PAUT 4.] 
113 
Blanford: Sandstones of the Godavari valley. 
Tlie tract of sandstone on the right hank of the river opposite to that just described 
extends from near Madavaram to Polaram, or rather 
Sandstone tract near MSdav&am. , , , 
more than four miles from easttowest. Where broad¬ 
est it is between two and three miles from north to south. The southern boundary is nearly 
straight, and although there is not, except in the south-east corner, much appearance of disturbance 
along it, it is difficult to believe that it is natural. The dip throughout is to the westward, 
and usually rather high, being seldom less than 10°, frequently 15°, 20°, or even 30°. Talchirs 
occur in the extreme south-east corner; all the remaining area appears to be occupied by 
Damudas. 
The Talchirs are only seen in a stream which runs into the God&varl near Raigoma ; they 
are the usual tine silty shales and sandstones, and are vertical, or dip at high angles to the 
west and north-west. They were not seen between the two hills just north of this spot, the 
one of metamorphics, the other of Damuda grit and conglomerate. 
The whole eastern boundary of the rocks north of these two hills is concealed by 
alluvium in the river, which here runs north and south; metamorphics are seen along the left 
bank. To the east of the alluvium is a low rise formed of conglomerate, extending north to 
the river east of MadavSram and terminating on the south in the high hill just referred to, 
which lies west of the village of Kondapali. This hill has precipitous sides to the east and 
south, exposing a section of the conglomerates composing it. 
In tho small stream which runs into the Godavari near Injaram, north of Kondapali, 
much conglomerate is seen, but no continuous section is exposed for any distance. Rocks 
are traced at intervals along the southern boundary of the field, and are usually conglomeratic. 
The hills near Polaram and a smaller rise south-east of it are of the same kind of rock. This 
of course is in favour of the southern boundary being natural, but it should he remembered 
that the conglomerates being harder - , are more likely to he exposed than the softer rocks 
which may intervene between them. There is much lime along the southern boundary near 
the villages of Palohalkar and Gangaram, some compact limestone occurring north of the 
last named village, hut it is apparently a superficial accumulation. 
Throughout this sandstone tract, as a general rule, very little rock is seen; usually 
when any appears above the surface, as west of the tank south of Shiruveli, it is grit or 
conglomerate. But a tolerable, though by no means continuous, section is exposed in the 
bank of the Godavari. Here also the eastern boundary is not seen, metamorphics ar - e met 
with about half way across the river bed (here about a mile broad) opposite the village of 
Murmur, and at the salient angle of the river bank below Madavaram there is horizontal 
conglomerate and grit, being the same beds as those forming the rise which bounds the sand¬ 
stone tract on the east. The conglomeratic character appears to diminish rapidly to the 
westward, in which direction the beds for a short distance dip east, exposing about 100 feet 
of rocks, sandstone grit, and some argillaceous beds. The dip then changes to the westward 
just at the mouth of a small nald, and grey or pale brown sandstone with occasional bands 
of grit or sbale, all of typical Damuda characters, dip at a high and rapidly increasing 
angle to the westward. At the anticlinal opposite the mouth of the little nala, a borehole was 
made to a depth of 193 feet 6 inches in order to prove rocks lower than any exposed on the 
section. It went through alternations of brown and white sandstones, with thick beds of 
dark shale containing two or three small and useless seams of coal, none of them exceeding 
8 inches in thickness (see Records, 1871, p. 61). 
At Madavaram there is some crushing and, possibly, faulting, the sandstone being cut up 
by calcareous vpins. A high dip, varying from 20° to 40°, continues along the river bank as 
far as Shiruveli, the beds being coarse or fine sandstones of varying hardness with occasional 
