20 PRELIMINARY NOTICE ON THE 



I have shown above, that the ash of the charcoal, which consists 

 ~ J , . , ., , mainly of carbonate of potash, acts as an admir- 



Wood-ash might be used ■' ••■ ' 



largely with advantage. ^ble flux SO far as it goes, and I believe that much 

 benefit would result from the large use of wood-ashes in the native 

 furnaces. Wood-ashes could in all these jungles be readily and very 

 economically procured, and I feel little doubt that the free use of these 

 as a flux would largely increase the return of iron. 



When lime or rather limestone is used, as I have stated, the tempera- 

 ture necessary for the reduction of the resulting silicate is very high, 

 and at this temperature a certain proportion of the carbon unites with 



the iron itself, the result being " cast iron," 

 Cast iron. i -i i 



while at the lower temperature now employed, 



although at the cost of so large a per-ceutage of 

 Malleable iron. . . „ n i i • 



the iron itself, imperfect malleable iron is pro- 

 duced by the first process. 



As regards Cuttack, there is no lime-stone known to occur in the 

 In Cuttack there is at immediate neighbourhood of these rich iron ores, 



present no flux known ° 



to exist, except kunkur. excepting the kunkur. 



It is not improbable, from some statements of Dr. Voysey, who foimd 



Probably limestone limestone between this and Nagpur, in some of 



may be found. j^jg j^^^gg^ ^j,jpg^ ^^^ this rock may be found at no 



very great distance. If required at present, much of the kunkur will 



doubtless answer as a flux ; but independently of the small quantities 



^.„ ,,. . ., in which it is found, and the large areas over 



Diincultiea m the use ' ° 



of the kunkur. which even these small quantities are distributed, 



there is another even more serious objection to its use, from its 

 extremely variable composition. This would render its employment very 

 ineffectual, unless means were constantly adopted to ascertain this com- 

 position and in consequence to vary the proportions of it and of the ore 

 when charging the furnaces. 



