486 Memorandum on the Iron Mines of Raneegunge. [No. 5. 



pany of Madras — have been much objected to, by the Engineers, 

 as being brittle, and somewhat irregular in shape. I would not say 

 that these faults (if not exaggerated) are irremediable — or that 

 they would necessarily be found in the Eaneegunge manufacture — 

 but they serve to illustrate the truth that something besides the 

 raw material is requisite to the production of a marketable article — 

 and perhaps also, we may further deduce from these circumstances, 

 that Iron of local manufacture will have to encounter a certain 

 amount of prejudice on the part of English Engineers and Plate- 

 layers. 



G. A. C. Plowden, Esq., Offg. Secy, to the Govt, of India. 



(Sd.) W. E. Baker, Major, 

 Consulting Engineer to the Govt, of India. 

 20th June, 1853. 

 (True Copy) 

 (Sd.) G. Couper, Qffg. Under-Secy. to the Govt, of India. 

 No. 189. 



From the Superintendent of the Geological Survey, 



To W. Gordon Yotjno, Usq., JJnder-Secy. to Govt, of Bengal. 



Dated August 10th, 1853. 



Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 

 No. 513, dated July 19th, 1853, enclosing copy of a memorandum by 

 the consulting Engineer to the Government of India in the Eailway 

 Department, on the prospects of remuneration in working the Iron 

 mines of the Eaneegunge district, and requesting that I will report my 

 opinion on the subject, under the present altered aspect of the case. 



Major Baker has very justly stated that a great change in the 

 conditions under which the manufacture of Iron in that district 

 could be undertaken, will be effected by the completion of the in- 

 tended Bailroad to Eaneegunge ; and by the consequent economy 

 of transit for such materials, as are required in that manufacture, 

 but which, not occurring in the vicinity, must be procured from a 

 distance. And while admitting the justice of the conclusion at 

 which I had arrived from an investigation of the whole matter in 

 1852, he yet considers that the alteration in the conditions then 

 existing, will be of sufficient amount materially to affect the argu- 

 ment. 



