Iron in Ancient India c8.s1.18

c8.s1.18

Buchanan who visited Southern India in 1800 saw in Malabar iron manufacture from black iron sand in which the greater part of the Malabar Hills abounds. He also saw the same method of manufacturing iron from black iron sand on his way from Serangapatam to Bangalore and from both stone-ore and sand-ore in the districts of Madhugiri, Chin-nārāyan-durga, Hagalawadi, and Devaraya-durga. The methods and furnaces used are much the same as described by Heyne, the iron being obtained in the solid condition showing that the heat in the furnaces was sufficient only for softening the metal.¹ The reason for the comparative lowness of the temperature is the want of powerful bellows.