1854.] and Mineral resources of the SinghhJwom Division. 109 



immediate neighbourhood, the metal must be derived from the rocks 

 which there are just obtruded from the soil. 



It is very difficult to estimate at what rate the metal might be 

 produced, as it is seldom searched for, except to order. The Grhassees, 



the employment of some simple machinery for increasing the quantity of earth that 

 a given number of men could wash in a day, and by the economy of labour arising 

 from a well organised system of employing the men. My gold I sent down to Calcut- 

 ta where it was assayed at the mint, and proved of the value of Rs. 14f per tolah a 

 price at which I afterwards sold it in the bazar. Robhobe however being in the very 

 heart of the jungles, and very low, proved so intensely hot and unhealthy that M. 

 was obliged to come in here sick, and I had to give up the works, for I am sure no 

 European could live there. Even this country is as little known as any in India, 

 but 150 miles of my journey, was where a European had never been seen before 

 and a white face was a wonder to the people, you need not therefore wonder that 

 the riches of the country are at present totally unknown except to very few. 

 Mr. Williams the Geologist was on his way to visit it when he was taken ill and 

 died at Hazarebagh 40 miles hence. Now I want you to consider the following. 

 The best mines are in Jnsspore about 100 miles hence, 4 days march, where the 

 country and climate are very fine indeed, and I am quite sure that a very fine thing 

 could be made of working them if a capital of Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 50000 could be 

 raised for the purpose. The late Rajah Ram Singh worked them for a short time, 

 and it is known well that their produce was very large. Unfortunately however from 

 some ill construction, one of the shafts fell in, killing a number of people, and he 

 was obliged to give them up for a time : his death occurred shortly afterwards, and 

 his son Pertab Narain Singh the present Rajah, is one of those individuals, who con- 

 siders doing any thing for profit a degradation, and beneath his dignity. I applied 

 to him through Colonel Ouseley for pottahs of the mines, but he replied by saying 

 that they were let up to the end of the present settlement and he could not give 

 them; he is very averse to Europeans doing any thing in his country, and did his 

 best to thwart my plans in many underhand ways : however the settlement expires 

 next year, and it is then the intention of Government to reserve the minerals to 

 themselves. I have had some correspondence with them on the subject, and they 

 have now referred me to Mr. Crawford the new Agent, Colonel Ouseley's succes- 

 sor. He however has not had time yet to enter into the subject with me, but will do 

 so in February when he returns here from his tour in the district, and I have no 

 doubt I shall be able to get a lease of the mines for a good term of years. Gold 

 mines is a very large word, but there is in this case no nonsense about it : I have 

 seen the thing myself, and without stating any Californian ideas, know that these 

 mines must pay splendidly to whoever gets them." 



Robkobe is situated on the river Mand an affluent of the Muhanuddee, and is 

 believed to be on the site of Oodeypore of Tassin's Map. ' The largest mine,' 



