part ’ 2 .] Blaiiford: Plant-bearing sandstones of Godavery valley, See. 
51 
Sections, except on the sides of hills, are unusually rare, precisely as in the more northern 
area, and the great mass of the rocks consists of white and brown argillaceous sandstones, 
grit, and conglomerate, with so little marked mineral character that they might he either 
Barakar, Kamthi, or Panchet. On the Godavery, below Bkadniehallam, it is very difficult 
to draw a line between the Damuda and Kamthi groups. 
But in the neighbourhood of Ellore and Rajamandri the sandstones are frequently 
variegated in a peculiar and characteristic manner. They are associated with numerous 
hard bands of ferruginous grit and compact red and yellow shale. In one instance sand¬ 
stone was found with a peculiar semi-vitreous texture, which is very characteristic of some 
beds in Chanda and Berar. All these characters lead unmistakeably to the conclusion that 
these rocks are the representatives of the Kamthi beds of Nagpur and Chanda. 
Let it not be supposed that this conclusion is a mere abstract scientific matter, interest¬ 
ing perhaps to geologists, but of no importance to the world in general. In reality it involves 
a most serious economic question. It is quite unnecessary to remark that the discovery of 
coal in the Madras Presidency is a great desideratum. Hitherto, despite much research, 
neither coal nor the rocks with which coal is associated in India have been met with in any 
part of the country south of the Godavery. The tracing, therefore, into the Madras Presi¬ 
dency of sandstones belonging to the great series of which the coal-bearing beds of Bengal 
form a portion is of great interest and importance, because there is a possibility of the coal- 
bearing beds being associated with them.* The greater part of the working season of 
1870-71 has been devoted to the very important borings for coal on the Godavery, and I have 
been unable to give nearly sufficient time to the examination of the Ellore and Rajdmaudri 
country to enable me to ascertain with certainty the presence or absence of Damuda beds. 
Indeed, the surface of the rocks, although much bettor exposed than is the case a little 
further to the north, is so far concealed that it will probably be necessary to bore in order 
to determine this question. But although there is fair possibility of coal-bearing rocks 
being found, I could not positively detect their presence anywhere, and in one or two places, 
the base of the Kamthis was seen resting upon the metamorphic rocks, all beds of the 
Damuda group being wanting. 
In conclusion I may briefly describe the limits of the Kamthi sandstone area near Ellore 
and Rajamandri. The northern boundary runs nearly east and west from Raigddiam on the 
Godavery to Paluncha. There it turns sharply to the south, and the eastern boundary 
extends thence at first south, then south-east to Chintalpudi, 20 miles north-by-west of 
Ellore. Thence, after making a sweep to the westward, the boundary runs to the south, 
passing just east of the large town of Nuzed (Noozeid or Noozudoo), whence it turns south¬ 
west, and finally reaches the alluvial plain of Ellore near a village called Ivrishnawaram, 
at a spot nearly 20 miles east-by-north of Bezw&ra, and 16 miles west-by-sonth of Ellore. 
Along the southern part of this boundary, near Nuzed, the base of the sandstones is 
well exposed in several places, and, so far as I was able to examine, there was no trace of 
Damuda rocks. Still, further and closer examination is desirable before the same conclusion 
can be arrived at for the whole country. 
The Kamthi beds stretch along the edge of the alluvium from the point already mentioned 
cast-by-south of Ellore to the Godavery, trap intervening near the latter river at Pangadi, 
as already mentioned. The beds are in general flat, or dip at low angles. 
* So far as I am aware,—I am writing without means of reference, and may be mistaken—the occurrence of 
these sandstones near Ellore and Rajamandri has not before been noticed. 
