214 Memorandum on the Kunhurs § Iron Ores of Burdivan. [No. 3* 



gave you in May last, came from the North of the Adji river. 

 What I tried up here in 1837 or 38 came from the South of the 

 Damoodah. I really forget whether the experiments above referred 

 to, were made in the cold season of 1837 or 38, my memorandum 

 does not state which, it was however either one or the other. Ob- 

 serve in the memorandum, that it took 3Q maunds of charcoal, with 

 20 maunds of ore to make 8 maunds, 20 seers of cast iron, and that 

 it only took 14 maunds of coke to make 9 maunds, 23 seers of iron. 

 This is of great importance, for although charcoal may be had up 

 here, coke would be the most economical fuel to use in smelting. 

 With some of these experiments, I used Kunkur lime and which I 

 recollect greatly assisted in the fusion of the ore, but unfortunately 

 I have not preserved any memorandum of the proportion of Kun- 

 kur used, I think the first experiment was made with the red ore of 

 Sheargur, and which is found lying over the clay iron stone, as well 

 as the coal measures. I think you call this ore in something that 

 you have written about the ore of this district in the Journal, " red 

 ochre ore." (Eed ochry iron ore of Jameson. Eesearches, Vol. 

 XVIII. H. p.) 



I really cannot give a decided opinion as to the quantity of Kun- 

 kur to be found in this part of the world. I have never found any 

 scarcity of it. In some places, the deposit, however, is only superfi- 

 cial, but in some places it is found deep in the ground. I know 

 several deep deposits ; not only in this purgunnah, (Sheargur) but 

 in the neighbouring ones also. Whether there is sufficient Kunkur 

 to supply a number of blast furnaces, and for how long a period, 

 cannot be ascertained without a search being made for that purpose 

 alone. But I am of opinion that in the first instance a number of 

 blast furnaces might be easily supplied, a large consumption would 

 however soon make it scarce, but the neighbouring purgunnahs 

 might continue to supply it for a long period of time." 



