692 
MANGANESE DEPOSITS OF INDIA : DESCRIPTIVE. [PaRT TV : 
used, .-^s no stibnite has been recorded from this district the surma 
mentioned by Mr. Grant is doubtless some oxide of manganese, probably- 
obtained from the Balaghat deposit (No. 9, below). 
The first explicit reference, however, to manganese-ore in this dis- 
trict, is contained in a letter, dated 3rd September 1883, from Colonel 
Bloomfield to Mr. F. R. Mallet. He refers to the Balaghat deposit. In 
1888-89, Mr. P. N. Bose investigated this occurrence and also discovered 
the Ukua deposit on the Baihar plateau. In the same season Kishen 
Singh of the Geological Survey of India discovered manganese-ores at 
Ghondi, Dharampur, Kanaridha, and Kurthitola. Soon after the man- 
ganese industry was started in the Central Provinces in 1899-1900, the 
Central Provinces Prospecting Syndicate secured the Balaghat deposit ; 
they started working it in September 1901 ; active prospecting through- 
out this district has subsequently led to the discovery of manv more 
deposits. Up till 1906, practically the only deposit worked to any ex- 
tent was that of Balaghat, but during 1906 the high price of manganese 
led to the opening up of several of the deposits already known — especi- 
ally Thirori, Jamrapani, Ramrama, and Ukua -and to the discovery of 
several ore-bodies not previously known. 
The following table shows the yearly output and average daily num- 
ber of workers employed from 1901 to date : — 
Year. 
Output in long 
tons. 
Average dailj' 
number of 
workers. 1 
1901 
.3,8J9 
(a) 
1902 
1,975 
105 
1903 
7,898 
385 
1904 
10,323 
295 
190.3 
16,246 
362 
1906 
102,260 
1,836 
1 1907 
210,601 
2,663 
(a) Not reti rned, although work was progressing, 
and illustrates the constant expansion of the industry. 
1 Figures taken from the Annual Report.s of the Chief Inspector of Mines in 
India. 
