1855.] Report on the Kooloo iron Mines. 197 



have at different times roused the cupidity of the natives of this 

 country, but the superficial excavations made without intelligence, 

 have al\va} r s been unfruitful. In the ravine of Jury near Eoupie 

 on the left bank of the Parbutty, the sulphuret of lead forming 

 nests in a compact quartz more or less translucid, resting on 

 the mica schist, is found nearly on the surface of the left slope 

 of the ravine, on a limited extent of about 1 5 feet, and at some 

 distance thence a few blocks of quartz are occasionally met with, 

 containing sulphuret of iron. As it appears exposed on the soil, this 

 sulphuret of lead presents no real material interest, but they are 

 fiowers placed in evidence as a characteristic sign, often deceitful, of 

 mineral wealth buried at a certain depth. This quartzose is met 

 with in large quantities, an the extremity of the same valley near 

 the village of Honchide, on the right bank of the Parbutty. A 

 gallery made some time ago by the natives, allows you to pene- 

 trate to about 25 feet into the interior of the mountain. 



It is said that during the reign of the Seikhs, they worked this 

 mine as argentiferous, but in this, there can be no truth, for the 

 specimens I examined and analysed did not furnish the slightest 

 trace of this metal and, besides, the natives would never have for- 

 saken it, had they been sure of finding silver. It is more probable 

 that these defective works have been undertaken in the hopes that 

 the sulphuret of iron, of a seducing appearance, would lead to the 

 discovery of a precious metal, and that they have been forsaken, 

 because the natives were ignorant of the means of following up 

 these researches without danger. There exist in other parts of 

 Kooloo sulphurets of copper, that it would be important to ex- 

 amine ; I had not time to visit these localities, because the orders 

 to start for Pongah only left me a short time to examine rapidly 

 the most interesting parts of the Munnikurn valley. It is essential 

 to examine and ascertain the industrial value of these copper mines, 

 for if rich, they might be joined to the iron works of Kooloo. 



There remains now to speak of the Thermal springs of Munni- 

 kurn, that have been so falsely praised for their medical virtues. 

 This spring is in the transversal valley of Munnikurn, situated in 

 a direction East to West at about 20 miles from the lateral valley 

 through which flows the Bias. It issues in an enormous volume 



