1849.] Trip to Pind Dadud Khan and the Salt Range. 681 



April Sth. — Jabba to Tillah, 14 kos. — Being informed there was no 

 road for camels along the first N. slope of the range, marched to Tillah, 

 which is nearly due north from Jabba. Between these places soft grey- 

 sandstones and conglomerates, interlaminated with beds of reddish clay, 

 occur, by the desintegration of which a soil is formed which is tolerably 

 productive in the neighbourhood of wells, these being however very 

 scarce to the S. of Tillah, but increasing in number as one descends to 

 that place, which is situated on the N. bank of a dry nullah of consi- 

 derable size, from the sands of which gold is regularly washed. At a 

 village called Nukha, about 3 miles E. of Tillah, gold is found in consi- 

 derable abundance in a nullah which flows through a valley enclosed on 

 each side by soft sandstone, in which the gold occurs. The Gambir is 

 the name of the nullah, and washing its sands ; about 150 men are con- 

 stantly employed ; a part of the nullah having been fixed upon for the 

 operation, the superficial stratum of sand is removed, and that beneath 

 collected with a wooden shovel and carried to the spot where it is to be 

 washed — generally close at hand. The washing is effected in along 

 wooden box, resembling a small flat-bottomed boat, wide at one end 

 and narrow at the other, where there is an opening. The wide end of 

 this box or Troon, as it is called, is slightly elevated, so as to give its flat 

 bottom a gentle inclination towards its forepart, and a coarse sieve of 

 Sirkee or twigs of wood is then placed on the wide end of the box. On 

 this, portions of sand are from time to time thrown, a stream of water 

 being dashed upon them, by which means the fine sand is washed into 

 the troon, the coarse gravel being retained on the sieve. By continu- 

 ing the washing, the lighter particles of the sand are carried down the 

 inclined bottom of the troon and escape at the opening in its forepart, 

 while the heavier and auriferous sand assumes the highest level next 

 the point where the stream of water is applied. In a very short time 

 nothing remains in the bottom of the troon but a thin stratum of black 

 magnetic iron sand, by washing which its lighter particles are removed 

 and the auriferous portion concentrated within narrow limits. When 

 this has been washed in the troon as much as is considered safe, it is 

 removed by the hand into a circular concave wooden platter, called a 

 Pattri, made of the Tali tree, and resembling a shield. In this, by a 

 circular motion it is agitated with water, by which means an additional 

 portion of the black sand is got rid of and washed away from the in- 



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