STORIES ABOUT GOLD AND GOLD MINES
The water of the Indus which passes by Wayhind the capital of
Gandhara is known as the River of Gold among the people of India.
Some people do not like its water for this reason. In its source from
which the river takes its course, it is known as Muh and where its waters
collect in volume, it is called Karsh which means "black", as because of
its depth, it is green and limpid, and appears black. It is known as the
"River of Sindlv (ma' al-Sind) when it reaches in the vicinity of the site
of the Shamil Idol in Kashmir.
Pits are dug at the bottom of the river at its source. Water passes
over these pits which are filled with quicksilver. These pits are examined
after a year has passed, and the quicksilver is found to have been converted into gold. This is because the water near the source flows at a
high velocity. The water carries nuggets of gold along with the sand.
These nuggets are minute and slender like the wings of the mosquito.
When these particles pass over the quicksilver, the gold sticks to the
quicksilver and the sand passes over.
It is said that at Sharghur there is a stream which is reserved for the
chief Khan of the area. No one is allowed to approach it. The Khan has
the stream cleaned every year and he gets a considerable quantity of
gold. There is little doubt that this water is also like that of the Indus.
A device has been introduced at one place to prevent the gold from flowing with the water and to sediment it.
The same is true of the river Jayhun (Bactrus) in the region of Khutlan. The water that falls down from its source has this place closest to it.
The force of the water loses its momentum here, and the water contains
gold. Since it is close to the level ground, the water cannot carry the
gold with it, and allows it to sink. When gold is taken out along with
sand and earth, it is washed, leached and smelted so as to yield round
grains like the fruit of the soapwort.
A person told (me) the name of a village in the hill of Khutal. He
had seen it. He used to say about it that it was totally barren and did
not produce anything. Spring rains are the sole source of sustenance of
these people. When the rainwater flows down, the people of this hill
take out their spades and knives. They dig the sites which have been
flooded, and take out from below the earth, elongated tablets which are
whitish and seem to have been cast with the gold running in long threads,
as if a goldsmith has stretched these threads. They collect them and buy
all the necessities of life, e.g., means of communication, food and so on.
Were it otherwise, no one would have ever gone to them nor could they
