1834.] of the Soil of Ghdzipoor. 37 



from the surface is formed of mud and clay : below this, two feet of 

 kankar contained a large proportion of saline matter, consisting of 

 sulphate and muriate of soda. The efflorescence i3 in such abundance, 

 on the sides and bottom of the excavation, that I gathered it in hand- 

 fuls, to obtain an average sample. The bottom of the tank was cover- 

 ed with kankar in nodules and lumps recembling stalactites. 



The circumstance of so much saline matter being found here at the 

 depth of four feet below the surface, resting upon and impregnating the 

 stratum of kankar, naturally leads me to the supposition (taking all ap- 

 pearances into consideration) that a constant, but slow, decomposition is 

 going on between the carbonate of lime, contained in the kankar, and 

 the muriate of soda in contact with this singular stratum. Hence the 

 formation and development of carbonate of soda, in the same manner as 

 observed in the Natron lakes, and beds of Egypt, by the justly cele- 

 brated French chemist Berthollet, though, from his description, the ap- 

 pearances in that country are more strongly developed, than I observed 

 to be the case at the above place. The upper part of the kankar bed 

 being undulated, it therefore frequently crops out at the sui-face, and of 

 course the saline earth in proportion. This accounts for the efflo- 

 rescence appearing in patches, as it were, especially when moisture is re- 

 tained in the soil at all seasons, which is the case in the vicinity of 

 jheels. However, as I wish to confine myself to facts alone, I leave this 

 subject to be taken up by others better acquainted with geology than 

 myself. There seems (as far as my observations extended) to be 

 no want of materials for nature to operate upon ; for in the space 

 of a few miles I found the earth to contain sulphate, muriate, and car- 

 bonate of soda, with here and there the nitrates of potass and lime, 

 distributed in patches through a large tract of country. 



Near the above excavation for a tank, and close by the village of Ra- 

 touly, is established the largest salt factory that I had an opportunity 

 of inspecting. I generally found them situated where the patches of 

 muriate of soda predominated, and the following notice attempts to de- 

 scribe the operations of the manufacture as it came under my own ob- 

 servations during my visits to the factories for the purpose. 



The manufacture of salt is commenced on the latter part of the month 

 of February, and is carried forward till the commencement of the rainy 

 season ; for being upon the principle of solar evaporation, the operations 

 can only be carried on during the dry hot months. 



The first operation is to scrape the surface of the soil (in the same 

 manner as saltpetre is scraped off and gathered in Tirhoot), and collected 

 in heaps near the filters. The latter are the same in principle, though 

 different in shape and size to those used for the manufacture of saltpetre, 



