CHAP. 9.] ECONOMIO RESOURCES. 281 
iron into hatchets, plough-shares, &c.; five or sometimes six men 
working at each forge-fire One generally holding the iron while 
being hammered, four working the hammers, and sometimes a sixth 
attending to the fire, supplying fuel, &e. The hammer-men took 
their turn at the bellows, when not hammering. The iron seemed 
good, and they apparently worked out the ore pretty well, as the slag 
seemed not to contain much iron. The ore stretches southwards in a 
band or bands, for there are two or three, in the same small range of hills; 
and it is also smelted to a small extent at Neelapoor north-east of Dhoor. 
* On the west of the Ghats, in the Rachootee and the Culleudda 
talugs near Mudcherroo, Nerrabyle (Nerrabylegudda of the map), and 
Chintacoonta the manufacture is also carried on, though not to any very 
great extent. The ore is brought down from the hills on the east by 
bullocks and coolies, but chiefly on the former, by the Cutparaty pass and 
the Chintacoonta Cunnama (or ghat); the ore is precisely similar to and in 
all probability identical with that used at Yerragoontla Cotta, which, as 
above mentioned, is brought from the eastern slopes of these same hills, 
from bands which I suppose to be the same occurring there at a lower 
level, owing to their dip. Iron is made locally, and in small quantities in 
many other places through the district, and in many other villages small 
forge-furnaces are worked ; the want of them is in other places frequently 
supplied by itinerant blacksmiths, who carry about their bellows, anvil, 
&e., and set up their little forge wherever employment offers itself.” 
As regards building materials, there is no lack of good and easily 
wrought stone all over the district; but these can 
Sas only become of value as they are locally required, 
or as the means of communication are opened out over the district. 
The railway has done this as regards the Nerjee limestone; and the 
canal from above Kurnool down to Cuddapah will be another means 
of opening up the building resources. As yet, the carriage of the 
Nerjee stone by rail is very expensive, for it is a most compact and heavy 
2M ( 381 ) 
