Iron Ores. In order to obviate the necessity of carriage through a mountainous country, it became an object of importance to trace the existence of iron as near the plains as possible, and Colonel Drummond's first inquiries were consequently directed to the tract of country at the foot of the hills. At Dechouree the most western point of Colonel Drummond's route, a rich iron ore was discovered associated with clay. Here the deposits are stated to be readily discoverable not only by the large masses lying on the surface, but also by the beds being extensively exposed by deep ravines. In one part the solid bed of ore is exposed to a thickness of 30 ft.; in another it measured 24 ft.; in a third it exceeded the depth of 50 ft. Where " a bed of such rich material," says Mr. Sowerby, one of the civil engineers connected with the East India Railway Company, "is ascertained to be at least 50 ft. thick-a few feet more or less cannot be of much importance." The extent of ground examined at Dechouree was about a mile, and the quantity of ore at and near the surface was estimated to yield, if smelted, 100,000 tons of pig iron. From Dechouree Colonel Drummond pursued his course in an easterly direction, passing by Loha Bhurbur, Kaleedoongee, Chowsilla, Beejapore, Jham, Burgote, and Burragur. The length of the route was about sixty miles, and rich deposits of iron ore were discovered at most of these places, varying in thickness from 25 ft. to 50 ft. At Loha Bhurbur the ore is associated with clay, not mere clay impregnated with iron, but solid iron stone. Huge blocks are here represented as lying exposed on the surface several of these were measured, and found to be upwards of 10 ft. long, 6 ft. broad, and 4 ft. in thickness, each of which, it is said, if smelted into pig iron, would yield upwards of three tons of metal. These blocks were not occasional, but frequent, and common over the whole distance traversed, which was a mile in length, by a width of 175 yards. It was estimated, that upwards of 60,000 tons of metal could be obtained from the ore lying on the surface. The beds in the route, pursued by Colonel Drummond, fully show that an inexhaustible supply of workable iron ore yielding the quality of iron which is most useful for railway purposes can be obtained in an accessible tract, along the outer face of the lower Himalaya ranges, close to the plains. 1855. A Report on the Iron Ores of India, from Lieutenant- Iron Ores. Colonel Goodwyn, Chief Engineer of the Lower Provinces of Bengal, in the Public Works Department, dated Fort William, June 27, contains the following passage : "That the Indian Iron can not only be successfully worked, but structurally applied, was proved many years ago, by Colonel Presgrave, formerly Mint-Master at Saugor, who smelted the iron in the neighbourhood, rolled it in the mint rollers, fashioned it into bars and rods, and then erected an excellent suspension bridge, near Saugor, entirely from the ore in the vicinity. Its manufacture in India is a subject of prominent importance, and scarcely less so than the establishment of railways and electric telegraphs. "I will not here enter into details of the profits or percentage gained by native processes, or the nature of those processes: suffice it to notice here, that the result is most satisfactory, as a guarantee to enterprise, whilst the specimens that I have seen, and which are extant, show the metal to be of superior quality, where attention has been paid to locality, and if the postulates I have advanced are admitted, I deem that the Government would do well to expend a certain sum to place the matter beyond all possible doubt. "As regards Central India, the Gwalior and Jubbulpore districts and the neighbourhood of Hazareebaugh, place the question of the existence of good iron beyond doubt; but for the more ready consumption of the Presidency and its vicinity, it would, probably, be worth while to enter on experiments in the Valley of the Damooda, near Raneegunge, on the Brohming in Cuttack, in Assam, and near Palamoas; and an outlay of from one lac to four lacs of rupees according to the extent of the operations, would, I am sure, end in the most advantageous results. "Its modus operandi will be to call upon the authorities for an immediate brief return of the general character of the iron; information which has, at various times, been obtained on each district in which it is found; to select from these, under advice, two, three, or four districts, with especial reference to local facilities for the object in view, and, if possible, of after conveyance; to decide to spend not exceeding Rs. (4C0,000) four lacs upon the whole; to erect, at once, moderate-sized blast furnaces, at each place, the blast engines, &c., being constructed in Cal Iron Ores. cutta, while the furnaces are being built, the iron stone, or ore, fuel, and flux, being simultaneously collected in quantity, in readiness for the starting, and keeping up the supply, and placing each furnace in charge of some person who has been used to the work, and who may be found in the Calcutta foundries, giving to them certain latitude, to vary the proportions, and record the results, and give a large premium to the most successful, to send down the first pigs made to Calcutta ; and, upon the result of this examination, and the reports of the blast furnace operations, and local supplies, there will be no difficulty in making over the whole to those who will complete the scheme by supplying all the rolling mills, puddling furnaces, and continuing the manufacture through all its stages, either returning the outlay to the Government, if made a condition or not, as may be considered most equitable at the time. "I believe that no complete analysis by a regularly-trained ironviewer and smelter has yet been faithfully obtained, and it is very probable that greater value may, on the result of such analysis, be found in some localities, that will materially affect the prospect of working them; and I would fain hope that, under effective and scientific management, our public works may, at no distant period, receive that aid from native iron, without which their energies must be comparatively circumscribed." 1856. (March and April.) A blast furnace was erected at Deckouree, 50 miles from Moradabad in Kumaon; and, upon the works being completed, two experiments were made to test its efficacy for the smelting of iron ore, which were partially successful. The metal which was taken out of the furnace, when remelted, flowed out in a very liquid state into small pigs, which, when fractured, showed them to be iron of the best quality. (Vide Mr. Sowerby's Report, April, 1856.) CHAPTER VIII. LAWS AND PUBLIC DOCUMENTS RELATING TO BRITISH INDIA. SECT. I.-BENGAL REGULATIONS, AND ACTS OF THE GOVERNORGENERAL IN COUNCIL. SECT. II.-ORDERS IN COUNCIL. SECT. III.-ACTS OF THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. SECT. IV. -PARLIAMENTARY REPORTS, ACCOUNTS, AND PAPERS. SECT. I.-BENGAL REGULATIONS AND ACTS OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL IN COUNCIL. (Those previous to 1834 being styled "Regulations”—those of a subsequent date, "Acts.") The initials placed before the titles signify-R. Revenue-J. Judicial-M. |