260 



MESSRS. D. HOOPER AND H. H. MANN ON" 



of stones were sent from various quarters as regular famine foods. These have con- 

 sisted chiefly of steatite (soapstone), and they came from Rajputana; the names given to 

 them being Churn bhata (Jodhpurl, gai bhato, gia bhata, gheeya bhota (Jaipur), palia (Jai- 

 pur), sangraj (Bikanir, Ajmere-Merwara). These stones are ground to powder, mixed 

 with ata (flour) and made into chapatis. 



The following samples have been received in connection with the present inquiry. 

 The left-hand column describes the samples, while on the right hand is given the mine- 

 ralogical characters kindly furnished by Mr. L. L. Fermor of the Geological Survey of 

 India : — 



2. 



3- 



4- 



5- 

 6. 



7- 



Edible clay, " Cherbak," from Manipur, ... 

 Assam. 



Red clay from Hatticherra, Cachar *\ 



Blue clay from Hatticherra, Cachar C through 



Black clay from Hatticherra, Cachar ) Mr. 



H. M. Crozier 

 Whitish clay from Jorhat, Assam 

 Red clay from Jorhat, Assam 

 Yellow clay from Suffrv, Assam 



io. 



12. 



'3' 

 14. 



15' 

 16. 



•7> 



Brown earth from white-ant nests, Sylee, ... 



Duars. 

 Black earth from white-ant nests, Sylee, ... 



Duars. 

 Raw clav from Bibirhat near Chittagong, 



through Mr. R. L. Heinig. 

 Baked plate sold in Chittagong bazar 



Baked clay from the Hoogly District 



"Patkhola" from Calcutta bazar 



Edible stone ( Multani matti ) from Manbhum 



Kali matti, black edible earth, from Baroda... 



Pill matti, yellow edible earth, from Baroda... 



Gopichandan, the earth of a small lake called... 



Gopi Talao near Dwarka (from Baroda). 



Pieces of both olive-grey shale and yellow-ochre- 

 coloured shale. Analysis shows that the piece 

 analysed is a mixture of sand and clay. 



Clay, varigated in white, buff, reddish tints. 



Pale ash-grey clay with light-brown mottlings. 



Buff-coloured clay with blackish-brown manganiferous, 

 fibres along cracks. 



Greyish-white clay. 



Creamy-grey clay with pale ferruginous spots. 



Buff-coloured gritty clay. 



The analyses show that all the above, and also Nos. 10 

 11, 13, 15, 16, 19 below, although they look like 

 typical clays or shales, are really mixtures of some 

 clay-forming hydrated aluminum silicate such as 

 kaolin, with free silica, probably as quartz. The 

 quartz must sometimes be so finely divided that it 

 does not diminish the softness of the clay, while at 

 other times the grains of quartz are sufficiently 

 large to cause the clay to feel gritty when rubbed 

 in a mortar. The alkalis shown by analysis were 

 probably present either as finely divided felspar or as 

 very minute scales of such micas as muscovite or 

 paragonite. 



Yellowish-brown earth from ant-hill. 



Dark-brown earth from ant-hill. 



Darkish-grey clay with black spots and minute mica 



scales. 

 Judging from analysis, was a mixture of sand and clay 



before burning. 

 Pale chocolate micaceous clay. 

 See 1 1. 

 Cream-coloured shale. Judging from analysis, this rock 



must be a mixture of sand and clay with some 



alkali-felspar or mica in a state of very fine division. 

 Blackish-grey clay. 

 Reddish micaceous loam. 

 Analysis shows this to be a mixture of sand, clay and 



calcium carbonate, i.e., a marl. 



