Heeord* of the Geological Surrey of India. 
[vol. nr. 
44 
some slates.—those occurring about. 40 feet below the slates that crop out at the top edge ot 
the spur above the quarry.—which are of somewhat higher value, being closer grained, possess¬ 
ing very even planes of lamination and splitting into thin slabs. These slates form a dis¬ 
tinct band, their colour being darker than that of those above them. 
In recommending which slates should be utilised, I would certainly say the lower ones ; 
the upper slates being altogether coarser and containing some iron galls. 
I am sorry that I possessed no means of testing the absorbing power of the specimens 
which I brought away with me from the quarry. But Captain Birney assures me that he 
has carried-on experiments during the past twelve months to prove the porosity of the slate, and 
that the results have been satisfactory. Captain Birney, to further test the slate, had exposed 
several slabs to the action of the weather. All, with the exception of one which had 
cracked, were perfectly sound when T examined them. The cracking of one slab I look upon 
as a matter of little moment as affecting the quality of the slate, for all the specimens had 
been procured from near the surface; and I believe that this cracking will not occur when 
the slates are quarried from a lower depth. 
Supply -—With regard to the question of supply there need be no fear. If the spur 
of the hill be opened out on both sides, there will be a store of slate moro Hum ample to 
meet all the demands of the barracks at Eamkhdt. The beds have only to be followed along 
their strike to yield an unlimited amount of slate. 
To conclude. I consider the Cbiicli slate good enough for roofing purposes. And that 
slabs less than ' of an inch in thickness and much more than a square foot, superficial measure¬ 
ment, may easily be obtained. 
I would recommend, should the working of the quarry he determined upon, that some 
competent person should be appointed to pass the slates. Native labourers are too indifferent 
to take any interest in their work, so that no dependanee can he placed upon them ; and they 
would just as willingly Waste their time in splitting had slate as they would in splitting good. 
The employment of one or two skilled slab-men to supervise the other labourers and also to 
work, would in the end be more economical than trusting to the local abilities of the Chiteli 
villagers, as they would probably spoil through carelessness an endless number of slates. 
Note on the lead vein near Chicholi, Raipur District, bv W. T. Blanford, Esq., 
Assoc.. Rot. School of Mines, Dep. Supdt,, Geological Survey of India. 
The following is the result of a. brief surface examination of the locality near Ckicholi 
at which lead was discovered three or four years since by Mr. Smart of the Revenue Survey. 
The spot is rather more than 70 miles west of Raipur on the road to Bluindara and Nagpur. 
The ore (galena) occurs in a well marked vein, cbielly composed of quartz, which 
traverses the metamorphic rocks. The latter are not, well seen in the neighbourhood of the 
vein, but in the surrounding country consist chiefly of granite or granitoid gneiss and 
hombleud schist passing into diorite. Besides quartz the vein contains pink felspar in 
considerable quantities, green and purple fluorspar, and a green mineral, probably epidote. 
Galena is sparingly disseminated throughout the mass for some distance on each side of the 
road, and I found slight, but. unmistakeablc, indications of the presence of copper; small 
quantities of the green carbonate occurring in several places. 
In some parts of the outcrop there is a large quantity of peroxide of iron, sometimes 
as a coating on the surface, sometimes irregularly mixed with quartz (“ gossan”), and 
evidently resulting from the decomposition of some other mineral. This is a common 
occurrence at the outcrop of mineral veins, and is. 1 believe, usually considered a favorable 
indication by miners, in copper veins at least. But the value of such indications depends 
greatly upon local conditions. Large masses of peroxide of iron and quartz, or “ gossan" 
as it is termed in Cornwall, are seen just north of a little peak about quarter of a mile north 
of the road. 
The direction of the vein is N.-10°-E.—S.-10°-W.: it forms a series of ridges, some 
of which are at least 100 feet high above the surface of the ground. I traced the vein for 
about half a mile north of the high road and for at least a mile to the south. 
Beyond the distance mentioned to the north. I could find no signs at the surface of its 
occurrence, but I did not search far. To the south it doubtless extends beyond the spot to 
