520 



Tlie Mines of Khetree in Rajpootana* 



[No. 5, 



town. The founder of it amassed his wealth in the situation of Com- 

 missariat Gromashtah at Cawnpore, on a small salary. Grenerally 

 speaking, the people of Khetree are poor, partly owing to the lawless 

 character of the Shekhawattee population, which prevents much trade 

 or commercial enterprize, and partly to the oppressions of the various 

 Kamdars and managers during the long minority of the present Rajah. 

 Amongst the poorest of the Khetree population are the miners. 

 These are of two races, Hindoos and Mussulmans. The Hindoos work 

 the alum and sulphate of copper works, whilst the Mussulmans confine 

 themselves to the ores which require smelting. 



The mines, as before remarked, are situated in the small ranges of 

 hills near Khetree. One of the largest of those now worked, though 

 not the most profitable, is the " Koolhan" mine, and a description of 

 the process, carried on at this, will suffice as an example of the whole. 

 The approach to the Koolhan mine, about half a mile from the town, 

 is over hills of clay slate, through which granite, iron stone and other 

 rocks have forced themselves. Along the same spur, which runs from 

 Khetree to Singhana, are several other copper mines, intermixed with 

 sulphate of copper and alum mines, which predominate as Singhana is 

 approached. 



The entrance to the Koolhan mine is 300 feet above the plain 

 below. The mine descends at an angle of about 60° in a zig-zag, 

 but in a very irregular course, and branches off in various directions. 

 Sometimes, for ten or twenty yards, it is only just sufficient to admit 

 the recumbent body of a man, and at others, opens out into considera- 

 ble chambers, according to the richness of the rock, from which the ore 

 has been not fairly " worked" but one may say, " stolen" The richest 

 ore, as frequently happens, is at the greatest depth ■; but there the 

 mine is generally choked with water. This is the great difficulty the 

 miners experience. Their only means of getting rid of the water, in 

 consequence of the tortuous course of the mine, is to form a chain of 

 human beings from the mouth of the mine to the water, along which 

 ghurrahs are passed by hand, filled with water and the rocky debris 

 which neglect has allowed to accumulate in the mine. This is a slow 

 and expensive process. In one branch of the Koolhan mine, no less 

 than 27 people were required for the purpose, and as each occupied as 

 nearly as could be estimated, 8 feet, it gave 216 feet as the depth of 

 the working. The labour of emptying is continued day and night. Oh 



