ALUM MINES. 291 



a good thing of it. This saline efflorescence is 

 merely scraped away and slightly prepared, 

 when it is packed in bags, and sent to Roree or 

 Siikkur for shipment on the Indus. So little 

 care is taken in packing this valuable article, 

 that an immense wastage occm^s in transit, 

 which would be avoided were more serviceable 

 bags employed. The quality of the Sindh salt- 

 petre, and especially that of Khyrpoor, is very 

 superior, for which reason the gunpowder of 

 Sindh was always held in much estimation. 



Sulphur abounds in the western hills, where 

 hot springs are numerous. 



The alum mines of Sindh are very product- 

 ive, but for want of fresh water they are less 

 profitable than they might be made. 



The pearl fishery of Sindh is thus reported 

 on by the late Mr Macleod, a very able officer : — 



'' In the salt-water inlets along the entire 

 sea coast of Sindh, a thin-shelled variety of the 

 oyster exists, producing a seed pearl. It is 

 most frequently found on mud-banks left dry at 

 low tides. The pearl is of very little value 

 compared with that produced by the Ceylon 

 and Persian Gulf Fisheries, the price of the 

 latter ranging fr'om rs. 1000 to rs. 1500, whilst 



19* 



