IKON. 83 



Iron ore is said to be so common in Yunnan that Rocher was unaware 

 of a single district which did not possess one or more deposits, 

 but as mine-owners sought the centres of population and the riveis, 

 and as the cost of transport diminished profits, only the richest 

 deposits were worked. This writer gives no list of occurrences 

 to confirm his somewhat optimistic views, but he describes at 

 length the processes used by the Chinese in obtaining iron from 

 its ores, in preparing wrought iron from crude cast iron, in the 

 manufacture of steel and in the preparation of the large cast iron 

 pans so much used in China for domestic purposes. The towns 

 of Lu-feng Hsien (lat. 25°7' : long. 102°7'), and Lu-nan Chou 

 (lat. 24°46': long. 102°24'), are mentioned as important centres 

 for the production of refined iron manufactures, while the indigenous 

 steel business was said to be at its best in Lao-lu-kuan, a village 

 between Hsin-hsing Chou and Hsi-o Hsien (lat. 24° 10': long. 

 102°24 / ). (R., pp. 195-218). 



According to Leclere, in a mineralised country like Yunnan, 

 iron ore deposits are naturally very frequent. They are exploited 

 in regions where forests still exist, for the manufacture of both 

 iron and steel. In the north-eastern part of the neighbouring 

 province of Kuei-chou, the nodules from the infra-Lias are used 

 for local smelting purposes. Again, considerable quantities of large 

 concretions of carbonate of iron are found in certain coal-bearing 

 horizons below the Lower Productus Limestone. It is held that 

 with very few exceptions these deposits cannot contribute towards 

 the mineral development of the province. Leclere visited the iron- 

 producing regions about Yi-men Hsien (lat. 24°39 / : long. 102°10'), 

 and Hsi-o Hsien. In the case of the former his notes refer mainly 

 to the methods of Chinese smelting. In the case of the latter, 

 the mine was visited later by Lantenois, and a summary of his 

 report is given below. (Le., p. 438). 



Lantenois learnt from the magistrate in Hsi-o Hsien that at 

 least a dozen centres of ironstone mining and smelting existed 

 within two or three stages of that town and that the total annual 

 production of metallic iron was not less than 1,500 metric tons. 

 The most important place is Chan-heou, one stage to the south- 

 west of the tow^n. The steel-producing centre of Lao-lou-kouan 

 is not far distant. With the exception of the Hsi-o Hsien district 

 this authority met with no ironstone mines in the course of his 

 travels in Eastern Yunnan. On the road between Pe-tchen and 



