IJsTnODUCTORY. 7 



from twelve to fourteen laklis, then fourteeu Inkli?, at wliich figure Ag-ha 

 Abbas found the revenue in the time of Golab Sing-, though twenty- 

 five lakhs were said to be realised. The labourers were paid one^ two, or 

 three annas a day, and then, as now, the miners and their families all 

 worked in the mines. The mines were farmed by Maharaja Runjeet 

 Sing to Golab Sing. 



In another part of the narrative twelve saltpetre {sic) factories are 

 mentioned at Karabagh (Kalabagh), producing a revenue of Rs. 12,000, 

 the tourist evidently alluding to the alum works. Throughout the 

 paper, passing notice is taken of the salt and other mines of the country; 

 but the quantity of mineral wealth appears to have been exaggerated. 



When Mohun Lai visited Kalabagh or Baghan"^ there were 

 Munshi Mohun Lai, ten alum factories there, and two hundred at 

 ' Moch on the other side of the river (probably 



one of the localities in the Amb valley beneath Sakesir ?) . The manu- 

 facturing process is very roughly described, and the selling price stated 

 at Rs. 2 per 8 maunds. 



Twenty-one salt mines were then worked on the other side of a 

 neighbouring mountain (along the LunNala probably), the ^crop' of the 

 salt being described as like a line of shining marble across and through 

 the mountain, at the base of which the numerous holes in the salt were 

 attributed to the grazing of cattle ! He says that Rs. 3,00,000 worth 

 of salt per annum used to be raised here. He alludes to sulphur 

 mines, of the situation of v^hich the Sikh authorities were not aware, 

 though they were known and used by the Malik of Kalabagh. 



Writing from Kalabagh, under date 15th November 1841,t Dr. 

 Dr. Jameson, November Jameson asserts himself to be in the '' saliferous 

 system,^^ which '^extends uninterruptedly from 

 that place to Jubbulpore.''^ 



* Account of Kalabagh on the right bank of the Indus : Journal of the Asiatic 

 Society, Bengal, Vol. VII, p. 25. 



t Extract from a letter to Mr. Clerk, Journal of the Asiatic Society, Bengal, Vol, XI, 

 p.l. 



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