1836.] the Sdmar lake salt-works. 799 



tion as could be wished : I will therefore first place these before the 

 reader. 



Note on Sdmar lake salt and earth, by Lieut. A. Conolly. 



While acting as Salt Collector for two months at Sambhur, I 

 employed part of my time in putting tog-ether officially some inter- 

 esting notes, historical (semi-fabulous rather) and statistical, con- 

 cerning this marvellous spot, collected by my friend N. B. Edmon- 

 stone, Esq. Superintendent of Ajmir, when he went to take posses- 

 sion for the Honorable Company at the beginning of the year (1835). 

 Connected therewith it would be desirable to have scientific exami- 

 nation of the produce of the mines, for which purpose I send them 

 to you under charge of a servant ; and will here detail the contents 

 of the boxes. 



A 1. — A long box containing a quantity of the mud which forms the bed of 

 Sambhur lake, and which yields as often as it is covered by (a few inches depth 

 of) water, and acted upon by a hot atmosphere. This mud was dug out before 

 me from the bed of a " kiydr" (or vat) just after it had yielded a good crust 

 of salt crystals, when it was of the consistency of a stiff jelly. The mud near- 

 est to the surface was put next to the part of the box at which the lid is laid 

 hold of, (in order that it may be drawn out,) and so on downwards till the box 

 was filled. 



A 2. — A box divided into three parts, containing as many sorts of earth. 

 1st. Some of the black mud just mentioned, which has the depth of about half 

 a gaz below the surface of the lake. 2nd. A bluish earth which soon hardens 

 into a friable cake and seems a compound of what lies above and below it. This 

 has a depth of half a gaz under the black mud. 3rd. A white sandy earth, which 

 has a depth of from five to six gaz under the second strata. This I learned from 

 the Sambhur Sherishtahdar who sent the specimens after me to Jaiptir on the 

 10th July. He wrote " understrata No. 3 lies white stone from which chunam 

 is made." I immediately sent off an express to say that I would make the 

 fortune of any enterprising digger who would dive for some of this stone, but 

 the Serishtahdar returned for answer that the attempt had been made in vain, 

 (rain) water having covered the whole surface of the marsh. He dug on the very 

 edge of the lake, where there was no black mud, but only the earth No. 2, and 

 he found nothing but this (he wrote) to the depth of 6 gaz, when the influx of 

 water obliged the diggers to give over work. He wrote moreover, some of the 

 " oldest inhabitants say that all parts of the lake are not alike ; that in some 

 places you dig and find the three sorts of earth sent ; in others, below the mud 

 only ' sang i kucheV (?) In others again only mud that has no bottom." 



I may further mention that the Serishtahdar wrote — " The people call the 

 gil i safeid, Pindole (H.) and make whitewash from it." This inducing a belief 

 that it contained lime, I poured vinegar on a bit which immediately effervesced. I 

 fancy this sort of earth is used to make the very delicate porous vessels out 

 of which the better sort of natives drink in summer. 



A 3. — Three pieces from the surface of a kiytir (vat) off which a crop (crust) 

 of salt had just been raked. 



