1847.] 



in the Provi7ice of MaJalar. 



159 



farther account of their proceedings is given in Lieutenant Nicolson's 

 own words.* We continued our researches in the same neighbour- 

 hood until the 24th when it became evident from the daily average 

 of work that it was not worth while remaining there, at any rate at 

 this season. The place seems famed for gold in consequence of the 

 superior touch of the small quantity found there, a circumstance 

 which greatly affects the nominal value of the metal to be found 

 elsewhere, a great deal of which is sold by the Natives as Cai'catode 

 gold. The nature of the work in that direction will be found in the 

 detailed reports I shall duly have the honor of forwarding. 



*' I have now to add that with the view of pursuing the search 

 throughout the Nelamhoor valley, we arrived at this place on the 

 26th ultimo, and were not a little surprised at finding a regular set 

 of mines worked by five or six hundred Moplays, who (if their head- 

 men can be believed) are obliged to give one barley-corn weight of 

 gold per man to the Zemindar per diem, by which a direct daily tax 

 of about twenty Rupees is levied by him without his paying anything 

 to Government. On our arrival the whole of the Moplays made off ; 

 but in consequence of my issuing proclamations that in continuing 

 their work, they should meet with no molestation, a great number 

 have returned to the mines. These works are very extensive, the 

 shafts are generally from ten to fifty feet deep, and the deeper they are, 

 the greater is the quantity of gold to be found. The only impediment 

 to the work being the continual accumulation of water, which they 

 have no idea whatever of raising but by assembling in great num- 

 bers with chatties. We could easily employ bamboo syphons for 

 this purpose, but as our work would be overlooked by the Moplays, 

 they would not fail instantly to apply the syphon to all the other 

 mines in the neighbourhood to our great disadvantage hereafter. 

 Therefore until we have a sufficient number of workmen and are suf- 

 ficiently strong in Pioneers, or others to place guards over the miners, 

 we cannot work them to any great advantage. 



*' It will at once appear evident that w^here five or six hundred 

 men find it worth their while to work with the miserable and slovenly 

 apparatus they possess, and with which the very least each man can 

 possibly find is the weight of the third of a gold fanam per diem, 

 which trifling day's work very seldom happens, (as the quantity found 

 by one man daily varies from that just mentioned to the weight of 

 ten gold fanams, on which occasions the mud is always taken from 

 • Under date, Caput near Mombaat Augady, 3d January, 1832. 



