Iranian Minerals — Copper-Oxides, Salt, Zinc 511 



of vinegar, and employed as an ingredient in many remedies for eye- 

 diseases. 1 



83. The Emperor Yan (a.d. 605-616) of the Sui dynasty, after 

 his succession to the throne, despatched Tu Han-man tt fr ffil to the 

 Western Countries. He reached the kingdom of Nan 52c (Bukhara), 

 obtained manicolored salt (wu se yen), and returned. 2 Istaxri relates 

 that in the district of Darabejird there are mountains of white, yellow, 

 green, black, and red salts; the salt in other regions originates from the 

 interior of the earth or from water which forms crystals; this, however, 

 is salt from mountains which are above the ground. Ibn Haukal adds 

 that this salt occurs in all possible colors. 3 



The Pei hu lu* distinguishes red, purple, black, blue, and yellow 

 salts. C'i yen 7$ |ft ("red salt ") like vermilion, and white salt like jade, 

 are attributed to Kao-S'an (Turfan). 5 Black salt (hei yen) was a product 

 of the country Ts'ao (Jaguda) north of the Ts'un-lin. 6 It is likewise 

 attributed to southern India. 7 These colored salts may have been im- 

 pure salt or minerals of a different origin. 



84. ffe 35 Vou-H is mentioned as a metallic product of Sasanian 

 Persia (enumerated with gold, silver, copper, pin, iron, and tin) in the 

 Sui iw. 8 It is further cited as a product of Nu kwo, the Women's Realm 

 south of the Ts'un-lih; 9 of A-lo-yi-lo K & & $k in the north of Utfdi- 

 yana, 10 and of the Arabs (Ta-si). 11 Huan Tsan's Memoirs contain the 

 term three times, once as a product found in the soil of northern India 

 (together with gold, silver, copper, and iron) , and twice as a material 

 from which Buddhist statues were made. 12 According to the Kin Vu 



1 J. Ruska, Steinbuch des Aristoteles, p. 182; and Steinbuch des Qazwlnl, 

 P- 25. 



1 Sui $u, Ch. 83, p. 4 b. 



I P. Schwarz, Iran, p. 95. 



4 Ch. 2, p. 11 (ed. of Lu Sin-yuan). 



5 Sui Su, Ch. 83, p. 3 b. In the T'ai p'in hwan yil ki (Ch. 180, p. n b) the same 

 products are assigned to Ku-§i 3f£ ^fp (Turfan). 



8 Sui $u, Ch. 83, p. 8. 



7 T'an Su, Ch. 221 A, p. 10 b. 

 * Ch. 83, p. 7 b. 



9 T'ai p'in hwan yil ki, Ch. 186, p. 9. 



10 Ibid., p. 12 b. 



II Ibid., p. 15 b. 



12 Cf. S. Julien, Memoires sur les contrees occidentales, Vol. I, pp. 37, 189, 

 354. Julien is quite right in translating the term by laiton ("brass"). Palladius 

 (Chinese-Russian Dictionary, Vol. II, p. 16) explains it as "brass with admixture of 

 lead, possessing attractive power." The definition of Giles ("rich ore brought 

 from Persia supposed to be an ore of gold and copper, or bronze") is inexact. T'ou- 



