returned to his duty in charge of 
the Museum here. Mr. Foote resumed his labors in Madras, and Mr. Theobal d in Burmali. 
On the whole our numbers have been, during the past year, less reduced than usual in con¬ 
sequence of ill-health. 
At the commencement of the year, I proceeded to the Madras Presidency to make 
enquiry on the spot into the facts regarding the asserted occurrence of coal close to the town 
of J uggiapett, or Battavole, near the Ilistna River. For years it had been persistently 
repeated that coal had actually been raised in that neighbourhood, and this statement was 
maintained notwithstanding the fact that very many persons, deeply interested in the result 
and most anxious to confirm the discovery if possible, had visited the localities, but had 
entirely failed to find any trace of evidence that coal existed or was likely to exist. Its 
occurrence in this place would have boen of such high importance, that I was desirous of 
visiting the place as soon as practicable; I had also received from the Madras Government 
an urgent request to enquire into the facts. This request had reached me at a time when 
field-work was not practicable, hut I had promised to go there as soon ns possible. I left 
Calcutta, therefore, early in January; and accompanied by the original propounder of the dis¬ 
covery, I visited carefully every locality which he indicated, and went generally over the 
district. I regret to state that I found no trace of the coal-bearing rocks ; no signs of coal, 
or of any of its usual accompaniments, nor was I able to see a single spot where anything,' 
in the slightest degree leading to the conclusion that coal did exist there, could be"found.’ 
On the contrary, all these rocks are an unbroken and uninterrupted continuation of similar 
rocks which cover an enormous area in the districts of Kurnool. Kuddapah, and Guntoor 
to the south, and which, thoroughly exposed as they are in their many folds, contortions, and 
disturbances throughout this area, must have exhibited any beds of coal or coal-shale which 
possibly existed. But, neither in the Juggiapett country, nor over the many hundred square 
miles to the south, over which similar rocks extend and which have all been carefully examined, 
has any trace of such deposits been noticed. I was, therefore, compelled to believe that the 
statement of coal haying been found at or near Juggiapett was either based upon an inten¬ 
tional deception practised on the original observer, or was a delusion. 
From j^fe vicinity ot Juggiapett, I proceeded southward, devoting some time to care¬ 
fully testing the accuracy of the geological mapping of a considerable area which had been 
previously examined by Mr. C. Oldham and Mr King, and returned to Calcutta. 
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