1834.] Ghdzipoor district. 39 



first operation of filterings, and its specific gravity of course is much in- 

 creased. It is now sufficiently prepared for final evaporation, and is 

 therefore removed again to the evaporating squares, and exposed (very 

 thin) to the action of the sun and heated air, which it appears is suffi- 

 ciently powerful to evaporate the saline solution to dryness, leaving a 

 thin crust of a brownish white coloured salt attached to the bottom of 

 the solar evaporatory, from which it is taken off by means of an iron 

 chisel. 



The salt thus obtained is, however, far from being a pure article : an 

 average sample which I collected, and subsequently subjected to analy- 

 sis, produced the following result — 100 grs. operated upon. 



Insoluble matter (sand) 3.0 



Sulphate of soda, 37.O 



Muriate of soda, 60.0 



100.0 

 A slight trace of nitrate of lime was detected during the examination. 



The quantity of salt produced, of the above quality, at the Ratouly 

 factory, is twenty-five maunds for each filter, and there being seven in 

 number, the total produce for three months' operations will amount to 

 175 maunds, which, at the stated price of rupees four per maund, make 

 a total value of rupees 700. However, as this amount is from the ma- 

 nufacturer's own statement, the real produce may be one-third more. 



An average sample of the saline earth, which I carefully collected 

 from the heaps merely scraped off the soil at two of the factories, beino- 

 analysed, gave me the following result : 

 100 grs. operated upon. 



The filtered solution made no change on turmeric paper. It there- 

 fore contained no loose alkali. I obtained precipitates from the follow- 

 ing re-agents, viz. muriate of barytes, nitrate of silver, oxalate of ammo- 

 nia, prussiate of potass, and liquid ammonia : these precipitates, being 

 carefully washed and dried, produced the following equivalent results : 

 Earthy matter, insoluble in the three "1 ., 

 mineral acids. J SUex 89 -° 



Earthy matter, soluble inmuriatic acid, I c ? r bonate ° f lim f • •••/••• 4 '° 



L alumina and oxide of iron.. 0.2 



("sulphate of soda 2.7 



Saline matter, soluble in water, . . . J m ? ri ? te °/ 1 ditt0 H 



] nitrate of lime 0.4 



1 moisture 2.0 



U°ss 0.2 



100.0 



