12 
[vol. hi. 
Records of the Geological Survey oj India. 
i.i iir the town, and to the south and south-east of it on the left side of the Wardha river; 
by far the largest portion and the best quality coming from the .Nizam’s territories (Edlabad, 
&c.,) and from East Berar.* 
Equally, therefore, if the object he to open out this valuable cotton yielding country 
by a line of railway, that railway must be carried through East Berar and to "the west 
of the Wardha. 
At present the route commonly taken by the carts bringing cotton to Hingunghat is 
through Wun, crossing the Wardha river to the south-west of Wurrora, and passing through 
that town to Hingunghat. In this way it is‘that strings of cotton carts may be seen 
making their way to Hingunghat,’ but a very small portion indeed of their loads is derived 
from Wurrora or Ch an da, or any place on the east of the river. 
These facts also account for the small and ‘not increasing’ cotton trade at Wurrora, 
which is too near to the larger and more important mart of Hingunghat and too far from 
the main source of the raw cotton to absorb much of the trade. There can be no doubt that 
if once railway communication be opened up into the Win and Edlabad country, new marts 
ami presses for cotton will rapidly spring up in more immediate proximity to the places of 
growth of the crop, where the risks of injury from exposure on open carts and from delays 
in bringing to sale will be reduced to a minimum. And in this point of view, it may be 
well deserving of consideration whether the necessarily reduced trade of Hingunghat will 
then repay the cost of construction of a branch line of railway. 
Other special objects to be gained by the construction of a branch line of railway were 
stated to be the utilization ot the timber forest of Ahcree ami the connection of the Goda- 
verv navigation with Central India. To accomplish either of these objects, it is essential 
that the proposed line should be carried as far to the south as the bottom'of the third barrier 
»n the Godavery river, or to the town of M ogcli, or rather Talye or Tala wye, on the 
west, or of Dewalmurri on the east of the Pranhita. To accomplish this, it was proposed 
lo curry on the line, which it was assumed would go to Chanda town, lo Kirmirri, where 
a sound rockyt foundation for a bridge would be obtained, and crossing the Pranhita 
there to proceed to Mogeli, on the opposite or west bank of the river. How the timber of 
Ahcree which lies away from the river on the east side was to reach the railway on the 
west I. know not. But there is little need to discuss this, for the surface of the country 
to the south of Chanda town offers physical difficulties, which will prevent any economical 
construction of a line of railway there. The line, alluded to above, if carried into East 
B"rar could, on the other hand, be prolonged to Mogeli, or Talye, without meeting with 
any equally serious dilliculty. It could cross the Pemgunga above the junction of the 
Wardha, where the body of water and the cost of bridge would not he one-half of what it 
is at Kirmirri, and where it would be close to coal. 
Exactly the same arguments suggest themselves if we consider the connection of the 
Godavery navigation with Central India, to accomplish which, the main point would, of 
course, be to obtain the cheapest and best road to the bottom of the third barrier. But to 
these may also ho added the fact, that there is every prospect of a considerable area of coal 
in the Nizam’s territories between the Pemgunga and tbe Pranhita, all of which would be 
economized by a line of railway on that side of the Pranhita, but would be useless or nearly 
useless if that communication were carried out on tbe opposite bank, where no coal occurs. 
Any advantages anticipated from tbe introduction of the Wardha. coal into the southern 
parts of the Peninsula (Madras, Hyderabad, &e.,) would be common to either line. But these 
may be. I think, put out of present consideration altogether. If, on further investigation, 
the coal known to occur near Duinagudium and to the south of that place prove abundant 
* The Tehsildar of Wun reports that, the ground under cotton cultivation this year was 28,177 acres: the 
average produce for each acre was 76£lbs. } the total produce 1,077,770 seers - 0,000 bojas, or 18,000 guttas (bales). 
Besides tlie above, about 12,000 bojus, or 24,000 guttas, are carried through this taluq to Hingunghat from His 
Highness the Nizam’s territories, from Rnjur, Manikgur, and Edlabad taluqs.— April 1870. 
t It is a singularly perverted misapplication of a tolerably well known geological term to speak of the wide 
spread area of crystalline rocks which are exposed at Kirmirri and to the east as a “ gneiss dyke.” The only 
real use of Hueh special terms is to convey accurate ideas without the necessity of long descriptions, but if employed 
when their meaning is not known they must have exactly the opposite effect, and must lead to confusion and 
obscurity. 
