252 



JOURNAL, fc.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. IX. 



come up at the same hour next morning. They take their meals 

 inside the pit. In some places, when they descend the pit at 6 

 in the morning, they ascend at 6 in the evening. When one batch 

 comes out another goes in. The underground cuttings must be 

 lighted both day and night. There must be on the top (on land) 

 about five men to work the winch and to receive the earth, &c. 

 By means of an air pump the pit can be penetrated further than 

 the distance mentioned above. 



JLppendix No. 9« 



The Precarious ness and Difficulties of the Plumbago Mining 



Enterprize. 



[The Galle " Gravets Mudaliyar" having reported that 

 although plumbago is found in various villages of the Akmimana 

 Division, mining for the mineral is not remunerative, the follow - 

 ing remarks were made, apparently by the Atapattu Mudaliyar.] 



" I beg leave to state that there are signs of plumbago being in 

 the land within the four gravets, besides in the villages enumera- 

 ted by the Mudaliyar, but the difficulty is to get to the regular 

 vein. While there appears to be plumbago on the surface of the 

 land, when a little deeper is dug there is nothing to be found ; 

 when sinking the pit somewhat deeper still, there appears again, 

 and it is very deceptive. 



" It is unsafe for a person to try on his own account the mining 

 of plumbago, unless by chance the proper vein can be found. 

 While in search of the vein the pit is sunk ; within a few yards 

 of the pit there may be the proper vein unknown to the persons 

 employed. It is an expensive and unsafe speculation, as the 

 baling out of water, which requires to be done both day and night, 

 is very costly. Some pits have to be sunk between 30 and 50 

 feet deep. At Nidowa in Ratgama there is to be found good 

 plumbago, but after much expense, if by some cause or other 

 while there is much plumbago to be had, a day or two should 

 fail to bale out the water, the whole pit is apt to be covered with 

 the surrounding earth, and no one would attempt to renew the 

 search in that pit. Thus the loss to the speculator is great, even 

 if he should afterwards succeed in getting some." 



