1843.] of the Punjaub and part of Affghanistan. 213 



mixed with as much water, where it is kept for three days, or until the 

 water has acquired a deep red colour, the water is then let off into 

 another tank, all the clay being left behind, and from it strained into 

 a large iron boiler, and boiled for three or four hours until the quantity 

 is reduced to a fifth ; from this boiler after being cooled, when it is said 

 to be cutcha, and mixed with two maunds of potash, it is conducted to 

 another boiler, and then boiled till it is ready, which is ascertained by 

 removing a small quantity, and if it then hardens into a solid mass it is 

 considered so ; when still hot, it is placed in red clay vessels capable of 

 holding three pucka maunds, and after crystallizing the vessels are 

 broken off, leaving an immense round mass of solid alum ; it is not* 

 however, quite pure, being of a red colour and semi-transparent ; the 

 colour is owing to the iron which it contains. This is the case with 

 most of the alum which we have seen in the Upper Provinces. It is 

 sold at 19 rupees and 4 annas the camel load of 6 maunds, (equal to 384 

 lbs.), of which however 2 rupees and 4 annas are exacted as duty by the 

 Mallick. After removing the clay from the vat, it still retains the bright 

 red colour, which attracted so much the attention of Elphinstone when 

 there in 1809, who with the eye of a traveller thus notices it : " All the 

 earth, particularly near the town (Kalabagh) is almost blood red, and this 

 with the strange and beautiful spectacle of the salt rocks, and the Indus 

 flowing in a deep and clear stream through lofty mountains past this 

 extraordinary town, presented such a scene of wonders, as is seldom to 

 be witnessed."* How long alum has been manufactured is uncertain, 

 but from Elphinstone's observations, it appears to have been so, though 

 he was ignorant of the circumstance, long before he visited the place. 



Nitre. — It is not met with in the immediate neighborhood of Kala- 

 bagh ; but the soil, from whence it is obtained, which is of a deep black 

 colour, is procured about eight coss to the southward. 



The Mallick of Kalabagh, (Ullah Yar Khan,) derives his income, 

 amounting to Rupees 10,000 per annum, almost entirely from the mi- 

 neral resources of the country. The salt trade, however, is monopolized 

 by Raja Goolaub Sing, who only allows him to sell two boat loads, 

 varying from 300 to 700 maunds per mensem. To the North-west 

 but little salt is exported, as other mines in that direction occur. 



* Kingdom of Caubul, vol. i. M. Todd, page 59. 



