The metals found in Hindostan are, gold, iron, and lead ; there are not any indications of silver ; and with respect to copper, though it is enumerated by some authors among the metals of Hindostan, there seems no foundation for the statement4 There are no mines of gold ; this metal being only found among the sand washed down by the riven. The quantity thus obtained from the Indus and its tribut4 ry streams was probably much more in ancient times than it is at present, as Herodotus informs us, that the tribute paid by the Indian Satrapie of Persia to Darius Hystaspes was in gold ; and that the sum paid was nearly one-third or the whole tribute paid by all the 20 Satrapies. In the Ayin Acbaree, we learn, that gold was found in the channels of the Ravey and Kemaoon. The nearer these and other ri vers in the north of Hindostan are. to their source, the more gold dust is found in their channels. In many of the ri vers of Assam, that flow into the Brahmapootra, it is by no means uncommon, especially in the Dekrung, which is famous, not only for the quantity but the quality of its gold. In the eastern extremity of the Rajah of Mysore's territo ries, nine miles to the east of Boodicotta, an area of coun try, comprising 130 square miles, is said to contain gold dust. In the Fernadu district of the province of Malabar, gold dust is found in a branch of the river which falls into the sea at Parapanda.
Iron ore is not common ; it seems to he chiefly bog iron ore, or particles of iron mixed with sand. Of the latter, there is a considerable quantity in the Mysore Rajah's do minions, not far from Severndroog ; the sand is absolutely black with it. It is collected during the rainy season in quantities sufficient to keep a furnace employed the re mainder of the year. There is also abundance of iron ot e in the same part of the Mysore at Ghetteput, but of what kind we are not informed. Steel is manufactured here. Black sand, mixed with iron ore, is brought down in the rainy season by, the torrents from the Eastern Ghaut, near Naiekhan The smelting is carried on during the dry season, each forge paying a certain quantity of iron for permission to carry on the work. Indeed, the Mysore seems to be more abundant in this metal than most other parts of Hindostan. At some of the iron works, 47 per cent. of malleable iron is obtained from the ore, but it is by no means in a pure state. On the western side of the south of India, the metal is in the Velatcr district of the pro vince of Malabar, where there are many forges, but here also, and indeed all over India, the work is performed in a very ignorant and careless manner, pieces of charcoal being frequently enveloped in the iron after it is stocked. In the Singrowlah district of Gundwanah, this metal abounds, the price being from one and a half to two and a half rupees per 801b. according to the quality. The high land district of Bahar is also rich in iron, which is fused for sale by the natives in large quantities. In the south west coast of the Guzerat peninsula, there are likewise ex tensive works for fusing this metal. There are lead mines in the territories of the Rajah of Joudpoor, in the province of A jmeer.
The manufacture of salt from the sea water, and of salt petre, will be noticed afterwards ; but this is the proper place to notice the mines of rock-salt in Hindostan. These lie in the district between the Indus and Ihylum, in the province of Lahore; they are uncommonly productive; and the fragments of rock-salt are sufficiently hard to be shaped into different kinds of vessels, Etc. Large lumps of it are brought down to Amritsir, the capital of the Seiks, slung on each side of camels, some hundreds of which are frequently seen thus loaded following one another. In
some parts of the Mysore, the ground is strongly impreg nated with salt, particularly in the low, moist parts of the district of Cotlar, where, during the dry season, it is ex tracted, the surface of the ground having been previously scraped off, and collected into heaps, The grain of this salt is large, and the crystals well defined ; it is, however, by no means pure. During the reign of Tippoo, when, in consequence of his regulations, the trade with the Lower Carnatic was declared contraband, the salt was extracted from the soil in very large quantities, but the natives enter tained a strong prejudice against it. Earth similarly im pregnated with muriate of soda is found in the province of Coimbetoor, to the south of the Mysore ; but here the mu riate seems to be mixed with the nitrate of soda. Much of the well water here has a saline taste. A thick coat of salt, as white as snow, is spread over part of the morass Calud, on the Run. Sulphur is found about SO miles to the north of Odeypoor, in the south-eastern quarter of the province of Ajmcer, but it is neither so strong nor so pure as that which comes from Surat.
There are several mineral waters, particularly in the hilly districts of Hindostan; such as are warm are deem ed sacred. Most of the wells in the vicinity of the city of Odeypoor, though they are by no means deep, are strong ly impregnated with some mineral substances, probably with iron, but they have not been analised. In the Bogli poor district of the province of Bahar, about half a mile from the banks of the Ganges, in a plain nearly surround ed with rocky hills, is a celebrated hot spring, from which the flow of water is considerable : air bubbles are constant ly rising on the surface of the water in great numbers. Though there are several cold springs not more than 20 Yards from it, the water is so hot that the hand cannot be long kept in it. Another hot well, held in great venera tion by the Hindoos, is about 20 miles to the north of Isla mabad, in the Chittagong district of Bengal ; it evidently contains carbonated hydrogen gas, as the surface of it may be inflamed by the application of a light. Seetacond is the common appellation for hot springs among the Hindoos. Near the south-western extremity of the peninsula of Gu zerat, there is a spiing, within high water mark, of a pink colour ; evidently from this colour and its mineral quali ties, impregnated with iron, which indeed colours the ad jacent soil. On the north side of the river Villenore in the Carnatic, there arc a great number of curiously petrified trees, supposed to be of the tamarind species : some of them are, like other petrifactions, extremely hard, while others arc so soft, that the slightet pressure with t he lingers crumbles them into dust. There is one tree which is said to be 60 feet long, with a diameter varying from 2 to 8 feet ; the root of this tree, which is so hard that it strikes fire with steel, and can be polished to a great degree of smoothness and fineness, is beautifully variegated in its veins nod colours, so as to resemble agate: there are parts of it also of a red colour, similar to that of the cornclian. Beads, bracelets, Ste. are manufactured out of the root of this tree. These petrifactions are regarded by the natives as extremely ancient. Petrified wood, supposed to be that of the tamarind tree, is found also in the sands near Ma dras ; it takes a beautiful polish, and is manufactured in that town into various ornaments.