In British India, in the 10 years 1871-72 to 1880-81, the salt revenue collected averaged £6,481,268, and the charges of collection i453,017.
. Collected. Charges. Collected. Charges.
1872, £5,966,595 £477,368 1877, £6,304,658 £488,480 1873, 6,165,630 476,680 1878, 6,460,082 539,858 1874, 6,150,662 478,245 1879, 6,941,120 404,743 1875, 6,227. ,301 462,168 1880, 7,266,413 340,687 187G, 6,244,415 507,410 1881, 7,115,988 363,537 Salt imported into British India 1379-80, . . 352,238 tons, Rs. 76,25,321 1880-81, . 373,376 „ „ 66,55,174 1881-82, . . 357,227 „ „ 56,90,671 In Ceylon the manufacture of salt is conducted by solar evaporation and by artificial heat. The best article is formed naturally in the Southern and in parts of the Northern Provinces. In the Northern Provinces the evaporation is chiefly from salt pans. Between the years 1865 and 1870 the production ranged from 121,146 cwt., costing .£11,000, and 791,503 cwt., costing 120,502, the revenue averaging .£71,381.
In Netherland India the manufacture is carried on by the Government on its own account, by solar evaporation from salt pans, of which there are several in process, and their contents are drawn off from one to another. The salt is obtained in SO to 40 days. The monopoly is in force through nearly the whole of Java and Madura, throughout the west coast of Sumatra, Bencoolen, Lampongs, Palembang, Bann, the east and west coast of Borneo. But in Riouw, Billeton, Celebes, Ain boyna, Ternate, Banda, and Titnor, the Netherland India Government does not interfere with the supply. In 1871, the quantity sold at the places where the monopoly exists, was 32,599 coy-angs.
On the Continent of India, the only lake from which salt is obtained is the Sambhar Lake of Rajputana. Its waters are highly saline, and its efflorescing salt is greatly prized, as also is that of the Runn of Cutch.
Salt beds in Sind are in the vicinity of the Allah Band. In 1847, Lieutenant Burke estimated the quantity in the Goongra at 1,500,000,000 tons.
In Orissa, two kinds of saltare made, one called Fungal], by evaporating highly concentrated brine by artificial heat. The other, Kurkutch, is pre ferred ; it is obtained by the solar heat evaporating sea water, is cheaper, and it is the only kind allowed to be used in the templets.
Salt is manufactured on the west bank of the IThogly river, above Kedgeree, and on either side of the ,rivers Tengree-Khally, tuid Roy Khally, and in the numerous canals and credo which aro fed by them, to the extent of 9 lakhs of inaunds, employing about 17,000 people.
Salt wells aro sunk along both bank,' of the Puna river. SI'llen the depth of 90 feet is attained, the water suddenly gushes up to a height of 15 or 20 feet, like the jet from an artesian well.
The Great Salt Range in the N.W. frontier of India runs through the Jhelum and Shahpur districts, and its vast deposits of rock-salt aro practically inexhaustible. The principal beds occur in the southern slopes of the range, aud are from 150 to 200 feet in thickness. At Kalabagh the salt is parried in open mines, but in other places the mines are led to by galleries, as in the Islay° mine at Kheora, the Sardi mines in the Jhelum district, and the Warcha mine in Shalipur.
Salt of the Kohat district is obtained near the surface, from five quarries in the chain of hills running from the Indus towards Bahadur It is of a black or dark-green colour. Nowhere else in the world are there salt deposits of such vast extent and purity.
To the east of Lahore, at Bureng and Gomi, near Mandi, are two mines, and at Kotri rock salt was discovered.
During the progress of Mr. Wynne's survey, three mines were being worked on the eastern side of the Indus, and the open quarries of Kalabagh on the other side. The largest mines are the Mayo mines at Kheora. In these, vast hut dangerous chambers had been opened up by the old Sikh workmen, who were so clueless in their method of excavating, that two heavy pillars supportin,s, the roof of one chamber were left resting on a thick crust of salt spanning another large chamber below. This eventually gave way in 1870, and the ruins of the fallen mass were so great that quite a crater was formed on the hill in which the mines are situated. Since the advent of British rule a better system of working has been introduced ; and instead of gaining entrance to the mines by a slippery incline, one can now drive in upon a tramway through a spacious passage, in which due provision has been made for ventilation. The old chambers still remain to be contrasted with the new ones, and when illuminated with coloured or magnesium lights the effect of the brilliant crystal facets and stalactite masses in them is very picturesque. Gunposvder is now used in these mines for blasting purposes. Dr. Warth estimated that 300 laklis of maunds, or ruore than a million tons, have been removed from the Mayo mines, but they show as yet no signs of becoming exhausted.