'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎47] (62/496)

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3 r( j __J. G. Lumsden, Esq —proposed by the Hon’ble Mr Willoughby, and
seconded by Dr Glen.
4 th & 5 th.—Lieuts. A. Grieve, and A. D. Taylor, I. N.~proposed by the
Revd. Mr Pigott, and seconded by Captain Barr.
The following donations to the Society were laid on the table
Paper. —By the Author, through Lieut. C. J. Cruttenden, I. N., Assistant
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Aden. Meteorological returns and diagram shewing the high
and low water at Seerah, and state of the atmosphere at Shum Shum, at Aden,
for the month of April, 1848, by Sergeant W. Moyes. With a letter dated See
rah, the 17th May, 1848.
Books.— By Government. The Journals of the Indian Archipelago and
Eastern Asia, from July 1847 to March 1848. With letters from J. G. Lumsden,
Esq., Secretary to Government, General Department, dated the 17th May, No.
1738 of 1848, and No. 2002 of 3rd June 1848.
By Government.—Report on a Passage made on the Nurbudda River, from
the Palls of Dharee to Mundlaisir, by Lieut. Keatinge; and of a similar passage
from Mundlaisir to Broach, by Lieut. Evans. With a letter from J. G. Lumsden,
Esq, Secretary to Government, General Department, dated the 22nd May, No.
1825 of 1848.
Return.— By the Author.—Return shewing the number admitted into Hospi
tal, diseases^ and deaths, among all the European Troops serving under the Bom
bay presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , from the year 1841 to 1847, inclusive ; and a chart exhibiting the
per centage of deaths for the same period. By Lieut. Col. N. Campbell, Quarter-
3 Iaster-General, with a letter dated Hills, the 11 th May 1848.
water, where it is kept for three days, or until the water has acquired a deep red colour : the
water is then let off into another tank, all the clay being left behind, and from it strained into
a large iron boiler, and boiled for three or four hours until the quantity is reduced to a fifth.
From this boiler, after being cooled, when it is said to be cutcha, and mixed with two maunds of
potash, it is conducted to another boiler, and then boiled till it is ready, which is ascertained by
removing a small quantity, and if it then hardens into a solid mass it is considered so. When still
hot, it is placed in red clay vessels capable of holding three pucka maunds, and after crystalliz
ing, the. vessels are. broken off, leaving an immense round mass of solid alum; it is not, how
ever, quite pure, being of a red colour and semi-transparent—the colour is owing to the iron
which it contains. This is the case with most of the alum which we have seen in the Upper
Provinces. It is sold at 19 Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. and4 annas the camel load of six maunds, (equal to 384 lbs.)
of which, however, two rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. and four annas are exacted as duty by the Maliick. After re
moving the clay from the vat, it still retains the bright red colour which attracted so much the
attention of Elphinstone when there in 1809, who, with the eye of a traveller, thus notices it :
“ All the earth, particularly near the town (Kalabagh,) is almost blood-red, and this, with the
strange and beautiful spectacle of the salt rocks, and the Indus flowing in a deep and clear
stream through lofty mountains past this extraordinary town, presented such a scene of wonders
as is seldom to be witnessed.” * How long alum has been manufactured is uncertain, but from
Elphinstone’s observations it appears to have been so, though he was ignorant of the circum
stance, long before he visited the place.
Nitre.—It is not met with in the immediate neighbourhood of Kalabagh ; but the soil, from
whence it is obtained, which is of a deep black colour, is procured about eight coss to the
southward.
The Malliek of Kalabag, (Ullah Yar Khan,) derives his income, amounting to Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. 10,000
per annum, almost entirely from the mineral resources of the country. The salt trade, how
ever, is monopolized by Raja King Goolaub Singh, who only allows him to sell two boat loads, varying
from 300 to 700 maunds, per memsem. To the North-west but little salt is exported, as other
mines in that direction occur.
* Kingdom of Cabul, vol, i. M, Todd, page 59.