1851.] A sketch of the Beh tr Mica Mines. 295 



A sketch of the Behar Mica Mines. By Capt. W. S. Sherwill, 

 Revenue Surveyor. 



The principal Mica mines of Behar, are situated on the Northern 

 face of the Vindhya hills, where the three districts of Behar, Mon- 

 ghyr and Ramghur meet. The most westerly-situated mine is 

 thirty- seven miles in a south-easterly direction from Gya, and is in 

 the district of Behar ; the most easterly mine is about sixty miles 

 distant in zillah Monghyr ; the whole of the intermediate sixty miles 

 being more or less productive of the mineral. The average distance 

 from the Ganges of the whole aggregated group of mines is sixty 

 miles. 



Those mines only which lie within the boundary of the district of 

 Behar are worked, those within the district of Monghyr, from some 

 unknown reason, are neither worked nor regarded as of any value 

 by the owners of the estates in which they lie. 



Rajowli, a small village, in Pargannah Jarrah, of Zillah Behar, 

 is the great mart for the mineral, and the spot whence it is dispersed 

 to all the great markets on the Ganges : this village is situated on 

 the left bank of the Dhunarjeh Nallah, which stream, together with 

 the Tillya Nallah, unite four miles south of Rajowll, flow from the 

 southern hills in deeply wooded valleys, and completely intersect the 

 mines. The beds of these streams, the roads through the passes, and 

 valleys, and indeed the whole surface of the country around the 

 mica formation, sparkles with the bright mineral. 



Leaving Rajowli and proceeding four miles in an easterly direction, 

 a deep wooded valley is entered, situated amongst and surrounded by 

 quartz hills ; through this valley, in the rainy season, a mountain torrent 

 descends with great violence bringing with it great quantities of mica. 

 After ascending the course of the torrent for about a mile, the valley 

 terminates in an amphitheatre of low jungle-covered hills ; the soil 

 forming the superficial covering of the country is composed of a harsh 

 dry gravel, composed of quartz, schorlaceous schist, detached and 

 silvery mica ; through which soil are seen protruding huge, naked 

 masses of quartz and gneiss, the latter both plain and garnetiferous. 

 In the beds of the torrents, bushels of minute garnets may be gathered 



