332 Economic Geology of Assam. [No. 4. 



measures taken by the Ahorn Eajah, for classing the iron workers 

 under Hazaree Keilis and Saikeahs and they amounted at one 

 time to 3,000. 



Subsequently in the war with Turbuck in the year 1454 A. S., 

 1532 A. D. the Assam Eajah, Buddhi Swarga Narain, after having 

 defeated and pursued the Turbucks as far as the Korotyah river 

 in Northern Bengal, captured many cannons, fire-arms, and other 

 weapons, from the defeated party. Again in the year 1549 A. S., 

 1627 A. D., after the retreat and discomfiture of the invading army 

 of Said Abu Bakr, the Soobah of Bengal, the Eajah of Assam be- 

 came possessed of many handsome cannons, both iron and brass, and 

 other weapons, and he was thus induced to call in, from foreign 

 countries, several able blacksmiths and brass-founders to instruct 

 his own people. 



The manufacture of guns and other fire-arms continued to flourish 

 until the civil wars and rebellion of the Muttocks, which so disor- 

 ganized the country, that during the subsequent ministry of the 

 Bura Gohain, the Khel of blacksmiths and iron- workers became 

 reduced to 500 in number and eventually to 100 on the invasion of 

 the Burmese and its attendant evils. 



At the present date, there are only from forty to forty-five per- 

 sons in the Seebsagur district, who understand the smelting and 

 working of iron ores, and but one or two blacksmiths who may 

 have witnessed the manufacture of small arms ; the manufacture of 

 cannon ceased in the commencement of the civil wars. 



Throughout the whole Southern Frontier zillah Seebsagur, i. e. 

 from Jeypore to the Doyung Eiver, iron ores are in abundance;, 

 and in former days, in several localities, large establishments were 

 formed by the Assam Government for the smelting of these ores 

 and the manufacture of iron. 



The localities of Teeroogong hill and its vicinity about twelve miles 

 S. E. of Seebsagur and of Hattighur further to the East, are consi- 

 dered the best, both as to the quality and quantity of the ores. 



In the districts of Bosa and Doyung a ferruginous sand is washed 

 from the plastic clay, which was smelted largely in former times, 

 and still remains at the present day a field for the employment of 

 the few remaining iron smelters. 



