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Art. ''KNl.-^Account of the Mine or Quarry of Corundum in 
Singraula, By Francis Hamilton, M*D. F.B.S 8t F.A. S. 
Lond. & Edin. Communicated by the Author. 
The principal Quarry of Corundum perhaps in India, is in 
the territory of the Singraula Raja, about eight miles south 
from Sahapur, where that chief usually resides, and about 120 
miles from Merzapur, on the bank of the Ganges. In the 
rainy season of 1814, I went to the latter place in hopes of be- 
ing able to visit the quarry ; but several untoward circum- 
stances prevented me, and I was under the necessity of con- 
tenting myself with such an account as I could procure from 
the traders, who had visited the place to purchase the com- 
modity. 
I was told by .them, that the quarry is on a low ridge, cover- 
ed with small fragments of the corundum, or horund, as it is 
called in the Hindwi dialect. By removing these fragments to 
a very little depth, larger masses are found ; and such are usu- 
ally selected, as are from the size of the fist to that of the head. 
Many larger masses are found ; and when there is a deficiency 
of small pieces, these larger ones are split by kindling a fire on 
and round them. To judge from the appearances of the pieces 
brought to Merzapur, the large masses seem to consist of a 
number of smaller ones, somewhat rounded at the angles either 
by friction or by a partial decomposition, and afterwards con- 
glutinated by an earthy substance containing a good deal of 
mica ; for it would not seem that the fire rends asunder the en- 
tire stone, it seems only to separate the nodules, by rending the 
substance which had conglutinated them, part of which I found 
adhering to their surfaces. 
Some of the traders asserted, that the whole ridge consists of 
korund ; while others alleged, that the korund is only scattered 
on the surface or at small depths, and that the mass of the ridge 
consists of a stone similar to that which is used for building at 
Merzapur, that is, of the sandstone considered by some of the 
best mineralogists as nearly allied to quartz-rock, if it be at all dif- 
ferent from this substance. All the traders agree, that the whole 
ro6ks which they have seen between Merzapur and the quarry, 
are of this siuidstone ; and it no doubt forms part of the great 
