[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Les six voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier) › [Travels in India (Ball)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball) › 74 # Travels in India (Tavernier) 74: Concerning Saltpetre. Travels in India (Ball) 74 - **Language:** English ### [74](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.74) Saltpetre comes in abundance from Agra and from Patna, a town of Bengal; and that which is refined costs three times as much as that which is not. The Dutch have established a depot at Chapra, which is 14 leagues above Patna; and the saltpetre being refined there, they send it by river to Hugly. They imported boilers from Holland, and employed refiners to refine the saltpetre for themselves; but have not succeeded, because the people of the country, seeing that the Dutch wished to deprive them of the profits of refining, would not supply them any longer with whey, without the aid of which the saltpetre cannot be bleached, for it is worth nothing at all if it is not very white and very transparent. A maund of saltpetre costs 7 mahmūdis. - [Previous: 73.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.73.4) - [Next: 75.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.75.1) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.74](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.74) · Pramāṇa