84 COGGIN BROWN : MINES & MINERAL RESOURCES OF YUNNAN. 



Tien-pao and not far from the Tsi-tien coal mine, lie found pieces 

 of iron ore from the strata immediately below the Carboniferous 

 limestone. He describes the following mines :— 



The mines supplying the iron for the manufacture of steel at 



Lao-lou-kouan are situated on the road 



Lao-lou-kouan. between tnat place and Chan-heou. The 



deposit consists of small pockets of ore which are fairly numerous 

 in the Carboniferous quartzites. The deposit has only been 

 scratched about the outcrop and the production is very small ; 

 perhaps about 100 metric tons per annum. The ore is sold at a 

 price corresponding to 2 francs per ton. (La., pp. 416-417). 



This deposit is in the form of nodular masses with a rough strati- 

 fication in a Carboniferous limestone forma- 

 tion which is about 100 metres thick and 

 intcrbedded with quartzites. The ore is won in a methodical 

 and correct manner and is sold at about 4 francs per metric ton 

 at the smelters. Each miner produces about 3% cwts. per day 

 and is paid a wage corresponding to | franc per day. Lantenois 

 describes briefly the processes used in the manufacture of iron and 

 steel. The latter is sold at a price corresponding to 300 francs 

 per metric ton, and the finished bar iron is worth 170 francs per 

 metric ton at Hsi-o Hsien, a price not very different from the 

 ordinary European value of the metal. The production from this 

 region is sent in part to T'ung-hai Hsien where it is worked up 

 into all kinds of domestic articles to be sold over the regions of 

 Southern Yunnan bordering the French Laos. The other part 

 goes south to Meng-tzu Hsien, K'ai-hua Fu and as far as Upper 

 Tongking, or even to the north towards Yunnan Fu, though the 

 main supply for the capital seems to come from the Yi-men Hsien 

 region. (La., pp. 416-417). 



Deprat did not observe any interesting iron ore mines" in the 

 regions which he traversed. He records the occurrence of a siderite 

 vein of no economic importance near Ta-li-tang and the existence 

 of limonite nodules in lacustrine deposits at Mi-leu. (De., p. 246). 



Personal Observations- 

 Iron ores have a wide distribution in Yunnan and while none 

 of the deposits appear to be extensive, or in any way comparable 

 with, say, the extended occurrences in the crystalline rocks of the 

 Indian Peninsula, yet, it is believed that nearly all the large centres 



