Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[VOL. II. 
>2X 
During the recess, Mr. Mallet completed a full report on the Vindhyan rocks, so tixr 
as that widely spread formation is known in northern India up to the present. A general 
map has been compiled to illustrate this. This report has been sent to press. At the com¬ 
mencement of the working season in October 1868, Mr. Mallet proceeded to take up the 
detailed examination of the eastern part of the Sone Valley, and is still engaged in that 
area. I have already intimated to Mr. Mallet the necessity for greater activity in the field, 
for looking both to the nature of the work done, and of the country in which he was 
engaged I felt disappointed that a larger area had not been satisfactorily examined. 
Carrying on the geological examination of the Gwalior and adjoining territories, 
Mr. Hackett was principally engaged near to the Byana hills bordering on Jeypur. The 
geology of this area has proved intricate and interesting. The sections are unfortunately not 
good, being cut up by intervening flats of alluvium which conceal the rocks. Bock masses 
of a peculiar character have been found to intervene between the Vindhyan series, and 
the metamorphie schists, which may approximately be taken to represent the Lower Vindhyan 
and the Gwalior series. These are possibly the same rocks as those which stretch away 
towards Ulwur, and if so, this will give a clue to the geology of the Aravali country. 
The country around Byana is, as I have already said, rather intricate in structure, and 
tedious therefore to work out, but 1 am not satisfied that a larger area might not have been 
completed during the season. Towards the close of the year, Mr. Ilaekett resumed his labours 
in the same or the adjoining country, but has been stopped by a want of maps. He has 
since been engaged farther to the south in tracing out the boundary of the Vindhyan and 
trappean rocks to the east of the parallel of Nee much, &e. 
Mr. Hughes in the early part of the year was engaged in re-mapping the small coal¬ 
fields which occur detached near Kuroun in the district of Beerblioom, and in revising with 
better maps, the Kurhurbaree coal-field. It has been difficult to obtain any very satisfactory 
information regarding this field, for the old pits which were some years since worked by the 
East Indian Railway Company are now full of water, and there are few other workings in 
operation. Any description, therefore, now given must he revised when the field is more opened 
out. At the close of the year, Mr. Hughes was engaged in the examination of the Palamow 
coal-field in Chota Nag'pore. This might, Mr. Hughes thinks, he called in preference the 
Daltongunj field. It proves very small in area, not more than about 30 square miles, and there 
appear to be only two seams which can he worked, ot which only one could at present be 
profitably extracted. This varies considerably in thickness. At Raj hera, where it was formerly 
worked by the Bengal Coal Company, it is eleven teet. It is of moderately good quality. 
The rocks of the field belong entirely to the Talcheer and the Barakar groups. Tin- 
lithological character of the latter differs considerably from that of the typical rocks in the 
Ranigunj field, being as it were intermediate between the Barakar and the Ranigunj groups. 
Mr. Ball has been carrying on the geological examination of the districts of Singhhhum 
and adjoining tributary states. He has been able to examine the copper-yielding rocks for 
a distance of nearly 80 miles; has noted some additional details with reference to the mode 
of occurrence of gold; and describes cases of excessive local metamorphism ot the younger 
rocks, reducing them to such a crystalline condition as to be entirely undistinguishable 
lithologically from the old metamorphie rocks. 8uch cases are deserving of very careful 
examination. 
Mr. Ormshy had, in the early part of the year, examined a considerable area of the 
metamorphie rocks in Chota Nagpore and Hazareeliagh, but was unfortunately obliged to 
leave for Europe in consequence of ill-health before the close of the season. 
Having very frequently had occasion to represent the importance ot deputing a special 
officer of fiie Survey to the examination of the mines of India, and to the careful col¬ 
lection of statistics regarding the quantity and value of minerals raised and brought to 
market, I was glad to find that a gentleman, selected for this purpose, had been ordered to join 
the department a t the beginning of the year. Mr. Mark Eryar, thus nominated as Mining 
Geologist iu connection with the Geological Survey of India, joined his appointment in this 
country on the 1st of May 1868. After a little time in Calcutta, Mr. Eryar was deputed 
to the Ranigunj coal-field, there to make himself acquainted with the coal-hearing rocks 
of India, and the method of mining adopted in this, the most valuable, coal-field in India. 
It was necessary that lie should acquire a knowledge of the rocks as locally developed, which 
would be useful iu other localities, and indeed perfectly essential before he could safely take 
