MINING PRACTICE. 79 



■downwards, but in a zig-zag shape, but nevertheless not so much out of the vertical 

 proper, as that a basket containing the mineral cannot be hauled up from the 

 bottom of the pit to the top ; the zig-zag shape of the shaft being formed by sink- 

 ing the shaft first inclining to the left a few feet and then to the right a few feet, 

 the head of each cut or notch forming a landing-place or step, and thus the neces* 

 sity of ladders is obviated ; the projecting of salient angles of the notches forming 

 a perfect flight of steps from the top to the bottom of the pits, which seldom 

 reaches to a greater depth than forty feet when, darkness interfering with the 

 workman's progress, the pit is forsaken and another commenced upon a few feet 

 further down the hill. A slight framework of faggots, cut from the neighbouring 

 trees, is placed over the mouth of each pit, upon which a man sits, waiting till the 

 signal from below is given to haul up the basket containing the mica and rubbish, 

 which has been dug from the sides of the pit by the aid of a rude pick. On arrival 

 at the surface the good and bad materials are separated ; the earth and rubbish 

 are shot down the precipitous side of the hill." 



Under European management the methods of mining have not 

 greatly improved on this plan. The mica is followed from one " book " 

 to another, and only as much material excavated as is necessary for 

 working room, the mines are consequently developed into long meander- 

 ing holes, sometimes down to a depth of 300 feet. The whole of the 

 materials — mica, rubbish and water — are brought by a string of coolies 

 up to the mouth of the hole, which is often near the summit of a hill, 

 being the point where, by reason of better exposure, the pegmatite 

 outcrop was originally discovered. On account of the accumulation 

 of water, all mining operations are suspended during the monsoon 

 season, and at the close of the rains the process of " forking" a mine 

 occupies several days and sometimes weeks. In the same way, an 

 hour every morning is spent in baling out the water accumulated over 

 night. With the one exception now being inaugurated at Bendi, there 

 is not a single vertical shaft in the whole mica-mining area of Bengil, 

 not a single drive or cross-cut to show that the miners have appre- 

 ciated the actual disposition of the pegmatite as normal intrusive 

 sheets, and, notwithstanding the favourably-shaped natural contours of 

 the ground, not a single adit for the removal of water. That mica- 

 mining has yielded large profits under such remarkable circumstances 

 affords strong presumptive evidence of the value of the deposits, and of 

 the success which should be expected to follow a more scientific 



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