14 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE ASD PRODUCTIOXS. 



spots, clouds and veins, of a blight apple green. A block, considerably under 

 a cubic yard, was some years since, in L'angoou, valued at £10,000, but found no 

 buyers, though it is said £8,000 were offered by the Cliincse for it. 



Garnet. 

 A subordinate constituent of some metamorpbic rocks. 



Beryl. Silicate of Aluminum and Glucinum. 



Common beryls are the " aqua-marine " of jewellers. The emerald is a moro 

 vnlnablo variety coloured by chrome. Both aqua-marines and emeralds are said to 

 bo brought from Upper Burma. 



Chondiiodite. 

 In granular limestone near Mandalay. 



Tourmaline. 



Schorl, or black tourmaline, occurs not rarely in the metamorpbic rocks east of 

 the Tsittouiig. Ked tourmaline also occurs in Upper Buruia, and Symes, the liiitish 

 Envoy to the King of Burma, was presented with a superb red tourmaline valued 

 in England at £500. 



Gypsum. Hydrous Calcium SuLrnATE. 

 The only form of gypsum in Burma is in the shape of thin veins traversing 

 some of the Tertiary clays of tho province. When tran.sparent, it is termed 

 selenite. 



Calcite. Calcium Carbonate. Calcareous Spar. 



Crystalline carbonate of lime usually occurs as a vein traversing limestone or 

 other rocks, or occupying cavities. It also occurs in the form of " stalactite," 

 depending from limestone caves, being deposited gradually by the water trickling 

 from the roofs. That which accumulates on the floor is termed "stalagmite." 

 It is usually mixed with a proportion of iron and alumina, but when crystalline, 

 forms a handsome and ornamental Ijuilding stone (as in the grand mosque at 

 Cairo), and is then termed oriental alabaster. It is abundant in the limestone 

 caves of Burma. An impure earthy form occurs in travertin or calcareous tufl'a, de- 

 posited on the surface of rocks by running water, and which is a valuable source 

 of lime when, as is usually the case, it is plentifully developed. Arragonite is 

 of the same chemical composition. 



Natron. Sodium Carbonate (impure). 



" Natron is said to be abundant in some localities above Ava, -where the Bumiese 

 use it for soap, and call it 'earth-soap.' This is the material of which Jeremiah 

 R])eaks, 'Though thou wash thee with nitre,' and to whose efl'ervescing property with 

 acids allusion is made in Proverbs, ' as vinegar upon nitre.' In both instances 

 tho translation ought to be ' natron,' which abounded in Egypt, and was well known 

 to the Jews." 



Group VI. HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS. 



Petroleum. Naphtha. Earth oil. 



The commercial Rangoon oil is mainly derived from wells in Upper Burma, but 

 a little has been obtained in the Thayct-niyo district from wells sunk in the Tertiary 

 sandstones, which are younger than the Nummnlitic rocks of the district. An entirely 

 ditferenl-looking oil to the thick " Jfangooii " oil is procured from rocks of similar 

 age as those wliich. yield petroleum in I'egu, on the Arakau coast and some of tho 



