8 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[vol. v. 
taken in the matter’ regarding the proposed line of railway to connect these coal-fields with 
the Bombay and Nagpore railway, to point out the facts, and to urge strongly, that if the 
object in view were to obtain the coal cheaply, there could be little question, that a line direct 
to the Woon district of East Berar would be both shorter and cheaper, and would at the 
same time be more effective in tapping the largest and best cotton-growing districts of the 
country. This line would have to cross only one large stream, the Wurdah, while the other 
hue, as proposed to Wurrora, would have to cross four or five, of which even one, taken alone, 
would be heavier than the Wurdah, as shown by the estimates. I have been infonned, though 
not officially, that after a consultation between the Chief Commissioner of the Central 
Provinces and the Commissioner of East Berar, this alteration in the line proposed has been 
recommended. If carried out, it will undoubtedly give an easy access to a very large supply 
of coal of such quality as occurs in this field. All that has been found is of poor qnalitj-, 
breaks down very rapidly on exposure and diying, and is therefore wasteful; nor will it bear 
very heavy draft in the fires, but with properly adjusted fire-bars and frequent care it can be 
used with success. The coal from near Sastu, in the Nizam's dominions, is the most durable 
yet raised in these fields. 
In connection with this field, it is much to be regretted that some trial borings were not 
during thejseason devoted to proving the eastern slope of the anticlinal referred to above. 
A few well selected borings would have settled the point as to the existence of coal. As I 
have already said there is no reason to assume its absence, but it has not as yet been proved to 
be present anywhere along this line. A trial boring was put. down to the east of the town 
of Chanda at an early date, but this having reached a depth at which the progress weekly 
with hand-boring was only a few inches, was stopped on the arrival of a steam-boring 
machine. This was at onee put to work a little further to the dip, but the ground proved 
so soft that tubing was required, which was uot available at thd moment. The steam-borer 
was then moved to Wurrora, and has been kept there since. Aud no further attempt has 
been made to prove the coal. There is most probably a large area over which it will be 
found, and possibly at very workable depths. Any part of this eastern scarp of the anticlinal 
will, however, be much more distant from the existing lines of railway than other sources of 
coal, and will, therefore, be more looked to in the future than at present. There is also a 
very large area of His Highness the Nizam’s dominions, under which workable coal will be 
found, and which will at some future time prove very valuable. The occurrence of nearly 
50 feet of coal, as proved at Sastu by Mr. Whyte working on behalf of the Nizam’s Govern¬ 
ment, is only an instance. When examining the neighbourhood of Ballarpur, in the com¬ 
mencement of 1870, on the opposite bank, it was stated that the larger part of the coal 
would be found in the right bank of the Wurdah in the Nizam's dominions. And these 
sinkings have quite confirmed the statemeut. 
Mr. Hughes is still absent on leave. 
Mr. Fedden was engaged in continuing his examination of the trappean rocks over- 
lying the coal-bearing series to the west, and in clearing up one or two doubtful points as to 
their boundary, &c. In the jungly country oi Edulabad and to the east ol that town between 
it and the Wurdah, he sullbred from repeated attacks of fever, which at last drove him from 
the place; and under medical advice, he proceeded somewhat earlier than customary to the 
hills. He has resumed his work in better strength this season, and as from the small amount 
of rainfall in these districts the state of the country is more favourable for work than usual, it 
is hoped ho will be able to effect good progress. 
Mr. Haokat during this season completed the district of Jubbulpur, of which he had 
in the previous year commenced the examination. The southern, south-eastern and south- 
