CHAP. 9.] ECONOMIC RESOURCES. 89 



buslies and treated with water; the percolating' fluid is then collected 

 and boiled down, and the impure salt resulting sent to the alum works 

 at Mhurr under the name of sira Tear. 



Some friable brown shales in the sub-nummuhtic and next succeeding 



beds contain small resinous and black bituminous 

 lucense. 



lumps, which are burned in the native temples as 

 incense. The substance is called (butkhdnah) (' lootkana,' Sir G. Le Grand 

 Jacob's paper) at Mhurr, where it is found and it also occurs at Joolerai 

 and near Lukput. To the eastward of the latter place it was observed in 

 small quantities in tertiary shales, which from their position should 

 be slightly above the nummulitic group. 



Nearly all the rocks of Kutch are strongly impregnated with 

 chloride of sodium and other salts ; to such an 

 extent indeed that a stream of fresh water is 

 jrarely to be found in the country except in the stratified trap area. 

 The upper Jurassic and lower tertiary beds, including the sub-numma- 

 litic group, are the most saline, but efilorescences of various salts are very 

 common. Some asbestiform aluminous salts cause exfoliation of the 

 interior surfaces of old workings at Mhurr; and others occur in the 

 same rock group (sub -nummulitic) north of the village of Furradee 

 in the Kanta. One of these with finely capillary crystallization 

 forms white nests under a blistered saline crust in the bed of the 

 stream here. 



The bed of a dried up tank near Bhootukia in Wagir was observed 

 to be covered with a strong white deposit of crystalUne salt. This was, 

 however, an unusual occurrence, others not showing a deposit of the 

 kind ; but many of the river pools were lined with an incrustation of salt. 



The salt on the Runn has been already mentioned. It is collected 

 in places but does not form an article of export, although it might be 

 obtained in enormous quantities. 



m ( b9 > 



