PAET 1.] 
Mallet: Geological Sotet. 
35 
reason for supposing the ores to exist more plentifully in the vicinity. The locality was 
pointed out to me by the agent of the zemindar to whom the land belongs as one in which 
lead had been found. He had caused some excavations to be made in the hope of finding 
more, which I advised him to discontinue. 
I was also informed that some loose fragments of lead-ore (cerussite apparently from 
the description) had been found loose on the surface of the soil just east of Mehandadi 
(sheet 3) about a year ago, and also to the south of the village; and that on digging in the 
latter locality some more was found two or three feet below the surface. 
Cerussite was found by some Santhals, from one of whom I obtained a specimen, under 
s imil ar circnmstances at Barhamasia (sheet 3), some five or six years ago, and a small 
quantity of lead smelted from it. after which it appears they closed the hole np in order 
to keep the discovery a secret. About two years ago also a Sonar was looking for pieces 
of kankar, to make lime for p>an, near the village of Mauwada, south-west of Dhurgaon 
(sheet 9). On putting some pieces of what he supposed to be such in the fire in order to 
burn them, he was rather surprised to find globules of lead to have resulted from the 
operation. He then searched the locality for more, hut failed in finding any at the time. 
In the rains, however, when the earth had been washed away from the loose surface stones, 
he found a few pieces, aggregating toon: ha l t a sir, from which he obtained a small quantity 
of lead. The ore in question is a dark red cerussite, like that of Barhamasia; and 
similar fragments are said to have been found close toKhesmi (sheet 9). In all these 
localities they probably indicate the existence of lead-ore somewhere in the vicinity, but not 
necessarily at the immediate spot, as they appear in every case to Lave been found either 
loose on the surface ot embedded in the surface soil. They furnish no evidence of the 
presence of lead in workable quantity, although there is of course the possibility of the 
existence of such. It would perhaps be worth while to expend a small sum in examining 
the localities at Barhamasia and south of Mehandadi. 
Tin.-'one. —Tin-ore was worked some years ago at Xnrgo, a village just south of the 
Barakar and about three miles from Leda (eight miles west of Karharhari). The original 
discovery of the tin appears to have been purely accidental on the part of some Hols, who 
having dug up the ore and smelted it as one of iron, were surpnzed to see what thev took 
for silver, flow from the tap-hole. They endeavoured to dispose of it as sueh at Raniganj, 
and there learnt its true nature. They then abandoned the pit, and after a few years the 
exact locality where it occurred was forgotten. Subsequently a Hr. lord determined to 
work the ore, and after several trial sinkings succeeded in hitting upon the right spot. 
The ore occurred in three or four lenticular beds or nests in the gneiss, the cross section 
being lenticular and seldom more than a foot or two across, although at one or two points 
as much as thirteen, while the nests extended over 20 yards in a direction nearly parallel 
to the foliation of the gneiss, from the outcrop to the limit of the workings. The gneiss 
(which is of a thinly foliated, rather rotten variety, including a few thin segregitie seams 
of pegmatite lips at a : at 25° to E. 10° lv. the nab consequently having a similar direction. 
The ore consisted of gneiss through which crystals and grains of tin were thickly dis¬ 
tributed. Mr. Beveria, Mr. Lord's manager, followed these tin-tearing nests for about 
20 yards by an inclined gallery: * the tin was then decreasing rapidly in quantity, while 
the rock was harder, and a large quantity of water draining into the mine; and hence the 
gross receipts being less than the working expenses, the mine was abandoned. 
During the time it was worked, the ore after being brought to the surface, was broken 
up while still fresh (as it hardened considerably by exposure) with a common country dheki. 
* My friend Mr T. H. H Usd an ~pp rrumiy of seeing tiie mine ^cen open, and :: is from 1 s notes t-liSi 
tbis brief account is girea. 
