940 Report on the Copper mines of Kumaon. [Nov. 



The almost inaccessible state of these mines, and the great difficulty of 

 making any observations at all in such places, as well as the interruption 

 alluded to heretofore, namely, the illness of my assistant whom I 

 was obliged to bring back to cantonments in a very precarious state of 

 health, have prevented me from making this report so full as I should 

 have wished. It appeared to me desirable to take, in the first instance, 

 merely a rapid glance at the whole of the copper mines throughout the 

 province, before the setting in of the rains, (when they become inac- 

 cessible,) with the view of determining the most eligible locality for 

 bringing the question of their productiveness to the test of experiment. 

 The mines of the western purgunahs, which, by all accounts, are the 

 richest, I have not yet had an opportunity of examining ; but though my 

 plans have been frustrated in that respect, I can nevertheless recom- 

 mend a trial of one of those I have already visited ; to wit, the Rye 

 mine. It is unfavorably situated for a new adit ; but from the appear- 

 ance of the ground, and the probability of cutting new lodes underneath 

 by traverses from the one now worked, the superior quality of the ore, 

 together with what information I have been able to gather from the 

 natives, as to the character of the lode at a greater depth, I consider it 

 in every way the best suited for an experiment, an estimate of the pro> 

 bable expense of which is herewith annexed*. Should the government 

 deem it expedient to authorize the work being commenced, my mining 

 assistant, Mr. Wilkin, is fully competent to carry on the detail; and 

 Lieut. Glasford, executive engineer of Kumaon, has offered his 

 services to superintend, as far as his other duties in the province will 

 permit, and to further the undertaking by every means in his power. 



I shall now conclude with a summary of the different points of 

 inquiry, upon which I should wish to ground my next report of the 

 mines of copper in this province. 



Some account of the rocks, considered in an economical point of 

 view. 



The ores seem to be of the usual varieties, and need merely to be speci- 

 fied. Assays from selected specimens hardly give a correct estimate of 

 producef . 



The important thing to be noticed is, the quantity that may be ob- 

 tained. This will depend principally on the width of the lodes, and 



* It is estimated by Capt. D., that the cost of the proposed new* adit at Rye 

 will be above 2400 rupees. 



t The working ore I have hitherto seen has been copper pyrites, grey copper 

 ore, and the green carbonate I have met with, but in too inconsiderable quantity 

 to deserve notice. 



