minerals;
another class will tell you that the minerals of India are worthless.
There is one class of newspaper writers who refer to the least known
and almost unexplored parts of the country as being the richest in
minernl wealth, but such confident statements have recently been
surpassed by one where the author has ventured to state, that " the
highest peaks of the Himalayas, under perpetual snow, without doubt
contain enormous stores of mineral wealth, which only require the
application of scientific knowledge for their development." We may, I
think, justly be at a loss which to admire most, the confidence in his
own assertion displayed by the writer, or his belief in the
capabilities of science.
Nine years ago, my former colleague, Mr. W. T. Blanford, f.r.s., read
a paper* on this subject, before your Society, and my acceptance of the
invitation of the Council to re-introduce it to your notice has been
given in consideration of the fact that in the p2riod which has
elapsed, much additional information has been obtained, and that of
late years attention has been specially directed to the mineral
resources of India.
Were
I to devote the time available this evening to giving you an account of
any one of the principal mineral products, I should not be able to do
full justice to the subject; and this I say, having, on more than one
occasion, attempted to do so without complete satisfaction- to myself,
before other audiences. Even the large volume I have written on the "
Economic Geology of India " will be found to be only a brief resume as
regards some of the subjects treated of; and the reading of it, in
order to a right understanding, should be supplemented by free
reference to the fuller reports on which it is based. Its recent
publication, however, absolves me, I venture to think, from going into
details in this paper.
Upwards
of 2,QO0 years ago the mineral productions of India were regarded as
being of considerable value and importance, for Megastlienes has
written, "India has, underground, numerous veins of all sorts of
metals, for it contains much gold and silver, and copper and iron, in
no small quantity, and even tin and other metals, which are employed in
making articles of use and ornament, as well as the implements and
accoutrements of war." Ptolemy and Pliny, and a host of subsequent
writers, have left on record facts of great importance and interest;
and in the correlation of these facts with those acquired in modern
times, I have met with a number of remarkable results and
identifications, some of which I have not as yet had an opportunity of
publishing.
It
would hardly suit the present occasion to follow the classification of
subjects adopted in the " Economic Geology." What has to be said may
most suitably be arranged under the following headings :—(i.) Precious
and Ornamental Stones; (2.) Fuel; (3.) Metals; (4.) Salt; (5.) Building
Stones; (6.) Pottery Clays; (7-) Miscellaneous. It is to be understood,
however, that some productions I have not included in any of the above
classes, but these are of minor importance, and may be omitted.
PRECIOUS AND ORNAMENTAL STONES. India has, it is needless perhaps to remark, enjoyed a wide reputation since the earliest times as being a land wherein all oh. nearly
all kinds of precious stones were to be found. If the term India be
applied in the largest sense, as including some of the adjoining
countries, especially Ceylon, Badakshan, and Burma, the statement is
true; but if India be narrowed down to the limits of the peninsula,
then some doubt must be expressed as to the occurrence of particular
species of precious stones. It is certain that in very early times
there were marts in India to which European jewellers repaired, in
order to purchase many varieties of precious stones, but where some of
these stones were obtained is not so clear, and the vague references of
travellers are often not of much practical aid; indeed, it often
happens, even at present, that it is extremely
