Jan.  2, 1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST 
457 
The  pits  are  10  feet  by  10  feet  well  timbered  and 
planked,  and  have  a timbered  division  in  the 
centre;  and  drifts  are  driven  in  from  their  sides 
north  and  South,  at  different  level-*  in  the  vein  between 
which  the  plumbago  is  got  out  by  stoping. 
Besides  the  main  vein  which  strikes  south  15°  east, 
and  north  15°  west,  there  are  su  all  branch  vtins  sonic 
of  which,  1 eiDg  6 inches  in  thickness,  are  worked. 
Tbe  main  vein  increases  in  size  as  greater  depth 
is  attained,  and  in  the  bottom  of  tbe  mice  is  said 
to  be  from  4 feet  6 inches  to  0 feet  wide  in  places, 
producing  pure  plumbago  of  the  firet  quality,  which 
does  not  contaiu  any  impurities,  end  is  sent  up  in 
blocks  of  almost  a foot  cube.  The  underground  mana- 
ger— a Singalese — told  me  that  they  had  blown 
down  with  dynamite  at  one  shot,  in  stoping,  a m*ss 
of  solid  plumbago,  weighing  cne  and  a half  tons.  One 
pit  to  the  south  showed  the  plumbago  in  the  solid 
rock  ot  one  ioot  in  width,  at  thirty  feet  from  the 
surface, 
It  is  said  that  some  years  ago  the  lessee  of  this 
mine  obtained  as  much  as  £30,000  for  his  plumbago 
output  in  cne  year.  Owing  to  tbe  difficulty  and 
expense  of  unwateriDg  the  mine  in  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  now  being  performed,  it  does  not  do  any- 
thing approaching  this,  thongh  the  plumbago  in  tbe 
mire  is  better  and  in  greater  quantity  than  ever, 
through  being  followed  to  a greater  depth. 
Tu  illustrate  tbe  primitive  way  in  which  things  are 
being  done,  I may  men  ion  that  the  boiler  was  fed 
from  a tank  supplied  with  water  by  two  men,  who 
hoisted  it  from  a stream;  and  the  watchmaker  of 
Ratnapura,  a Singalese  native,  had  arrived  to  repair 
tbe  pumps.  I think  it  may  safely  be  concluded  that 
he  failed  in  accomplishing  this,  for  on  my  second 
visit,  some  time  after,  all  work  was  suspended,  and 
the  water  in  the  pits  was  up  to  within  12  ftet  of 
the  surface.  A large  stream  flowing  close  by  could 
easily  be  turned  to  account  to  work  tbe  pumps  by  a 
water-wheel.  The  area  of  land  leased  to  the  Chetty 
s 10  acres  in  extent,  and  the  mine  has  been  worked 
or  many  years,  but  I could  not  obtain  any  lucid 
aocount  of  his  history. 
Kikiliwella  Mine. — This  is  situated  on  the  south  side 
of  a steep  gulley  in  the  same  range  as  the  last  mentioned 
mines,  but  on  its  eastern  slope,  northward  of  the 
liver,  and  six  miles  from  Nambapani,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  about  200  feet  above  tbe  valley.  The  mine  con- 
sists of  a large  open  cutting  on  the  gaily  side,  and 
four  levels  driven  on  the  veils,  which  are  here  eight 
in  number,  sppart  ntly  bedded  in  the  gneiss,  which  dips 
east  at  an  angle  of  30°,  and  is  mostly  in  a semi-de- 
comrosed  condition  ; but  in  places  where  it  has  resisted 
tho  weathering  action,  is  a dark  grey  rock  of  the  usual 
kind.  On  four  of  the  veins  there  are  adit  levels,  the 
longest  being  in  46  feet. 
Tbe  large  paddock,  or  open  cutting,  is  sunk  to  a depth 
of  18  feet,  and  its  dimensions  are  50  feet  by  20  ftet. 
It  is  sunk  so  as  to  show  the  three  principal  veins  down 
to  tbe  solid  rock,  in  which  the  main  vein  is  said  to  have 
a width  of  2 feet  6 inches  of  plumbago  of  the  best 
quality. 
The  gneiss  abovo  is  white,  though  decom- 
posed, for  50  feet,  and  passes  upwards  into 
red  loam  of  30  feet  in  thickness.  Veins  of  plum- 
bago in  the  decomposed  rock  6how  a thickness  of 
from  1 inch  to  6 inches,  impregnated  with  iron  oxide, 
but  have  all  bt  en  more  or  less,  worked  small  plumbago, 
and  freed  from  iron  by  washing  in  baskets. 
Tbe  mine  is  on  ireehold  propc-ity  of  fiur  acres, 
originally  purchased  from  Government.  Plambago 
was  first  discovered  there  30  years  ago,  and  was  worked 
by  the  Ellawella  of  Ratannpura  til!  1873  when  a 
huge  laDd-slip,  some  200  yards  in  length,  occurred 
on  the  mountain  side,  and  covered  np  nearly  al1  tho 
workings.  Other  parties  leased  it,  and  tried  to  remove 
the  detritus  for  teven  years,  but  failed  ; when  in  1890, 
Pe.lrick  took  over  the  lease  and  continued  the  work 
of  excavation  by  blasting  an  enormous  mats  c f rock, 
which  had  almost  filled  tbe  paddock.  Besides  doingesome 
work  in  tbe  veins  in  getting  out  plumbago,  he  is  still  re- 
moving rocks.  Since  that  time,  he  has  bought  the  piece 
for  £400,  iu  partnership  with  Peris  (our  superiuteuck  nt), 
yvhoto  shares  is  a little  over  one  third.  From  the  com- 
mencement of  this  year,  he  has  had  180  to  200  men  at 
work,  chiefly  occnpied  in  Masting  and  removing  rocks, 
which  are  carted  to  a dump  iu  bullock  oarts,  while 
tho  larger  pieces  are  hauled  out  by  elephants.  To 
show  how  this  place,  in  spite  of  what  is  spent  on 
dead  work,  pays,  I may  mention  that  Peris,  who,  from 
not  finding  any  capital  to  work  with,  is  only  entitled 
to  receive  one  twentieth  of  the  profits  as  rent  for  it 
one-third  share,  has  received  £50  per  annum  from 
Pedricb.  Thus  if  £50  is  one-twentieth  of  what  was 
made,  the  profits  must  have  amounted  to  £1,C00  per 
annum. 
A level  driven  in  150  yards  east  of  the  veins  would 
procure  drainage  to  a depth  of  150  feet  on  them. 
No  mining  was  being  done  at  the  time  of  my  visit, 
40  men  were  engaged  in  removing  rooks  and  the  large 
amount  of  those  carted  out  showed  what  efforts  were 
being  made  to  re-open  the  place. 
In  the  store  were  some  15  tons  of  un- 
dressed plumhago,  and  a few  o good  first 
quality  stuff,  pieces  of  which  were  of  seven  to 
eight  inches  across,  showing  that  the  vein  from 
wbioh  they  came  was  a large  one. 
At  all  theie  mines  the  wages  paid  to  workmen 
were  tbe  same  ; a mine  receiving  from  two  rupees 
to  2‘50  rupee  per  day  ; a surface  workman  receiving 
50  cents,  and  boy  s 12  cents  ; all  beiDg  supplied  with 
r>.tioLS,  consisting  of  rice  alone.  It  is  said 
that  plenty  of  Singalese  labour  is  procurable. 
Sbculd  these  mines  be  worked  by  an  English 
Pcmpany,  these  natives  will  have  to  be  employed, 
fur  English  miners  could  not  stand  the  olimate. 
1 hey  work  well,  aDd  under  the  supervision  and 
direction  of  English  over  men,  mining  ceuld  be 
successfully  carried  on. 
Immediately  adjoining  Kirilliwella  mine  in  the 
north  is  a property  of  9 acres  in  extent,  which 
is  said  by  Pcdrick  to  contain  the  northern  ex- 
(rnsicn  of  the  plumbago  viens  he  is  working, 
which  vridenoutin  that  direction  but  no  work  has 
been  done  cu  it.  This  property  will  be  leased  to  the 
Syndicate  by  tbe  owner,  Kirilliwella-manRka's  son. 
Ehelepola  Mine. — Ebclepola  is  one  mile  south  of 
the  Cbetty’spits  on  the  same  vein,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  500  feet  above  tbe  tea.  It  has  one  pit  50  feet 
deep  on  a vein  of  plumbago  6 inches  wide,  and  a largo 
opt n cutting  cn  the  bill  side.  There  are  three  adits, 
one  46  ftet  ,ong,  driven  in  fri  m the  face  of  tbe  cut- 
ting, from  w In ch  the  veins  te;  ped  are  small,  the 
largest  heir  g four  inches  wide.  Yeiy  little  is  beirg 
done  there,  and  tbe  1 it  wrs  full  of  water. 
Three  qumfers  of  a mile  south  there  is  another 
small  plumbr  go  mire,  en  the  seme  vein. 
HINES  NEAR  PAN  TUB  A ROAD. 
Ratmalgoda  plumbago  mine  is  situated  one  mi.'e 
north  of  the  Pantura  road  in  undulating  courtry, 
not  more  than  1(0  feet  above  ihe  sea  level,  and 
has  been  offered  to  the  Syndicate  on  a share 
of  prefits;  but  no  turns  bhve  leen  arranged.  All 
that  is  here  teen  is  a long  cutting  20  feet  deep,  and 
two  large  ether  paddocks,  all  in  decomposed  gneiss, 
in  which  are  four  small  veins  lying  south  25 degrees 
caBt  at  a high  angle.  From  this  small  seized 
plumbago  has  been  taken  out,  but  tbe  miners,  having 
much  water  to  contend  wiib,  aie  not  low  pro- 
secuting the  work  with  much  energy.  Iu  the 
bottom  of  the  mine  the  chief  vein  is  from  4 to  _6 
i;  ches  wide, 
Pelpitigoda  mine  is  alto  in  low  undulating  country, 
about  one  mile  from  Ratmalgoda,  and  consists  of 
two  large  open  cuttings.  In  the  onei  to  the  east- 
ward, which  is  40  ieet  deep,  ure  two  pits  01  e 
102  feet  deep  and  tbe  other  114  feet.  The  main 
vein  runs  in  a south  CC°  east  direction,  and  is  said  to 
be  item  I feet  6 inches  to  3 feet  in  width  st  those 
depths.  Besidesthe  main  vein,  there  are  two  smeller 
ones,  ai  d a number  of  small  branches.  The  large  cut- 
ting is  100  yards  by  20  yards  and  40  ftet  deep.  A 
iiumt  tr  of  pits  along  a voiu  below  it,  now  abandoned, 
aie  said  to  be  210  feet  deep. 
For  25  years  these  mines  have  been  worked  off  and 
on  anel  continuously  for  the  last  six  years 
58 
