Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[vol. III. 
46 
Shortly after the publication of that notice three additional sets of boring tools were received 
from Europe, and were at once turned to account. And sometime later, a steam boring 
machine of Mather and Platt’s construction was delivered at Chanda, and preparations were 
made for working it. I shall now give briefly the principal results obtained. 
The two brace headmen who had been sent out from England had both suffered from 
the climate. Mr. Hep pel had a very serious attack of fever, and was for a time dangerously 
ill. But he got over this attack, I am happy to say, and resumed his work as zealously as 
before. Mr. Lougridge had suffered slightly at several times from the effects of the sun; 
and I regret to say, the attacks became more frequent and severe, until it was necessary that, 
he should lie invalided and sent home at once. The advantage of his aid was lost from 
the very commencement of the open season. Mr. Bateman Smyths was appointed 
(10th December) in lieu of Mr. Lougridge, and has proved a most efficient and useful 
Superintendent of the Works. Mr. W. Penn Mather, who had had very considerable 
experience in boring with (lie steam boring machines constructed by the firm with which he 
was connected (Mather and Platt) and who had temporarily come to India, was appointed to 
take charge of the Steam Borer, and joined in the beginning of February. 
Taking up the narrative of the exploration from the time of last report published in these 
Records, T will now briefly give a notice of the principal facts. 
. I shall not at present delay to give the full details of the sections cut through at the 
various holes, but simply enumerate the localities where these have been put down and state 
the results. The details null more appropriately be given with a more detailed geological 
report. 
Up to November 1869, as already stated, only a few unsuccessful borings, in which nothing 
but thin unworkable beds of coal had been met with, had been carried out. A deeper boring 
to the east of Chanda town on the road to Moolh, and on the banks of the Jhurput 
N nddi, was then in progress ; and this was subsequently carried down to a depth of 248 feet. 
At this depth the progress made with the poor windlass power then at command was so slow, 
and the importance of determining the existence of coal elsewhere so much more pressing, 
that it appeared wise to stop this boring, more especially as there was nothing definite 
tending to show the probability of a change in the rooks within a short distance. "The tools 
were therelbre moved elsewhere. The same section is now being proved by the steam boring 
machine, with the additional advantage of testing the upper rocks for a considerably oreater 
thickness. The borings to the south of the town of Chanda, although it was evident that 
they had been put down altogether outside the outcrop or line where the known coal, if it 
Occur, could be traced, were not resumed, as it seemed better to reserve these for the 
monsoon, when men could find good shelter in adjoining bungalows at a time when it would 
not be possible to remain with safety in tents. A systematic examination, therefore, of the 
country extending northwards from the known hoal locality near Ghiigus was commenced, 
and has since then been steadily carried out. One additional borehole was put down between 
the pit sunk on the coal near Chaudur on the bank of the Wardha and Nokora. This was 
due west of the village of Q-hugus, and was intended to supply the information which 
we had been prevented from obtaining in nearly the same place by the loss of the mineral 
lifter in the boring there. The object of this was to prove the actual amount of variation 
which the seams showed within this distance of three miles. This variation will be best 
soon in the accompanying details. 
Ghfigfis North. 
Blank shale 
Coal 
Dark sandy shale 
Coal 
Blue shale 
Coal 
Coal with iron pyrites 
Coal 
Shale 
Coal 
White sandstone. 
Feet. Inch. 
2 0 
3 0 
3 0 
3 0 
5 6 
12 0 
4 0 
5 0 
0 6 
11 0 
GhugusW. of village. 
White sandstone 
Coal 
Shale mixed with coal 
Coal 
Sandy shale and coal 
Coal 
Coal and shale 
Coal 
Sandy shale 
Coal, good 
Coal , inferior 
Coal, good... 
Sandy shale 
Coal 
White sandstone. 
Feet. Inch. 
S 6 
3 0 
2 0 
3 0 
H 0 
1 o 
9 0 
7 o 
10 fi 
9 0 
2 0 
11 0 
0 2 
10 0 
N o k o r a. 
Black shale 
Coal ... 
Sandy shale, with a trace of 
coal,.. 
Coal ... 
Dark sandy shale 
Coaly shale with coal (bad coal) 
Black shale 
Coal, inferior 
Coal ... 
Sandstone mixed with shale 
Very dark shale ... 
Dark sandy shale 
Coal ... 
White sandy shale 
Coal ... ... 
White sandstone... 
Feet. Inch. 
1 6 
4 0 
2 10 
3 6 
5 4 
3 6 
lfi 10 
4 0 
5 0 
5 0 
3 0 
2 10 
21 8 
0 2 
13 0 
7 8 
