the town of Khetree itself, and furnishes a scene of much excitement. The purchasers are Mussulman Bhoras, who conduct all the subsequent operations; and here the interest of the miners entirely ceases in the produce of the mines. If the ore is black sulphuret of the first class, it will fetch as much as Rs. 10 per maund of 26 seers; but if good pyrites, perhaps Rs. 4 or 5 a maund. The pyrites is much the most plentiful ore, but there are several poorer ores fetching as low as Rupee 1 a maund. The Borah having concluded his purchase, employs a man with a small hammer, who receives Rs. 3 per month, to separate the ore from the schistose rock and quartz, (with which it is intermingled in about equal quantities), and to break it into small pieces. The ore has now to be finely powdered. This is done by men using Ghuns' or heavy hammers, weighing from 32 to 34 pounds each. The hammer is lifted with both hands, one on either side of the hammer head and brought down with great force on a small heap of the ore, raked into place with the toes, that never failing substitute for the hand among natives: as this is the most laborious operation in the whole process, only the strongest men are employed. Pl. II. The ore has to undergo the hammering three times before it is fine enough for the roasting process. A Ghun man on coming to his work very early in the cool of the morning has five maunds of ore weighed out to him, this is his proper quantity for a day's work, and is as much as can be supplied daily by the coarse breaker. Preparing this properly, gives the Ghun laborer six hours of hard unremitting work, and his wages are proportionately high, viz., five rupees a month. The ore, having been reduced to a proper state, is next mixed with cow-dung, and made into rolls about four inches long, which are first dried in the sun, and then roasted in the open air, in a fire of cow-dung cakes. This is an inexpensive process, costing only a few annas for cakes to roast five maunds of ore. The ore is now ready for the smelting furnace. For this, Koomhars or potters are employed. The potter builds and works his own furnace, and supplies the bellows; in fact extracts the metal. Four people, one of whom may be a child 12 or 14 years old, are required for each furThey receive collectively Rs. 11 a month. The furnace is about 3 feet high and 12 inches in diameter, built of pieces of slag nace. |