The state herald., 1893-05-19

nt times, his
~

captured By Mahomed, Of Gazni, in
his ten expeditions to India. In his
tenth and most famous expedition tho
value Of gold alone, obtained on the
destruction Of the temple Of Somnath,
has been estimated at $50, 900, 900. So
wealthy was India known to be that in
turn it has attracted the attention of
the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans,
the Arabs, the Tartars, the Moguls,
the Portuguese, the French, and last
but not least the English. Who has
not heard Of the famous exclamation
of Give, when impeached in the Brit
ish House Of Commons for accepting
brides in India? After describing the
enormous wealth spread out at his feet
in the treasure vaults at Moorshcd-
abad when he was desired to take rs
much as he pleased, and he only ac-
cepted f1O0,O 900, he said, "By God,
gentlemen, wonder at my own
moderation"
1t would be difficult to say when
gold mining was first practised in
India. In that most ancient Of books,
the Rig Veda (the Hindu Scripture)
mention is made Of small bags Of gold
dust-Pndan-as being current among
the Hindus. Singular to relate, little
bags of gold dust uudcr the name Phi
tang, arc still in use as money in Ku-
maon and other Himalayan districts.
The Satapatha Brathmana, another Of
the Hindu sacred books, speaks of
bags of yellow gold. India paid its
tribute Of sl7 800, 900 to Darius, the
Persian, in gold dust, In. C. 400.
This is the form in which the metal is
met with in alluvial mining. Pliny in
A. D. II, referred to the country Of
the Narea as containing numerous
mines Of gold and silver. The coun-
try Of the Narem has been identified
with Malabar, forming the western
boundary Of Mysore, where these
ancient mines are still to be seen.
Pliny also describes the operations Of
the gold miners in Kaspatyrus (Kash.
merc), and speaks Of q mining pick
made Of horn used by the Indian min.
ers being preserved in the temple OF
Hercules at Erythroe. Although
nearly 1000 years have elapsed since
Pliny mentioned this fact. yet in the
present day. mining is still carried on
in this locality. and in precisely SINH
lar manner, the pick used being the
horn Of the wild sheep tipped with
iron, and mounted on wooden handle.
Gold is known to occur in all the
great divisions Of lndia-in Bengal,
Madras and Bombay Prcsidencics; in
the Central Provinces; Puniaub; North
west Provinces, Burmah. and many
Of the native States. The Manual Of
the Geology Of India gives list Of
10 districts, making up an area of
thousands OF square miles, where gold
is, in the present day, washed for by
the natives in the streams and water
courses.
Although gold mining has been ear
ried on In some Of these districts from
time immcmorial, yet the recorded in.
formation is Of the scanticst kind, and
1t is only very recently that the ntten.
ton Of the Indian Government has
been directed to the subject, and no
detailed survey Of any Of the Indian
gold fields has yet been undertaken by
the government. Professor V. Ball,
Of the Dublin University date Of the
geological survey Of India, has done
good service in collecting the informa-
tion available in the government rec.
ords at Calcutta, aud mining men owe
him debt Of gratitude for the great
store Of facts brought within easy
reference in Part 3 Of the Manual OF
the Geology Of India. Fifteen years
ago public attention in this country
was directed to the gold fields Of South
India by the publication Of the official
report on these fields by Mr.. Brough
Smyth, n wcll.known Australian au-
thority on gold mines.