1854.] and Mineral resources of the Singhbhoom Division. 119' 



extent from the rock in the bed of the Sooburn Bekha, which is 

 soft and easily broken. 



At Khujoorda in Khursawa crystals of schorl are found in a de- 

 composed schist. These are also used in place of Corundum by the 

 native smiths. The supply is unlimited, and they are found at the 

 surface without digging. 



At Jugurnauthpore south of Chyebarra, a rock exists, which is 

 much used by the smiths of the country. It appears to be com- 

 posed of quartz and oxide of iron. The stone is dug out on the 

 banks of an old tank, the waters of which are supposed to give 

 excessive hardness to steel tempered in it. The supply of the stone, 

 obtainable with trifling labour, may be considered almost unlimited. 



At Chyebassa near the first bridge over the new road to Serikela, 

 I found a stone reposing on decomposed felspar with dikes of de- 

 composed trap, which was pronounced by the Deputy Commissary 

 of Ordnance to be superior to the last mentioned rock. Both were 

 considered in the Arsenal as too soft for metal-cutting, but the 

 inferior sort from Jugurnauthpore is in general use for the purpose 

 in Singhbhoom The rock seems to me to be a species of calderite. 



A silicious sandstone, much used by the Coles about the station 

 of Chyebassa for tombstones, is highly prized by the sepoys of the 

 Ramgurh Battalion for cleaning their arms, I suppose it to resemble 

 agalmatolite in its qualities. 



I have procured what appears to me to be a coarse garnet, some 

 of the crystals of which are as much as two inches in diameter, 

 from Erkee in Tamar on the northern boundary of Singhbhoom. It 

 is supposed to afford a superior article for metal cutting wheels, and 

 is in general demand among the ironsmiths in Chota Nagpore. It 

 is said to be superior to any of those enumerated, and, if we may 

 judge from external appearance, the opinion is not unfounded. It 

 is found on a little rocky eminence east of the village, also in the 

 plain further eastward, and in the jungles of the Eaboo Grhat. The 

 supply is unlimited, and the matrix being completely decomposed, it 

 is dug without any difficulty. 



I have been induced to mention these stones, as the greater part 

 of Europe and America and even Calcutta is supplied with emery 

 by the petty Grecian island of Naxos. Here we have substitutes 



ii 



