1843.] in Kumaon and Ghurwal. 467 



Expended in working the mine as per 

 monthly statements, Rs. 3364 5 2 



In which is included value of Copper sold 

 by Mr. Wilkin, and carried to account, 



amounting to, 149 5 2 



Total expense to Government, — 3215 



Deduct value of Copper sold and paid into 



Treasury, 272 3 3 



Ditto of Copper sold, but not yet realized, 358 



630 3 3 



So that when this last item has been realized, the account will 



stand thus:— Expended,.... 3215 



Returns, 630 3 3 



Balance against the Experiment, 2584 12 9 



Exclusive of the cost of European Super- J 



intendence, at the rate of 150 Rs. per > 4800 



month for 32 months, ) 



Total Rs. 7384 



This result is in my opinion to be attributed solely to the poorness* 

 and scarcity of ores found, and not in the least to any want of skill, 

 zeal, or patience on the part of Mr. Wilkin, of whose intelligence, 

 activity and trustworthiness I have a very high opinion, and every min- 

 ing undertaking is, after all, more or less a lottery. In this parti- 

 cular instance, every thing has, I conscientiously believe, been done 

 that was practicable with reference to the means placed at the superin- 

 tendent's disposal, and if the result has been a failure, it cannot in fair- 

 ness be attributed to him. If it be urged, that the fact of the Raja's 

 and Chowmuttee mines having been worked in former times, ought to 

 have suggested the probability of the lode being exhausted, it should 

 not on the other hand be forgotten, that the sum placed by Govern- 

 ment at Mr. Wilkin's disposal was not sufficient to warrant his 

 devoting the whole of it to a new mine,which after all might have proved 

 equally barren as these. Native accounts represented these mines to 

 have been rich and productive at the period of their abandonment, 

 and the miners of the place still hold to this belief. Nor was it in the 

 first instance suspected, that the mine had been so far penetrated into 



* Poor, with reference to the means of smelting. 



