Ningpo to Shanghai in 1857/The Poosan Monastery to the Iron Streams
Ten miles (30 lē) N. W. from the Poosan Monastery are the hills from which iron sand washes into the stream bed below. This sand is smelted into pigs at various places in the vicinity. There are one or two such smelteries close by the Kwei-ah-Deen (the Temple spoken of at the foot of the Kwei-ling-foong) and the traveller may be interested in visiting them as well as the mines. The furnaces are simple upright clay cylinders, similar to those used for casting purposes in the south of China. The sand yields of pure ore-two thirds of its gross weight (66 in 100) which, cast in pigs of 3 catties each, sells at the furnace for 32 cash a catty, about equal to £12 per Ton of 20 Cwt. (9) They smelt 700 peculs a year at this place, the residence of 100 families.
Leaving the village of New-Za for the mines,—about a mile nor' west is the hamlet of Chang-woo with 40 families, and one mile north again is Djee Deo with 100 families. The women here dress their hair in a peculiar manner. In front it is brushed back as in the south, but the back hair is twisted in a roll, and bound tightly from the roll with black silk cord for a length of 7 or 8 inches.(10) This is then turned up, like a horn, at the back of the head, and stands four or five inches above the crown, the hair then being turned round, so as to give it the appearance of a handle. In cases where, instead of being upright, the horn inclines to either side, the wearer has quite a jaunty appearance. In the spring of 1857 foreigners had not been seen before in this quarter, the curiosity exhibited by all on the occasion of the first visit being something extraordinary. The style of head dress spoken of is found to extend throughout the country from this to the River Tsien-Tang.
On a hill over the large village of In-gee-coon, of 500 families, is an hexagonal pavilion which can be seen for some distance. In-gee-coun is one mile N.W. from Djee-Deo, and one mile further N.W. is Poey-woe, a small place of 50 families. There are two large villages within a distance of 4 lē, still N. W. from Poey-woe, viz Gan-Deo with 150 and Woo-Dong. with 400 families. The houses are well built at Woo-Dong, and it bears the appearance of a thriving place.
Tobacco is grown in, this quarter, though not largely. Travelling, by those who can afford it, is in chairs, or rather trays, swung to a pole, the ends of which rest on men's shoulders.
One mile N. N. W. from Woo-Dong, is Kang-lew, a place which, besides a temple, has only a few straggling houses. But N. N. W, thence, about 4 lé off, is the broad bed of the stream, where, in groups of 30 and 40 together, are the iron washers. The iron sand as before mentioned is washed from the hills. This is ascertained by the yield being most prolific after the floods from the heavy rains have subsided, say in the 1st and 2nd months of the year, the produce in the 6th and 7th months, (the dry season) being little, The region over which the iron washings extend is from the village of Tung-ling to Wong-Zac, a distance of ten miles (30 lé)—the line, so far as it can be observed from Keen-che, running N. E. and S. W. The stream bed is over a couple of hundred yards in width in some places, though, excepting at rain seasons, the flow is inconsiderable; sufficient, however, to enable bamboo rafts to get to the charcoal deposits among the mountains.
The process of iron washing is simple. The bed of the stream, washed and unwashed, is marked off in sections; and small channels, about a yard wide are made from the main stream, of sufficient length to give a good fall into a wood trough about 6 feet long and 8 inches deep, 3 feet wide at the top and tapering to a foot and a half. Into this trough, placed on a slight inclination, with the water flowing over the head board, one man pours in sand as it is brought by others, or he exhausts a heap lying contiguous. Most of what is put in washes away immediately, leaving behind it, however, the sought for iron. One trough being filled, the water is partially turned off, and another is proceeded to. In the course of three or four hours, or less, a trough is thoroughly drained of the superfluous sand, and the iron grains remain. Removed in to baskets, this is sold to the first comer at 19 cash a catty. The washers profess to earn, in good times, as much as 200 cash a day—at others, a mace only—little enough for such laborious work and so much exposure. The water, about 5° of Fahrenheit higher temperature than the air at a spring noon—is rough to the palate and tasteless.