1850.] Report on the Statistics of Banda. 97 



with a great axe (Kulhari). These pigs are subsequently put into the 

 refining furnace or Murai, which is more artificially built with a long 

 chimney slanting upward, and with but one opening below. The furnace 

 is filled up with charcoal, and in this stage that prepared from the 

 Bambu is exclusively used, the orifice is nearly closed below and after 

 the charcoal has all burned out the purified iron is removed, and in 

 this state, termed Ogari, is sold. The slag left after the first process 

 is not very heavy, and is porous ; but that after the second operation is 

 very dense and heavy : both are indifferently termed Khit. Five coolies 

 are employed at each furnace (Nar), one at the bellows, and four 

 at putting on fuel, and they each receive 2 annas a day. The digging 

 of the ore and the greater part of the labour is performed by Koles, who 

 receive wages of a rupee for 8 days, the more skilled part of the work 

 is performed by the Lohars themselves. The mines are situated at the 

 top of the hill near the village of Gobarhai, about 1^- mile from the 

 smelting works, and 300 feet above them. The mass of the hill con- 

 sists of sandstone, but the top is ferruginous ; deep shafts are sunk 

 and extensive passages are burrowed through the hill, as the ore lies 

 at a distance of many feet from the surface. The mines were not at 

 work when I visited them in January, consequently I was not able to 

 enter them. The mines at Deori are, I am informed, worked in a 

 similar manner. Those at Khirani, in zillah Ucheyra, adjoining this 

 district, are managed by the Zemindars who pay the Lohars only 1 R. 

 per 10 days. 



lAth, Pipe clay is found in a pretty extensive deposit on the hill 

 above Kolagudya, Pergannah Tirohan. It is found below the horn- 

 stone stratum mentioned in para. 8. Deep shafts sunk into the side of 

 the hill through that rock, meet with a mass of hard white flint, and a 

 soft greenish stone mixed with a profusion of agates in every stage of 

 crystallization ; and the pipe clay seems to be the softened state of 

 these last stones. It was at one time used by Dr. Jeffries in his fac- 

 tory at Fattehgarh for pottery. 



15M. The soils of the low ground consist of several varieties, but 

 the principal ones are the Mar and Kabur, two varieties of the black 

 soil termed Regur in the Peninsula. Specimens of these soils were 

 sent for analysis to Mr. Middleton, at the Agra College, but want of 

 means has prevented his being able to favour me with result to show 



