'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎16] (243/258)

16 APPENDIX E.
that any analysis of the salt, or of the lake water, has been made. Lake Sawraur
is situated partly within the Jeypoor and partly in the Jodepoor dominions, and
by an understanding between the two Governments its produce of salt is sold un-
d^r the control of a Wukeel from each Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). , who each holds his cutcherry in
the town of Sawmur, which has evidently at one time been a far more considera
ble place than it now is It has a-seen-better-days sort of look about it, and the
tumuli and ruins around bespeak its reduction in size. The share of the Jeypoor
State is more than one-half of the whole proceeds, possibly from a greater pro
portion of the Samund being embraced by its territory, but I know not the true
reason for the inequality in the dividends. The whole yearly income I was told
varies from four to six lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . This year the lake has been more than
usually full of water, which would, as I supposed, have likely caused a greater pro
duce of salt ; but this did not appear to be expected by the Natives, though I
did not hear any good reason assigned by them. lam not certain, but I think
they preferred a medium amount of water in the lake, and if so I conclude that in
such a case the dissolving of the salt and the evaporating power were more
equalized and made the produce greater. I was led to expect that large crystals
of salt of a pretty appearance, and many of them worked into different shapes,
would have been brought for sale. I saw nothing of the kind, and forgot to inquire
about them. Thelake has completely the appearance of that on the Flats between
Mahaluxumee and Worlee and might pass muster for it. I have not heard it
remarked by those, who till they came here had been accustomed to sea salt, that
they found that of Lake Sambur in any respects different for common use I was
much struck with a very simple but ingenious way by which the salt deposition
or manufacture was forced or hastened. At a little distance from the banks—say
200 or 300 yards—where the water is I dare say some two feet deep, a very con
siderable enclosure or coffer-dam is made by means of posts interwoven with twigs
or reeds which aro made water tight. The water, by the use of scoops kept
swinging by manual labour, is baled out till only a sufficient moisture is left that
can be carried off by the reduced temperature of the sun’s rays in the cold season,
and the residue is then collected. An offer was made to take me off on a raft of
reeds to see one of these, but time did not admit of my going, besides I was told
I must expect both to get wetted and also covered with mud, so the temptation to
go did not overcome these objections. I imagine these coffer-dams were in
diameter about 150 yards, and there were several of these at Sawmur. This town
by the bye, is at the east end of the Samund, and the intermediate neighbourhood
is not hilly. There are isolated short chains of hills retired from the lake at that
end of it, but the country generally is a plain shelving for very many miles back
gradually towards the lake. The downward inclination is however so gentle as
hardly to be perceptible in i iding over the ground. The incline is, I have no
doubt, much the same under the waters, and will account for th’eir shallowness.
For some miles west of Sawmur, the same description holds good, these hills rise
■ more abruptly over the Lake, round part of the south, the whole of the west and
part of the north side. In short, hold a coal shuttle with the point slightly elevated
and some sort of an approach to the appearance of Lake Sambur, its basin and
banks will be produced, barring however the regularity of the sides of the useful
article borrowed for the nonce as a simile, those of the lake being irregular.
Having by me the letter of a friend, learned in natural history and geology, in
which he gives me a description of the N. W. approach to and appearance of the
Lake (which I myself did not visit), I gladly take advantage of it, both because
of its graphic and its scientific detail:—‘From Mukhranait is a good march of seven
hours to A woo, near thelake. The lake is situated about250 to 200 feet deeper
than the valleys in the principal chain of the Aravullis, and you descend a steep
pass, from the top of which you see the lake extending below you. Awoo is
a small village, where you hardly can get supplies The lake itself is only a pool
of water, large after the rains, and drying up almost entirely during the hot
season, when the people of Sambur take away the white crust of Suit which it
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