522 



The Mines of Khetree in Rajpootana. 



[No. 5, 



the town of Khetree itself, and furnishes a scene of much excitement. 

 The purchasers are Mussulman Bhoras, who conduct all the subse- 

 quent operations ; and here the interest of the miners entirely ceases 

 in the produce of the mines. If the ore is black sulphuret of the first 

 class, it will fetch as much as Es. 10 per maund of 26|- seers ; but if 

 good pyrites, perhaps Us. 4 or 5 a maund. The pyrites is much the 

 most plentiful ore, but there are several poorer ores fetching as low as 

 Rupee 1 a maund. 



The Borah having concluded his purchase, employs a man with a 

 small hammer, who receives Us. 3 per month, to separate the ore from 

 the schistose rock and quartz, (with which it is intermingled in about 

 equal quantities), and to break it into small pieces. 



The ore has now to be finely powdered. This is done by men 

 using c Grhuns' or heavy hammers, weighing from 32 to 34 pounds 

 each. The hammer is lifted with both hands, one on either side of the 

 hammer head and brought down with great force on a small heap of 

 the ore, raked into place with the toes, that never failing substitute 

 for the hand among natives : as this is the most laborious operation in 

 the whole process, only the strongest men are employed. PI. II. The 

 ore has to undergo the hammering three times before it is fine 

 enough for the roasting process. A Grhun man on coming to his work 

 very early in the cool of the morning has five maunds of ore weighed 

 out to him, this is his proper quantity for a day's work, and is as 

 much as can be supplied daily by the coarse breaker. Preparing this 

 properly, gives the Grhun laborer six hours of hard unremitting 

 work, and his wages are proportionately high, viz., five rupees a 

 month. 



The ore, having been reduced to a proper state, is next mixed with 

 cow-dung, and made into rolls about four inches long, which are first 

 dried in the sun, and then roasted in the open air, in a fire of' cow-dung 

 cakes. This is an inexpensive process, costing only a few annas for 

 cakes to roast five maunds of ore. 



The ore is now ready for the smelting furnace. For this, Koomhars 

 or potters are employed. The potter builds and works his own furnace, 

 and supplies the bellows ; in fact extracts the metal. Four people, one 

 of whom may be a child 12 or 14 years old, are required for each fur- 

 nace. They receive collectively Rs. 11 a month. The furnace is 

 about 3J feet high and 12 inches in diameter, built of pieces of slag 



