1845.] Memorandum on the Iron Works of Beerbhoom. 755 



creased, more particularly as the ore is found at no very great distance 

 from two of the most probable lines of railway, those between Cal- 

 cutta and Rajmahal, and between Calcutta and Benares or Mirzapore. 



The soil of the whole of the vicinity of Seory consists oHronstone, 

 but the work is chiefly carried on at Deocha, which is marked in 

 Rennell ; also at Bharcata, Damra and Goonpore ; it is found in these 

 places, and is also brought from Sibperbaree, and other places in the 

 Pergunnah Mullarpore; all to the north, a little east of Seory, the 

 Sudder Station of Zillah Beerbhoom. 



The ore is I believe argillaceous iron ore;* no flux is used in smelt- 

 ing it, which is done entirely with wood charcoal ; a manner of working 

 which may have a good effect on the produce, which is said to be of good 

 quality ; but it must be very expensive, and the progress of the work is 

 gradually destroying the fuel in the vicinity ; it is smelted twice in 

 circular kilns, the ore being taken out in a mass from the bottom. I 

 send specimens of the iron after the first, and after the second smelt- 

 ing, also of the refuse of each burning ; each smelting occupies four 

 days and nights ; and I am informed, produces 25 mds. of iron, at a 

 cost of 17 rupees from each kiln ; there are about 30 kilns, each of which 

 pays one rupee for each smelting to the farmer of the Loha Muhal, 

 who claims a monopoly of the iron manufacture; the iron thus pro- 

 duced, is sold for 1 rupee a maund to the refiners, who again pay six 

 pie per maund to the monopolist. I understand the iron produced is 

 of very good quality. 



It is common, I believe, to find limestone and coal in the vicinity 

 of iron ore of this description : no limestone has yet been found in 

 Zillah Beerbhoom, but the country has not been well examined ; coal 

 is found in abundance near the river Dumoodar, about seventy miles 

 off; the want of limestone, the usual flux, is a serious difficulty, and 

 it would be worth while to examine the country to the north of Seory, 

 as far as the foot of the range of hills which runs out from the 

 Ganges at Rajmahal towards Deogurh, perhaps coal might be found 



* Jt is rather an argillaceous iron-ore matrix, with brown haematite and small, 

 semi-crystallised nodules of magnetic iron-ore ; called, according to the labels, Beej 

 pathur (seed stones,) and from these last the iron is said to be made; but the mix- 

 ture of the hematite and the magnetic ore would give very fine iron.— Cur. Mus. 

 Econ. Geology. 



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