OF THE SEVEN WELLS, 



119 



places in Malabar; from some places in Masulipatam ; from 

 many places in Mysore, Nagpore, the Neilgherries, Rajah- 

 mundry, Salem, Tinnevelly ; but whether it can be had in 

 quantity in all these places is not stated. 



In reply to some inquiries casually put to him, Dr. 

 Aitken states that he has seen immense quantities of mag- 

 netic oxide at Coimbatore. 



In the Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India, Volume 

 IV. Part 2, valuable information is to be found in reference 

 to the localities in which magnetic oxide of iron is to be met 

 with, and in the Appendix to this Volume, the magnetic 

 iron beds of Kunjamully near Salem, are admirably described. 

 They are said to be very extensive and the supply of ore 

 inexhaustible. 



Unfortunately for the purpose considered by the authors of 

 the work quoted, i. e., the manufacture of iron, the absence 

 of appropriate fuel in quantity interferes so greatly as almost 

 to interdict it, or, if not, to reduce any profit obtainable 

 thereby to a minimum. In like manner the cost of trans- 

 port from one place to another will, it is apprehended, 

 interdict the use of the magnetic oxide as material for filter 

 beds, except in such places as those in which the oxide in 

 question is found. Three and half Rupees per ton is the 

 price paid by our Porto Novo Company for the carriage of 

 the ore a distance of 20 or 25 miles. 



Note. — As Doctor Wyndowe was not present when this paper was drawn 

 np, it is necessary to state in explanation of the word " we" (which appears 

 throughout the paper) that I felt myself fully justified in using it, from the 

 knowledge that our convictions as to the mode of investigating the questions 

 naturally arising out of the analytical results obtained, were identical, and I 

 am gratified in being able to add that, after having carefully gone through 

 them with Doctor Wyndowe, I found that he concurs fully in all that I have 

 said, and that, accordingly, in using the plural expression, I did in fact but 

 anticipate that complete agreement between us which is now ascertained, 



J. MAYER. 



