Asiatic Researches , Vol . XVII. Part 1. 
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latter two are compact. 4. A marble of a more crystalline grain found on the road to 
Bhadrin£th above tlie Bisliunganga, Potstone is found, as in Ireland, in the forma- 
tion enclosing the copper mines. Serpentine occurs within the GurkMli territory ; 
but none has yet been discovered on the British side of the boundary. A porphyritic 
grey granite is to be had in sufficient quantity close to the cantonment of Almdrah ; and 
fragments of a greenish grey porphyry, the crystals being white, have been found, 
but the site of the original mass is yet to he discovered. 
Borax is imported from beyond the frontier, where it is extracted from a lake in 
which it is said to be continually reproduced. It is sold in two states, raw and 
picked. “ The latter consists entirely of crystals varying in length from one to one- 
eight of an inch. These crystals are flat, hexagonal prisms with trihedral summits. 
They are of an oil green colour, and nearly, if not quite opaque.” In the other state 
it is mixed either with borax dust or impurities. In the picked state it is far from 
pare; but the author found no difficulty in purifying it, and obtained from one solu- 
tion borax equal to every purpose of the arts. The price at Bagdsur, the mart where 
it is sold, is 5 Rs. per niaund. 
The metallic productions are the principal of the mineral resources, and even 
these appear to he scanty in amount and inferior in quality — though the author of 
the paper seems to think capital alone wanting to render the amount larger, and the 
quality superior. The metals are copper, lead, and iron ; for the gold dust obtained 
from the sands of river3 seems scarcely worthy of notice. It is stated, that though 
no tax is levied, yet a man may barely earn his daily hire as a labourer by washing 
the sands on his own account. The total annual revenue of the copper mines is 
short of 3000 Rs. ; and supposing the produce to be double, this is still but a small 
sum. It is stated, however, that this small produce is owing to the miserably con- 
tracted scale on which the mines are worked ; the want of any means or system of 
ventilation, of drainage, of removing the ore from the mines, of pounding, 
washing, roasting, smelting, refining it. Of these operations many are not perform- 
ed at all ; and of thosetliat are, none effectually. The want of any means of drainage 
must often occasion the loss of much valuable ore. The galleries are described as 
so narrow and low as to resemble more “ the burrow of an animal than the path of 
a human being.” The ore is removed from the mine on skins drawn along the 
floor of the gallery by boys in a creeping posture with a string tied round their 
waist. The ore is pounded by hand. It is roasted in an open forgehearth urged by 
airbags, and is smelted in the same. That a proper system only is wanting greatly 
to increase the value of these mines, is said to be apparent from the very 
small average value of each mine compared with those in Chili. Were only the 
three principal mines in these provinces to attain each of them, the average of the 
500 mines in South America, i. e. 6 tons each, the amount would be ten fold what it 
is at present. And that there really is copper in the country, is evident; not 
only from the numerous indications of this inetul which must attract the notice of 
every traveller, hut from the occasional high profits realized by the lessees under 
extraordinary circumstances. Thus the mines of Pokri, which are now leased at 
600 Rs., are said to have produced one year in the time of the Rajahs of Kumaoon 
50,000 Rs. And in consequence of the occurrence of an earthquake, the lessee of 
the Dhanpur mine is said to have made large profits some years ago. 
The copper mines are worked at Dhanpur, Dhobri, Gangdli, Sira, Pdkri, Khari, 
and Sh6r Gurang- The first is situated in a red compact dolomite of such consistence 
and stability, that the galleries are much more roomy than in any of the others. 
Being situated at a high level, the interior is comparatively dry, so that the miners 
follow the ore in every direction, and, what is also a great advantage, the working 
season continues all the year round. The ore is of that species called grey copper 
(th efahlerz of the Germans.), and contains iron, besides sulphur and copper. The 
latter is in the proportion of fifty per cent. 
The P6kri mine is situated in a tender talcose schist, passing on one side into tal- 
cose gneiss, on the other into chloritic schist. The ore, judging from the refuse of the 
mine, is deemed to be vitreous and purple copper, the two most valuable of the sulphu- 
rets. The galleries had all fallen in, so that no very precise judgment could be form- 
ed. The Sira and Gangdli mines are situated in beds of indurated talc or pot- 
stone, contained in dolomite. The latter rock, and the potstone occasionally, form 
durable works; but the potstone is most commonly in a state much resembling re- 
united debris , and it is then little better than so much mud. The ore of each of 
these mines is copper pyrites : it is accompanied by iron pyrites. The other mines are 
similarly situated; but their produce is altogether trifling and unworthy of notice. 
The author recommends several improvements in the management of the mines j 
but for these we must refer to the paper. 
