'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎33] (48/496)

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specimens were slightly tinted with red. This, as has been shewn by Dr Giraud,^
is due to the presence of the exuviee of marine animalcules—a fact first adverted
to by Ehrenberg. Along with these specimens, taken from the interior of the
rock, were several large masses broken from the surface, and deeply traced with
strange fantastical grooves or erosions, occasioned by small streams of running wa
ter. One of the results of these erosions as the water dried up, and the heats set
in, were some beautiful snow-white stalactites of salt, often found many feet in
length : they were occasioned by the slow dropping of the water which had trick*
led through the grooves in the preceding specimens until charged to saturation,
when they hardened as they trickled down. Some finely carved vessels* cut from
granular rock salt of a different structure, were also shewn.
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2 .— Limestone .—The most interesting of these were specimens from the neigh
bourhood of the coal. They were of a brownish or greyish colour, slightly crys
tallized. One of the specimens was full of encrenites—others abounded in shells
of the producta and spirifera class. Corralines and madrepores, such as those
found in the Scinde nummuliferous limestone, prevailed in others.
3.—Specimens of Alum stone or shale, in various states of decomposition : some
of them calcined preparatory to the extraction of the sulphate of alumina.—The spe
cimens, both raw and calcined, exactly resembled those made use of near Whitby
in Yorkshire, and Hurlet near Glasgow, for the manufacture of alum. Captain
Christopher did not explain the manner in which it was made, and we are equally
unacquainted with the processes resorted to in Cutch Bhooj, from which northern
India is supplied with alum, as with that resorted to on the Upper Indus. At
home, alum is either manufactured from alum stone or alum shale. The former
is a mineral of somewhat rare occurrence : it is roasted or calcined at a very mo
derate temperature in common lime-kilns: it is then exposed to the weather : the
alum is now washed out, and the solution crystallized ; and with this the opera
tion concludes. Alum is obtained from shale by first roasting it in heaps, then
exposing it to the air, which dissolves the sulphate of alumina : potash or ammonia
is added to the solution to obtain the triple salt, which in all cases consists either
of sulphate of potass 18 34, sulphate of alumina 36-20, and water 45*46 ; or of
sulphate of ammonia 14*48, surphate of alumina 36*64, water 43*43.
4 —Hand containing Gold .—Of this an account is given by Dr Fleming in a
note, adverted to at last meeting of the Society :—
“ From Lahore I marched up to Find Dadud Khan and while there, exa
mined the range for several miles East and West of that place, including the salt
mines, coal seams, &c. From thence I crossed the hills to Kuttass, and have, by
moderate marches, come down the north side of the range, and am now on my way
to Kalibag, on the Indus, and within two marches of it. The weather has been
very hot, and is becoming day by day more so, but notwithstanding, I have ma
naged to see a good deal, and to obtain a considerable amount of valuable infor
mation ; and none to me ol greater interest than the occurrence of numerous fos« * 1
red colour 11 whn 0 n n ^ ftlle Bo l nba .y Branch Royal Asiatic Society. Dr Giraud states that
ofivon Q v k 16 s1 ^i ) P9 se d ^t first due to the cause assumed, arises from particles of silc
1 non * the salt abounds with infusoria*, but they are nearly colourless.