70 mallet: geology of darjiling and western duars. 



fully selected average sample contained 9'1 per cent, of copper. A 

 sample taken from a heap of pounded ore ready for washing gave 7'8 

 per cent, when assayed by Mr. Tween. 



The mine about two miles north-east of Kalingpung is in wrinkled 

 and wavy clay-slate dipping south-east at 60°, 



Kalmgpung. . . ' . 



and containing irregular, more or less lenticular 

 little seams of quartz parallel to the bedding, and interbanded layers 

 of very hard and tough light grey quartzite. It is in this rock and 

 in the quartz seams that the ore (with a little magnetic pyrites) mainly 

 occurs, although a little is also visible in the slate itself. The propor- 

 tion, even in the quartzite, is very small. The mine was worked a 

 couple of years ago, but was given up on account of the hardness of 

 the rock. There are two openings near each other, the larger of which 

 extends about 40 feet along the strike of the beds, with a maximum 

 depth of 10 or 12 feet. 



About a quarter of a mile above the mouth of the Re Ung a trial 

 drift has been made some 20 feet above the bed of 

 the stream. The rock, which is clay-slate with 

 interbanded layers of quartzite, dipping north 30° east at 40°, contains 

 copper pyrites disseminated through it, but in such small quantity that 

 the drift was abandoned after a few feet of progress. This station is 

 nearly on the same horizon as the Mangphu cupriferous beds. 



The Mangphu copper mine on the Tista is the only one in Dar- 

 jiling territory that is worked at present. It 

 was, as I was informed, first opened about four 

 years ago, and it has the reputation of being the best mine in the dis- 

 trict. The lessee last year was a Nepali named Bisman; his lease 

 expired on the 15th of November, and had not been renewed at the time 

 of my visit in January, so that mining was temporarily suspended, and 

 the men were engaged in smelting the small remainder of ore on hand. 



The mines are on the hill-side on the left bank of the Tista. The 

 latest worked, which are said to have been the most productive, are 



( 7G ) 



