Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/492

 4-76 COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION OF 15 or 10 feet a common depth for the whole mhie. The processes pursued for extracting the ore, — for clearing the mine of water, — and for washing the mineral earth, so much resemble the same opera- tions followed with the tin ore, that they need not be detailed. The access to the mine is by the trunk of a forest tree, into which steps are cut. The ore is extracted and brought up by manual labour with spades and baskets. The largest mines are cleared of water by the Chinese wheel, and the mineral is washed in an aqueduct lined with the bark of trees, and supphed by a neighbouring brook with a stream of running water. In the large mines it is the practice to suspend the pro- cess of extracting the mineral, and to wash the auriferous earth at the end of every thirty-five days. A mine wrought by 200 labourers will af- ford in that time, as the largest produce, about 320 bungkals, or 555^ ounces troy, and as the low- est, about 140 bungkals, or 243 ounces troy. The following detailed statement will point out more fully the expences and profits of the mining busi- ness, as it is conducted by the Chinese.