s 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[vol. IV. 
I saw of this. But when it was circumstantially stated that not only coal, bnt numbers 
of fossils, both animals and plants, identical with those which characterized the coal-fields of 
Scotland and England, had been procured in the same place, these details almost made one doubt 
their own convictions. I should have given nothing for the stated occurrence of ‘ fossil ferns and 
beautiful specimens of coal plants,’ because I bad, years before, received from the same neigh¬ 
bourhood and sent by the same person as now announced the discovery, a large collection of 
what were then called ‘ beautiful coal plants,’ but which on examination proved to be nothing but 
the dried and squeezed rootlets of common grasses which had inserted themselves between 
the cleavage planes of a true slate, and had been attached to the surfaces by a little very fine 
impalpable mud carried in by water. The slightest application of water washed oft’ every 
trace or marking of these So-called beautiful fossils. I was therefore prepared for the 
assertion of ‘coal plants,’ but the production of a few shells said to be from rocks which had been 
carefully examined before, without yielding a single organism, was still to be explained. 
Mr. Foote was requested to visit the locality on his way to the season's work, and I purposely 
left him without the geological maps which had been constructed by bis colleagues, desiring 
to leave him without a chance of having bis own opinions influenced by the views of others. 
His results are given in a very elear and concise statement published in the first number of 
the ‘ Records,’ 1871, and it will he seen that there was not to he found a single bed of rock 
agreeing either in colour or texture with that containing the fossils said to have been brought 
from that district, but which, it appears, had been previously lying unlabelled, mixed up with 
other fossils of all ages and localities, and picked out from this aggregate of confusion. 
The coal, which certainly was, as described, ‘good steam coal,’and “very different from 
most Indian coals, ’’ was found just in the line followed by carts which had drawn a large 
quantity of similar coal to a contractor’s depot not three miles off; and to test the extent of 
this coal, the Government were recommended to commence boring in the granite-gneiss on 
which these dropped fragments were found !! Anything evincing more lamentable ignorance 
of the very first, elements of geological or mincraLogical knowledge than the whole affair it 
would be impossible even to conceive. 
This was an instance in which there could not be the slightest doubt that the gentleman 
who brought forward the matter did so in all sincerity of purpose and honesty of belief in 
its truth. But during the past year, it has been also our duty to expose a very deliberate 
but amusing fraud leading to the heliof of the existence of coal where it might possibly have 
occurred, although it was highly improbable that it did, and where the sanguine antici¬ 
pations of those who first made known the supposed discovery led them to picture in glowing 
colours future results of magnificent dimensions. These illusions led also to serious and 
costly practical results, which a little calmer consideration Would probably have obviated. 
At the commencement of the year, it was publicly stated that thick and valuable beds 
of coal had been unexpectedly found while boring for water within the precincts of the 
new Central Jail Buildings at Midnapore. This ‘ discovery’was widely published, and the 
most sanguine anticipations of results were put forward. Dr. Mouat, then Inspector General 
of Jails, took up the question very energetically. Such tools as could he procured here were 
obtained, and the borings were prosecuted with great vigour under the able charge of 
Major J. I>. Swayne. the Executive Engineer in charge of the works of the jail. The matter 
did not come to the Geological Survey till some months later. In March, Dr. Stoliczka, then 
in temporary charge of this office during my absence, reported to the Government of Bengal 
that the specimens of coal which had been sent indicated a valuable fuel, hut that as 
nothing whatever was then known of either the dip or strike or thickness of the bed, all of 
which were entirely concealed by a thick covering of laterite and lateritous clays, &c., no 
correct idea could he formed as to what quantity of coal might exist in the locality. Borings 
were, therefore, continued and others made. The specimens of coal sent up from time 
