390 On the Method of Assaying Silver. [No. 4, 



pan is sub-divided into five, the decimals over or under one-thou- 

 sandth can be read off. 



Accordingly assays are reported to the mint office (as a matter 

 of interior economy, for facilitating the alligation arrangements) 

 to -4 and -6 (e. g. " 997'4" : " 900-6"), and the assays of the stand- 

 ard meltings and of the local pj T x coins are reported to '2. Thus 

 reports are made with confidence by this process to a little over 

 1 grain (T152) in the Troy pound. 



Though the whole process can be carried through to comple- 

 tion in the case of a small number of assays within 24 hours, 

 still in the ordinary heavy current work of the office, assays are 

 not completed till the third day. Thus, the samples are tendered 

 suppose on Monday, they are " weighed in" dissolved and preci- 

 pitated on that day, on the next they are washed and syphoned 

 twice, and on Wednesday they are tl potted," dried and reported. 

 The certificates of value (payable on demand at the Government 

 Bank) are examined and signed by the assay master on the fol- 

 lowing morning and handed to the merchant or his agent. In 

 like manner samples tendered on Tuesday are, under ordinary 

 circumstances, weighed and reported by the assay master on 

 Thursday, and so the work goes on steadily, under a systematized 

 routine, where each hour has its assigned duty.* 



An ordinary day-work consists of eighty assays, f estimating 

 imported bullion to the value of 4 lacs of rupees, and standard 

 meltings and coins to the value of 5 lacs. But on emergencies, in 

 time of heavy pressure, by working extra hours, as many as 164 

 assays have been daily conducted, estimating bullion to the value 

 of eight lacs of rupees, and standard coins and meltings to the 

 value of fourteen lacs. 



Such is an outline of the method of assay, worked on a large 



* When holidays or Sundays intervene, the current work is so arranged 

 that the chlorides are not allowed to remain an undue time exposed in the 

 bottles, more especially after the second syphoning, when a minimum of acid 

 is present ; under such circumstances, the chlorides are found to lose somewhat 

 in weight, becoming finely divided, easily broken, and showing a tendency to ad- 

 here to the cups : — similar results from allowing the chlorides to remain in the 

 bottles with insufficiency of acid have been found to follow even when the bot 

 ties have been the whole time secluded from light. Syphoning too low must 

 also, for similar reasons, be guarded against. 



f Exclusive of any gold assays which may be going on. 



