J 822.] Dr. Davy's Travels in Ceylon, 67 



sought more particularly for tin and copper, but in vain, having 

 never observed the shghtest traces of either, or of lead. Most 

 of the gems for which Ceylon is celebrated, occur, I believe, in 

 granitic rock. 



Belonging to the quartz family may be enutr*>3iated quartz, 

 iron-flint, chalcedony, and hyahte. Ceylon affords all the varie- 

 ties 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. The natives use it instead of glasses for the lenses of 

 spectacles ; they employ it too for ornamental purposes, and in 

 statuary. Amethyst, also, is pretty abundant. Very beautiful 

 specimens of this mineral are found in the alluvion, derived from 

 the decomposition of gneiss and granitic rocks, in Saifragam and 

 the Seven Korles. I have seen a large crystal of it, lately found 

 near Ruanwelle, containing apparently two distinct drops of 

 water. Rose quartz, which is pretty common, is often found in 

 the same place as amethyst. Ceylon produces the finest cat's- 

 eyes in the world, indeed the only kind that is highly esteemed^ 

 and that brings a high price. Prase is a variety of quartz that 

 is of rare occurrence in the island. The second species, iron 

 fiint, is not uncommon in the Kandyan country. The third spe- 

 cies, chalcedony, there is strong reason to suppose, exists in the 

 mountains of the interior. The fourth species, hyalite, is 

 extremely rare ; I have met with it only in a nitre cave in Doom-. 

 bera, partially encrusting a granitic rock. 



Belonging to the schorl family, I am acquainted with two spe- 

 cies only that undoubtedly occur in Ceylon, which are topaz and 

 schorl. The topaz generally passes under the name of the 

 "white or water sapphire." It is generally white, or bluish or 

 yellowish white ; it is commonly much water-worn, and perfect 

 crystals of it are very rare. Schorl 1 have not found in that 

 abundance I expected : common schorl indeed is not uncommon. 

 Tourmahne is rare ; the few specimens 1 have seen of it of the 

 green, honey-yellow, and red varieties, were of bad quality, and 

 I could not ascertain their locality. It is the opinion of some 

 writers, that both the emerald and beryl are found in Ceylon. 

 The former certainly is not found, and it is even doubtful if the 

 latter is. Of the garnet family, three species occur in gneiss or 

 granitic rock, viz. the garnet, pyrope, and cinnamon stone. 



The Zircon family is richer in Ceylon than in any other part 

 of the world. Besides the two well estabhshed species zircon 

 and hyacinth, I have met with a third, massive, opaque, and 

 uncrystaUized, and of a dark-brown colour ; I have specimens 

 of it weighing two or three ounces from SufFragam. 



For the ruby family Ceylon has long been celebrated. Four 

 species of it, viz. spinell, sapphire, corundum, and chrysoberyll, 

 occur, I beheve, in gneiss, or granitic rock. Spinell is compara- 

 tively rare ; sapphire is much more common. 



f2 



