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GOLD IN CEYLON.
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be
conjectured from the nature of the surrounding rocks and the quality of
the sand and alluvium in which they are found. The minerals pertaining
to this rock are of the quartz family, quartz, iron flint, chalcedony
and hyalite. Ceylon affords all the varieties of quartz, as
rock-crystal, amethyst, rose-quartz, cat's-eye, and prase. Rock-crystal
occurs in abundance, both massive and crystallized, of Various colours,
good quality and in large masses. Its localities do not need noticing.
Buttons are made of it. The black crystal is of a shining fracture, and
falls into slate-like shivers, which are transparent at the edges. It
possesses electrical properties. The natives use it instead of glass
for the lenses of spectacles ; they employ it too for ornamental
purposes and statuary. In the Mahawihara, in Kandy, there is a small
well-executed figure of Buddha of this stone. Amethyst (Skuandi, Singh,) also
is pretty abundant; very beautiful specimens of this mineral are found
in the alluvium derived from the decomposition of gneiss and granitic
rock in Saffragam and the seven Korales. The largest specimens are cut
for buttons, and the smaller for a smaller-sized button. The more
saturated the colour is in them, the riper they are. They were probably
once in a fluid state, and previous to their crystallization were
tinged with a violet colour, which incorporated itself with a part or
else with the whole of the fluid. It is of a purple violet colour,
differing much in the degrees in which they are coloured. Some are so
saturated as to appear almost black. They seldom reach the size of a
walnut; the larger they are the paler, and less esteemed. Crystals of
it, containing apparently two distinct drops of water, have been found.
Rose-quartz, which is pretty common, is often found in the same place
as amethyst.
Ceylon produces the finest cat's-eyes (Wairodi, Singh.) in
the world; indeed, the oniy kind that is highly esteemed and that
brings a high price. The best specimens of this singular mineral have
been found in the granitic alluvium of Saffragam and Matura. It is a
hard stone, approaching more or less to white or green,
semi-diaphanous, with a streak of the breadth of a line in the middle,
whiter than the stone itself, and throws its light to the side that it
is turned. It is a pseudo-opal, averaging the size of a hazel nut.
Prase is a variety of quartz that seldom occurs in the island. The
second species, iron-flint, is not uncommon in the Central Province,
Saffragam, and Lower Uva. Some varieties of it much resemble hornstone.
The third species, chalcedony, undoubtedly exists somewhere in the
mountains of the interior, as fragments of it have been observed in the
possession of the natives. The fourth species, hyalite, is extremely
rare, being met with only in a nitre cave in Dumbera, partially
encrusting a granitic rock.
Belonging to the schorl family are two species, the topaz and schorl (Purperagan, Smgh.). The
former is generally known as the white or water sapphire. It is
commonly white, or bluish, or yellowish white ; much waterworn, and
perfect crystals of it are very rare. It occurs in many places in the
alluvium of granitic rock, about the size of a large nut, and is
clearer than white crystal. Schorl is not abundant; common schorl is
perhaps an exception, it is to be seen in many places in the granitic
rocks, and in places in Lower Uva, mixed with quartz and felspar, it
constitutes a rock of considerable magnitude. Tourmaline is rare, and
the common varieties of green (patje turemali), a name given both to
chrysolites with tetraedal prisms, and even sometimes to the
chryscprasi. It is often opaque, and various shades, bordering on
yellow, blue, and black, are classed under it; honey yellow (kaneke
turemali), is a topaz of a greenish yellow in appearance, resembling
amber; some are ' more saturated and ripe, almost of an orange colour.
Red (pana turemali), is a quartz; when laid on a table it appears
opaque; held to the light it has a pale red hue. They vary in size from
a grain of rice to a pea. They are seldom crystallized, and most of
them are worn smooth and polished from the action of the water. Blue
(neela turemali), is a quartz; white (sudu turemali), is a topaz of a
pale yellow called the Matura diamond. It is not perfectly transparent;
for this reason, it is often calcined in the fire, which has an effect
on the colour ; but
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