ECONOMIC RESOURCES : SALT. 287 



The method of working" in these Bagg-i and Sujewal mines is 

 described by Dr. Warth in his first paper previously referred to, from 

 which the following is condensed :— 



The miners work in three different ways in the Baggi mine. First, 

 forward from a certain floor into the rock salt. This is called the Icatti 

 (htttee) , and is the most troublesome. It is nearly as hard as cutting 

 drifts, there being a good deal of pickwork before the men can blast. As 

 the hatt'i is carried forward, they gradually work the roof down, sitting 

 upon tripods, some of which are 25 feet high. This is called chhat 

 (cJiutt^J work. When they have advanced with the kaiti and chhat, 

 they begin to work from behind downwards. This is called the par 

 (pnr), or deep working. This jmi' ought to be very easy work, but it is 

 not, because from want of space it cannot be carried on in regular ad- 

 vancing steps; instead of this, the miners work the par down directly 

 over are as marked out to them, both in Baggi and Sujewal mines.f 



Dr. Warth proposed to operate in a contrary manner, namely, to 

 work the kaiti on the roof of the salt seam, and the remaining salt 

 down to the bottom as par by steps. The improvements are being 

 gradually carried out, and the appearance of the mine is yearly changing 

 in consequence, so that in course of time there is little doubt the system 

 will become as perfect as possible. Not very long ago, gunpowder was 

 never used ; now its advantages are fully felt, and Dr. Warth has fired 

 some large blasts, separating hundreds of maunds of the salt at once 

 with perfect safety. 



From one of the smaller mines called Phurwalla, men, women, and 

 children had carried full 40 lakhs of maunds of salt up a narrow steep and 

 crooked drift, and from the whole Mayo mines Dr. Warth estimates the 



* From the word pronounced " Chutt, " meaning roof, or ceiling. 



t The Khewra miners use the following names : Salt, Loon. Impure earthy salt, 

 Kuller. Crystallized salt, Sheesha. Red marl, Lai muttee. Cracks across the salt, 

 Unge. Red lines marking the stratification. Purree. Small salt, Soor. Waste salt, 

 in small pieces, Malba. Fallen salt used for sale, Kunnee. Dangerous state of roof, 

 Chiddhur. Drift, Saan. These are spelled here as they are pronounced. 



( 287 ) 



