474 Notes on the Pokree [No. 163. 



tion mentioned, that in Pokree and its neighbourhood vast quantities of 

 copper could, with advantage, be produced. And upon observation of 

 analogies and anomalies in nature, hundreds of valuable rules are 

 founded, and most of sciences based. 



Assisted by these rules mining is no lottery, and not„more hazardous 

 than agriculture and manufactures. 



I come now to other objections made to these mines, — 1. The dis- 

 tance from Pokree to Almorah is perhaps one day's march farther than 

 Almorah from the plains, to a point where several days' land-carriage for 

 the metal from the river is required. Sreenugur is yet nearer than 

 Almorah, and even Hurdwar can easily be reached from Sreenugur, by 

 little flat boats steered by one man, loaded with a sufficient quantity of 

 metal. The boats should be of a light construction, and would as wood only 

 sell very well. — 2. Articles of bulk are, for the beginning, not required, 

 and should mining become modern in the Himmalayas, roads (which how- 

 ever in these parts are not so very bad, as not to be passable, after very 

 little repair, by mules, horses, and even by elephants,) will soon be 

 made ; and in a later period larger articles certainly will be manufac- 

 tured in the hills. Iron ore is plentiful there. 



3. — The English copper is cheaper, because it is worse than the native 

 copper. The natives in Sreenugur, Teeree, Hurdwar, etc., told me, they 

 would not use the English wrought copper, but for the great size of 

 the plates. For smaller work they prefer Dhanpoor copper. If the lessee 

 had any difficulty in selling the metal at two rupees, he could easily give 

 it cheaper ; but his stores are always so small, that he is sure to sell 

 even at the higher price. From cross-examination of his mookteear, and 

 the miners and smelters, I calculated his profits at thirty per cent., 

 and from the unwillingness of the first to tell me more, I had reason to 

 think that my calculation was right. I told him so, and the result of 

 my reckoning, and how I obtained the data without the reporter's know- 

 ing it. When I had left Dhanpoor, my servant told me that the mook- 

 teear abused the work people for their betraying him, and the people 

 were quite astonished to hear they had done so. The Commissioner, Mr. 

 Lushington, states the way in which the charcoal burners are going on. 

 They will cease to do this if they hear that from the trees themselves 

 better charcoal can be obtained than from the mere branches, and should 

 they continue the work, nothing remains for the lessee but to send 



