4 
On the Minerals of the 
[Jan. 
count of the risk, gives them '4 annas a day. The khari here is softer, and more unctu- 
ous 4 than at Khari-pahar, and being mostly in layers of different colours, is chiefly 
used as a medicine. In fact, it is what naturalists call Bole, or perhaps Lemnian 
clay ; for in water it does not fall to powder. On one piece I saw somewhat like 
the appearance of a bivalve shell, but, if such, it was so much decayed, as to render 
its nature uncertain. 
The last quarry that I shall mention is on the hill called Modiram, which is a 
little south from Kahalgao, and forms the north-western extremity of the range 
which I am now describing. This quarry is a porcelain clay, being of a less unctu- 
ous quality than the last j but on being put into water, it falls instantly to powder. 
It is not, however, so pure as that of Khari-pahar, being less white ; but its colour 
is an uniform pale ash, nor is it intermixed with ferruginous matter between the 
layers ; and being close to the river, its price at Calcutta might be a trifle. It has 
been wrought in 2 places, pretty high up the hill. The stratum in each has been 
from 3 to 4 feet thick, perfectly horizontal, and extending into the hill for an un- 
known length. The roof and floor in both are imperfect harsh khari. The natives 
dug into the lower quarry, without leaving pillars to support the roof, until that 
fell. About 3 years ago they went to the upper quarry now wrought, and have 
made a large excavation, perhaps 20 feet each way, and they will continue to en- 
large it until the roof falls, when they will look for some other place. The leaving 
pillars to support the roof, is a mystery far beyond their present attainments in 
the art of mining, and when mentioned, was received with numerous frivolous ob- 
jections. 
Very nearly allied to the above khari , and frequently indeed forming alternate 
layers in the same mass of the more imperfect kinds, is the stony substance called 
by the natives geru, which differs only from reddle in being harder. It has not been 
found in large masses, and is in general so much intermixed with matters of another 
colour to which it firmly adheres, it is never sought after in quarries. Small frag- 
ments that are found scattered in the beds of torrents, and which, in the progress of 
decay, have been separated from the other matters with which thev were _ 
