542 Siaiistics oj the Circar of Doiohilahad. [No. 06, 



The cost of preparing three piillahs of tat-puttee would be as follows : 



ES. A. p. 



Lime, 100 



Soda, 3 0 0 



Soap, - - - - - - - - - 90 0 0 



"Wages, - - 72 0 0 



Total.. .166 0 0 



There are six sizes and varieties of paper here made, which with 

 their dimensions and prices are here given : 



Breadth. Length, 

 Feet. Inch. Feet. Inch. Es. A. P. 



1. ]S'izanimool khanna, - - - 2 6 3 0 36 0 0 



2. Bahadoor khanna, 22 26 946 



3. Shaishta khanna, - - - 1 7 2 0 4 12 6 



4. Moradar, ... - 1216 1 14 0 

 0. Nizamshae, - - - - 1 2 14 18 0 

 6. Shurbuttee, . . - - 2 0 1 6 0 12 0 



Manufacture of Salt Petre. 



The manufacture of Salt Petre is principally confined to a few 

 villages lying between Gandapoor and Byzapoor. Between these 

 towns, a tract of land exists, much mixed up with calcareous earths, 

 by the admixture of which, with animal matter, the spontaneous ge- 

 neration of nitre is greatly facilitated. The source whence this salt 

 is obtained, is the white earth, or pandre muttee, to be seen no where 

 but in the vicinity of habitations, and would seem to have obtained 

 its compact texture and white color from some unexplained action of 

 the atmosphere, upon a soil, strongly imbued with animal matter. The 

 nitrogen present in such earths, uniting with the oxygen of the air, 

 forms nitric acid, and is immediately fixed by the potash, found ex- 

 isting in many basaltic soils, forming by its union, nitrate of potash, 

 or saltpetre. 



There are two processes adopted for procuring saltpetre, the one 

 by evaporating the solution containing the salt in large iron vessels, 

 and the other by boiling the liquor to a certain density, and then eva- 

 porating the liquor in large shallow pans, or chunam beds. 



The first operation is only followed during the cold months of the 

 year, the white earth containing the salt is collected from scraping old 

 walls and roads about the village, and a certain quantity thrown into a 

 shallow cistern about four feet in diameter and two feet deep ; water 



