3 50 Smelting of Iron in the Kasya Hills. [Aprtl, 



about a mile to the west of this, as confirmatory of my previous 

 opinion. The salt is principally composed of carbonate, with a 

 mixture of sulphate and muriate of soda. It effloresces on the sur- 

 face in the dry weather, and is scraped off by the natives. I had 

 the soil opened above a foot in depth, and it appeared to be equally 

 impregnated beneath. 



This deposit is not connected with any sandstone, and is 35 miles 

 distant from the nearest point of the great sandstone formation of 

 Bundelkhand. From inquiries I have made, I am led to believe, 

 that similar saline deposits are not unfrequent in this district. Capt. 

 Franklin mentions salt in the valley of the Ganges beyond Mirza- 

 pur, and the salt of the JBhartpur district is not proved to be con- 

 nected with the sandstone ; therefore we have no reason to believe 

 it peculiar to any formation. As the sulphate of soda is said to 

 be collected in large quantities from the soil of the basaltic districts 

 on the western side of India, it is not improbable that these saline 

 deposits are distributed over the peninsula of India co-extensively 

 with the nodules of kankar (carbonate of lime) and hydrated iron ore. 

 Ghazipur, March, 1832. 



VIII. — Smelting of Iron in the Kasya Hills. 



The following is the method pursued from time immemorial by 

 the natives of this part of the country in working down the ores of 

 iron so plentifully met with hereabouts. 



There are large grass huts at least twenty-five feet high, the 

 thatch of which reaches down to the ground on all sides. The 

 interior, of an oval form, 15 by 30 feet, in the two diameters, is divid- 

 ed into three apartments ; the central one being the smelting room. 



Two large double bellows, with the nozzles pointed downwards, 

 are set upon one side of the apartment, on the upper part of which 

 a man stands with one foot on each, his back supported by two 

 planks. He holds a stick in his left hand, which is suspended from 

 the roof, and has two strings attached to it below, connected with 

 the two bellows : these are worked quickly by a wriggling motion 

 of the loins, and the strength of the leg. 



The nozzles of the bellows unite in a tube which leads under- 

 ground, from a sort of wind chest, to the hearth about four feet in 

 front of them. Over the hearth is a chimney of pipe-clay braced 

 with iron hoops, two feet in diameter at the bottom, and about six 

 feet high. The mouth at bottom is on the side away from the bel- 



