668 Trip to Pind Badud Khan and the Salt Range. [July, 



quence of the quantity of lead used being in excess of the proper pro- 

 portion to the amount of copper contained in the assay. 



The silver being obtained of sufficient purity to constitute the new 

 rupees, which are said to be pure silver, it is cut into bars about the 

 breadth of a rupee and handed over to an artificer, who cuts these into 

 the necessary weights to constitute the rupees. This being done, the 

 rough bits of silver are heated to redness on hot charcoal, and when hot 

 are beaten on an anvil with a round-headed hammer into the shape and 

 size of the standard rupee. In this state they are handed over to a 

 man who finishes them by impressing the necessary inscription, which 

 is done on a die of a most simple description, being an anvil with a 

 round and highly tempered steel surface, on which the inscription is 

 engraved in reverse. On this the rupee is placed, and on it a punch 

 with a round and highly tempered steel face, on which the inscription to 

 be impressed on the upper side of the rupee is carved. The punch 

 being applied to the rupee, a smart blow from a heavy hammer is given 

 by a man who stands in front of the one in charge of the die, and who 

 holds the punch in his left hand and a handful of raw rupees in his 

 right, the lower die being firmly fixed in a strong case. In this way 

 40 rupees were passed through the die well engraved, in one minute, 

 and the artificer said that on an average he could engrave 1500 per 

 hour. From 1000 Mahmoud Shah rupees, 750 new Lahore rupees 

 are manufactured. 



March 23rd. — Pind Badud Khan. — Left Pind Dadud Khan at sun- 

 rise for the purpose of visiting a point of the salt range to the W. of 

 Keurah, and to the N. W. of the former town, where the range seemed 

 to attain a great height, the fort of Dundhote being built on it. The 

 ascent being very difficult and rocky, was obliged to leave my horse 

 behind and go on foot to climb the hills. As before, the lower part of 

 the range at this point is formed of the saliferous red marl, but at pre- 

 sent is not excavated for salt. Above this is a succession of sandstones 

 and conglomerates, almost destitute of vegetation on their surface and 

 dipping to the N. W. at a considerable angle. Superimposed upon 

 these and a considerable distance below the fort of Dundhote, there 

 occurs a series of fossil sandstones and bituminous shales, among which 

 a seam of coal 2 ft. thick is found, in every character appearing the same 

 as the one described as occurring at Keurah, 2 or 3 miles distant. It 



