PART 1.] 
Hughes : Iron-ores of Kdmaon. 
17 
Natua Khan .—This is one of the most celebrated localities for the ores, coming under 
the general heading of Ramgarh. It possesses, however, no claim to superiority over Losh¬ 
giani, either on the score of better quality of ore or greater thickness of bed. The accident 
of its propinquity to the main road between Naim Tal and Almora rendors it easy of access, 
and therefore brings it more into notice. 
There is no outcrop of the bed visible ; and, as in the case of Loshgiani, I havo to rely 
on the statement of the natives who worked it underground, that its total thickness is 9 feet, 
including a parting that varies from 1 to 2 feet. A specimen of the ore, which I obtained 
near the old workings, yielded Gl'33 per cent, of iron. Dr. Macnamara* who analysed a 
sample forwarded by Colonel Drummond in 1855, gives the result of his examination as 
70'72 of iron. This is, of course, a very high percentage, and the average is probably nearer 
the result obtained in our office. 
Parwdra .—This locality is several miles from Ramgarh, hut as I had heard of it 
spoken of as possessing a bod of good ore, I went there. I found on my arrival that there 
was no opportunity of inspecting the ironstone in situ, every pit that had been sunk 
having filled in. I tried to open out one of them, but two days’ working convinced me that 
a month would he required to get down and expos© the bed, and I contented myself by taking 
away a specimen of tho ore from amongst a few pieces that the headman of the village had 
in his house. It was brown hcematitc, mixed with a great deal of calcareous matter. The 
result of analysis was 2961 per cent, of iron and 43 per cent, of carbonate of lime. Al¬ 
though the quantity of iron is small, this ore would be valuable to mix with others, oil 
account of the carbonate of lime with which it is associated. 
There were several mines in the neighbourhood which I might have looked at, but as 
they were all abandoned, and there was nothing to see at the surface beyond tbe rocks in 
which tbe ironstone occurred, I wasted no time over them. 
Summary.— The examination of tbe few localities I have visited convinces me that in 
the Ramgarh area the ores are rich, abundant, and may be easily worked. 
The Loshgiani and Natua Ivhan beds havo only to be mined upon some rational system 
to yield an enormous amount of ore. Dr. Oldham, in his report of 1800,t when referring 
to Ramgarh, says, “ there is not the slightest possibility of tbe want of ore being felt; there 
is the greatest abundance.” 
Flux. —lame-stone occurs in the immediate vicinity of tbe ironstone at Natua Ivhau. 
It yields by analysis G7'6 per cent, of carbonate of lime, and tbe rest is cliiofly clay. This 
is not equal to tbe purity of limestoues generally in use in England, which contain 93 to 
97 per cent, of carbonate of lime ; but an impure limestone can be employed advantageously 
at times, when tbe ore of iron is of such a composition that it requires some foreign earths 
to ho added. I am not aware of any purer limestone occurring near Natua Khan or 
Loshgiani, 
Khairna. 
From Ramgarh I proceeded to Khairna, and after examining the iron-ore there went 
to Tatail and Kaluagarh, which are villages in tho valley of the Kosx, distant about three 
and seven miles respectively from Khairna. 
Khairna .—A bed of quartzite, in which small veins of red haematite are found, occurs 
near to the old suspension bridge at the confluence of the Ivosi and Khairna rivers. I can¬ 
not report favorably of this locality as a source of supply; for, though the ore considered 
* Selections from the Records of the Government of India, .Supplement to No. VIII, I 860 , page 37. 
t Report on the Government iron-works at Decliouree, in Kumaon, by Thomas Oldham, Esq., I860, p. 24. 
