'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎213v] (431/988)

833) RAS r
fro in sl few -thorns, there is no vegetation m these hills. ^ ith the exception
of a few birds no animals were seen.
In the lower spurs salt and sulphur are found.
Some of these salt deposits are of pretty large extent but the quality
Is bad, the salt being highly mixed with gravel and earth ; only small de
posits contain pure and clear salt.
The sulphur deposits occur near Kuh-i-Kibrit. Two hills to the south
western extremity of the range, distant 1 mile from each other and facing
the sea, consist of a soft rock of white or yellow colour winch appears to be
a mixture of lime with gypsum and silica similar to the sinter deposits of the
sulphur springs of Dashtistan, and this rock contains sulphur to the extent
of 10 to 15 per cent of the whole mass. At some places a large number
of small veins of pure sulphur and crystalline lace the sulphuric rock, hut
these are generally not more than 2 or 3 inches thick. I only found two
veins of about 6 to 8 inches in thickness.
These sulphur deposits are worked by the natives in a very primitive
manner. They obtain the sulphur on the surface of the hills, and only a
few entries, or rather holes, are made to follow the best veins.
As for the commercial value of these deposits it should be noted that
/l) the deposits are small and, if extensively worked, would be exhausted
within a few years ; ( 2 ) they are poor in sulphur ; the percentage of sul
phur might increase if shafts were sunk and work undertaken at a lower
depth, but this would probably not pay ; (3) the smelting as at present
carried on, is very wasteful, but can only be improved by the use of fuel—
- -an expensive item, as firewood is very scarce here; and (4) the mine can only
be worked part of the year, the temperature during July, August, and Sep
tember being too high even for native workmen. The Governor of Lmgah,
Mirza Ismail, claims the ownership of these sulphur deposits.
At some places the sulphur deposits are slightly impregnated with alum ;
at others vapours of S0 3 issue from the ground.
In the hills of Ras-Bustaneh a stratum of iron ore, striking _ south to
north and dipping 50 degrees to west, was seen. It crops out in a small
cut at an elevation of 880 feet. Roof and floor of this stratum consist of
limestone-schist. The thickness is not more than 2 to 3 feet, and the quality
varies greatly ; this reduces the total thickness of the pure ore to about
8 inches to 1 foot. Some parts of the stratum consist of good iron glance,
dense and heavy, while other layers show a large percentage of lime, ine
small extent of this stratum and the unequal quality of the mineral deprive
'it of all commercial value.
Traces of copper were also found in these mountains, but the quantity is
much too small to be of any value. ( }f r inklehiM£? } 18Jl.)
HAS CHIRU— Lat. 26° 41' 31" ; Long. 53° 3fi' 38".
A long, low, projecting, sandy point on the coast of Lar, which forms the
bay of Chiru. A sandy reef runs from it in a west-south-westerly direction,
with soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. of from U to 5 fathoms on it; but there is no danger on
it, in or outside 3 * fathoms, as it shoals after you are on it to that dept
gradually. Outside of 6 fathoms the water suddenly deepens to 1 U, Id, ana
17 fathoms.— (Brucks)