1832.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 253 



about 400 feet above the place where we left our horses. The accompanying 

 sketch, Plate VI. fig. 5. exhibits a section of the hill. 



The stratum sinks about half an inch in a foot toward the south, but the roof, 

 where we found it projecting-, bassets nearly horizontal!)', and the face of the 

 rock bears about N. E. This stratum of coal will be invaluable to the station. I 

 shall forward a bag, by the first opportunity, for your inspection ; it can be sup- 

 plied at Chattak at 6 annas per maund, with good profit to the supplier, and the 

 quantity is, I imagine, inexhaustible. I have no doubt it will be followed up, and 

 found nearer the head of the pass, i. e. at Musmye. A box of specimens will reach 

 you by Ddk bangy : they will I hope enable you to judge fully of the value of 

 the discovery. I am certain that these mountains, the aptitude of which to sup- 

 port colonists will inevitably lead to their colonization, contain resources far 

 beyond our present estimation of them. Mr. Fuinell discovered a large cavern, 

 from whence he brought away a specimen of sulphate of lime in silky crystals. 

 We also found an extraordinary natural well : a stone thrown into which fell 

 into water at the end of about three seconds from dropping it." 



Salem Iron Works. 



The following memoranda on the subject of the Salem works, calculated 

 soon to become important from their magnitude and from the well known 

 zeal of their founder, are gleaned from private documents, with the perusal 

 of which we were favored by the Agents of Mr. Heath, in Calcutta, who 

 also presented his specimens to the Society : 



The mine from which Mr. Heath draws his supply of ore is situated in the Sa- 

 lem district, close to a place noted on Arrowsmith's large map of India as Shenda- 

 mangalam, in lat.ll 21 ' 30" and long. 78« 17' 30". 



There is abundance of fuel in the neighbourhood : it is within 20 miles of the 

 river Kavari, which is navigable to the coast in the country boats. 



The iron ore, a magnetic oxide of great purity, is stated by Mr. Heath to 

 form hills of considerable size ; it is in small grains, interstratified with quartz, 

 and occasionally in regular octohedrons. This crystallized oxide is one of the richest 

 ores of iron known ; it consists according to Berzelius of 72 parts of peroxide and 

 28 of protoxide of iron. Some of the crystals sent are covered with a white 

 micaceous coat, which is esteemed a sign of superiority by the natives: the 

 specific gravity of the octohedral crystals was found to be on an average 5.136 at 60°, 

 which is rather more than is allowed in mineralogical works. Mohs, the most accu- 

 rate physiographist, calls it 5.096 — Phillips, only 4.4. 



On reference to the manuscript journals of the late Doctor Voysey, (from which 

 an extract is given in the foregoing pages,) it appears that in the Godaveri iron 

 works, ores of iron sand, and iron clay are used, which are more easy to reduce 

 than the pure magnetic oxide, although far less rich in metal. 



Mr. Heath has hitherto confined his attention to the manufacturing of bar iron, 

 for which purpose he has set up blast and puddling furnaces, with blowing engines, 

 fineries, and machinery for working the iron into bars commissioned from Eng- 

 land, capable of giving a monthly return of from thirty to forty tons. We know 

 not precisely whether Mr. Heath has as yet matured his substitution of the 

 methods of our own country in the place of those which have from time immemorial 

 prevailed among the natives of the place : the specimens at present under examin- 

 ation, are evidently intended to illustrate the native operations. We should 



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