1839.] Note on a pillar found at Kurra near Allahabad. 683 



has evidently been taken from one of the temples destroyed during the 

 first Mahomedan invasion. 



The most remarkable features are the heads, and festoons (hanging 

 from their mouths), which is one of many instances I have seen of 

 Hindu ornaments, apparently of Grecian origin, which I shall remark 

 upon more particularly at some future period. M. K. 



Art. VI. — Note by Messrs. Jessop $ Co. of Calcutta, on the smelting 

 of the Iron Ore of the district of Burdwan. 

 To the Officiating Secretary Asiatic Society. 



Dear Sir, — The Iron Ore with which we made the experiment in 

 smelting, was a portion of that obtained by the Coal and Iron Com- 

 mittee from the district of Burdwan. We smelted above half a ton 

 of it, which yielded about 2 cwt. of Iron, or barely 20 per cent. ; it 

 would therefore be considered an Ore of little value by the Iron 

 masters in Great Britain. 



The operation was carried on exactly according to the practice of 

 the large blast furnaces in England; — owing however to some peculi- 

 arity in the nature of the metal it could not be brought into a fluid 

 state, but after its reduction from the Ore, lay in a mass at the bottom 

 of the furnace. 



We were not prepared for such a result, and as we had no means of 

 extracting the metal, we were compelled to discontinue the experiment, 

 when the hearth had become full, instead of carrying it on for a day or 

 two, or until the whole of the Ore we had at our disposal was consumed. 

 We have no doubt that if we could have submitted the Iron, as it 

 lay in the furnace to the process of puddling, it would have been 

 converted into an excellent malleable Iron, similar to that made by 

 the natives in various parts of India, by whom the metal is never 

 brought into a fluid state. — It would be interesting to ascertain whe- 

 ther the same difficulty, viz. the non-fluidity of the metal, was not 

 experienced at the Porto Novo works ; we have some reason to think 

 that it was the case. 



We consider it very probable, however, that after repeated experi- 

 ments, conducted by persons experienced in the business, a method 

 of treating the Ore might be discovered, by which the Iron would be 

 obtained in a fluid state, so as to be available for the purposes of a 

 foundry. 



