Page 78 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883

66 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
these caves from the trickling of brine, stalactites of various shape and
magnitude are formed, yielding snow-white masses of salt of saccharoid
description.
The salt occurs in four principal forms: 1H, pure white masses
easily reduced to granules; 2nd, red masses of stony hardness; 3rd,
saccharoid masses from trickling of brine; and 4Ih, translucent and
transparent masses of cubical forms. In some of the translucent
specimens I found pure crystals of sulphur adhering to or enclosed in
the mass. The granular form is the one of commercial' value. It is
generally of a pure white colour. One specimen was of a darkish
colour from an admixture of specular iron ore and to a small extent a
metallic sulphide (bismuth ?). The red, hard blocks of salt are principally
used by the natives for salting fish. Indeed the existence of such an
extensive deposit of salt in a district where fishery is carried on to such
a large extent seems to be a provision of the Almighty for the benefit of
his creatures.
The salt is dug out by means of crow-bars. Sometimes during the
working of these mines people are buried alive from earth-falls. The
mines which yield the present salt are situated about half an hour's
walk from the sea-shore; the path leading to them winds between the
rocks, and is difficult for the camels. The salt is brought on the beach
by the camels, costing about four and a half krans per " JBahar " of 400
maunds of nine pounds each, and taking the custom charges at one and
a half kran and the cost of quarrying at a dollar, the total cost of the
salt on the beach would amount to 2J- dollars per “ Babar." Recently
salt of a very good quality is being quarried from the rocks close to
the cave described by Mr. W. Johnston, the distance from the beach
being only about a hundred yards, so that the cost of carriage is saved
to the miners.
The salt mines at Harneran are also extensive; they are situated
about an hour's walk from the sea-shore. The salt occurs in beds of
about four feet thick with intervening layers of earthy material. The
salt-beds are hard in consistence, and are broken by means of gun­
powder, the masses being subsequently reduced to granules by wooden
and iron mallets. Some of the specimens here are of a pale greenish
colour from an earth of that tint; this earth exists in isolated deposits
and mounds varying from earthy softness to stony hardness, the green
tint seeming to depend upon Manganese. The quarrying expenses
here are about one dollar per “ Bahar," camel-hire being four and a
half krans, and boat-hire to Lingah being three krans, making a total
cost of 2$ dollars per u Bahar." Should the vessels demanding salt
go to Hameran, boat-hire would be saved to them. No doubt in the
working of these mines improved implements of quarrying, improved roads
and means of carriage would greatly facilitate the work and reduce
labour. Large quantities of salt are exported by native boats to
Muskat, whence it is carried by merchant vessels to Bengal, Zanzibar,
Mauritius, Batavia, &c., and merchant vessels bringing ricef injar, &C-,
to the Gulf, also on their return take a cargo of salt, gene^dly at
Lingab. On an average from 25 to 30,000 tons of salt are exported
annually from these mines; the best specimens being from the K&U*