244 



ON THE MINES AND MINERAL 



the mountain oreS, I have yet seen, possess ; is a freedom from any mixture 

 or combination of arsenic : a metal which, above all others, deteriorates 

 the quality of the copper ; and is most difficult to remove. 



The method of working these mines, is, with the exception of that at 

 Dhanpur, (which has already been described) as follows. A gallery, or 

 passage, is cut into the face of the hill ; with such slight declivity outwards, 

 as is sufficient to carry off the water. Where the rock may happen to 

 require it; frames of timber, rudely, and even carelessly constructed, are set 

 up : to support the roof and sides; and save the miner, from being crushed. 

 Accidents, however, do happen: and men are, sometimes, lost. The size, or 

 section of the gallery, is always small : in those parts, where the hardness 

 of the rock, occasions any difficulty in working it ; scarcely sufficient to 

 admit a person, in a creeping posture. In no place, will it admit of an 

 erect position. 



The ore, as well as the rock, is detached by means of a very inefficient 

 pick : and by chisels, or cutters ; and hammers. — It is removed from the 

 mine ; on skins, drawn along the floor of the gallery, by boys. In some 

 mines, great part of this work must be performed in a creeping posture. 

 The ore being delivered at the mouth of the mine ; is reduced to small 

 fragments, by the hand. At DJianpur, however, this work is done by the 

 pancJiakki, or water mill. It is next roasted in an open fire, or forge 

 hearth ; the fuel being charcoal ; and the heat occasionally urged by two 

 air bags or skins, which are alternately shut and opened by the hand. 

 After being thus imperfectly roasted, it is smelted : but for this important 

 operation, the same forge hearth is made to serve ; and the process is re- 

 peated, till the metal is sufficiently refined. I do not know of any flux be- 

 ing used; to accelerate the scorification, and separation, of the lessvalua- 

 able metals o 



The 



