as
Colonial Geologist, and sent to report specially on the district of
Saffragam in the southern part of the island, where gems have always
abounded, and where the greatest mineral wealth was always thought to
exist. This district includes and lies around the base of Adam's Peak,
and its chief town is named Ratnapura, " the City of Rubies." Much to
our disappointment we find that Dr. Gygax says not one word of geld, he
does not seem even to have recognized the possibility of its existence,
not a word about silver, copper or tin in these reports. There is
however a great deal about iron which, after all, if India and Ceylon
are to be traversed by railways, may be of more importance than the
more precious metal. In consequence of the large demand, iron has risen
so high in England, and the expense of freight has also increased so
greatly that the East India Railway Companies are offering every
possible encouragement to the manufacture of iron in the country.
Accordingly, the Iron Works of India have taken a new start, and it is
not impossible that Ceylon may yet be engaged in turning out masses of
the great civilizer. It seems a dangerous thing to dogmatize. We have
always thought it safe to follow Dr. Davy (brother of the celebrated
Philosopher) in the assertion that no gold exist d in Ceylon, and that
iron was to be found only in detached masses. But here come a number of
men who know nothing of geology, and they soon afford a practical proof
of the existence of gold. Then again, if Dr. Gygax is to be relied on,
there is a bed of iron ore in Saffragam, 20 miles in extent, which
might be made to yield " millions of tons." Cheap labour would be
wanted to coavert the surrounding forests into charcoal, for strange to
say neither is there in the reports before us one word about
anthracite, although Dr. Gygax is said to have discovered it, and
although specimens of it collected by him are deposited in the Museum
of the local Branch of the Asiatic Society. In these reports although
we iind nothing said of the .more valuable metals, yet Dr. Gygax
mentions the existence of a " Mica coloured like burnished copper " to
be found nowhere else, but in that part of the island, and indicating,
he thinks rich doposits of precious stones. This reminds us of a
discovery made by a gentleman who unfortunately left for Galle this
morning to proceed to India. Mr. Robert Craig, while tracing a road in
Saffragam, discovered masses which he believed to contain gold in
connection with what appeared to be copper, not green but with the
usual copper colour. The bearings of the spot are said to have been
fixed, and it was covered up for further examination. A specimen of the
substance said to contain gold when first examined by Dr. Lamprey was
pronounced to contain nothing more valuable than arsenic. A further
examination, however, with reference to the recent gold discoveries, is
said to have led to the detection of gold in Mr. Craig's specimen. We
speak from verbal information, and of course under correction. Perhaps
Dr. Lamprey will favour the public with the result of his observations.
If gold should have been found in the specimens, it seems a pity that
Mr. Craig should have been allowed to depart without being asked to
point out the locality for further research. Although tin ore is not
mentioned by Dr. Gygax in his reports to Government, yet he includes it
in a list of minerals found by himself, and indicates Saffragam as the
locality, in a paper printed in the transactions of the local Asiatic
Society in 1848. This, and the facts quoted by Bennett, go to shew that
tin really exists in Ceylon, and may yet be found in quantity. The
search for gold, even if comparatively unsuccessful, may reveal the
presence of metals which exist in the same geological formations, viz.,
tin, copper and lead. On every account it seems well that the country
should be thoroughly explored. The researches of Dr. Gygax were cut
short by motives of finance, and he was subsequently forced to seek his
fortune in Australia. Thither also proceeded our old friend Major
Baddely of the Engineers, who wrote much on the Geology of Canada and
Ceylon. He had found gold in the former country in formations exactly
similiar to some which he saw in Ceylon. We must refer to his letters
in our columns to see if he did not actually assert that gold would be
found in
