1843.] Mineral Resources of India. 547 



the Select Committee in the year 1765, that the casting of shot and shells 

 in this country had been deemed by the Company an object of importance. 

 " The iron- founder whom you sent out in the Kent died on his passage to this 

 "place; but as the casting of shot and shells in this country is an object 

 "of great importance, we strongly recommend that you will supply the 

 " loss as soon as possible, by sending three or four persons well versed in 

 "that business, that our whole design may not be frustrated by such 

 " an accident in future." — [No. 86 of Appendix to Report from the Select Com- 

 mittee of the House of Commons, Vol. 1.] 



In consequence of this application, a Mr. St. Quintin was sent out: but 

 he likewise died a short time after his arrival. 



We suppose that on account of the death of those two founders, and of 

 the great expense of the cannon foundry, the thoughts of this undertak- 

 ing have been laid aside : for we conceive that every reason which at 

 that time made it to be looked upon as an object of importance has ever 

 since remained equally forcible, and the present aspect of the affairs of 

 Europe appears to us a very powerful additional one. 



Besides the advantages which the Honorable Company proposed to 

 themselves by erecting an iron foundry in Bengal, we beg leave to men- 

 tion some others, which we have reason to imagine were not at that time 

 thought of. Should iron trucks, lately introduced for garrison gun carri- 

 ages, be approved of by the Board of Ordnance, the supplying of them 

 here would certainly be very desirable. 



But the greatest object, and which perhaps in time may be esteemed of 

 considerable importance not only to the Company, but even to the nation, 

 is the casting of cannon and mortars of a quality, superior to that of the 

 ordnance of any other state. For amongst the various ores produced in 

 this country, there is one found in Beerbhoom, and in great abundance in 

 Ramghur, which yields an iron so extremely soft, as to be fit for few of the 

 common purposes of life : but this property renders it in an eminent de- 

 gree superior to all other kinds, for almost every work in cast iron, and 

 particularly for the fabrication of cannon. 



This quality the celebrated M. Reaumur, M. Buffon, and some others of 

 the most eminent French naturalists and mineralogists, have been long en- 

 deavouring to give to cast iron, principally with a view of improving the 

 artillery,* and their labours have been much approved of by the Ministry. 

 The same thing has been lately attempted in England, but without much 

 success. The only iron ore that we know of, possessing nearly the same 



* Witness two Memoirs by M. Buffon ; the one on the " Smelting of Iron Ores," the 

 other entitled, " Observations and Experiments made with a view to improve the Art of 

 "casting Iron Cannon. Paris 1775." 



4 c 



