310 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1899. 



The following- analyses quoted from Dana serve to show the hetero- 

 geneous character of the material as found: 



Occurrence. — The localities are mostly foreign. The ultramarine 

 reported not long since as occurring near Silver City, New Mexico, 

 has been shown by R. L. Packard to be a magnesian silicate. 



Mexico, Chile, Siberia, India, and Persia are the chief sources. The 

 following regarding the Indian localities is taken from Ball's Geology 

 of India, Part III. 



According to Captain Hutton, the lapis lazuli sold in Kandahar is 

 brought from Sadmoneir and Bijour. where it is said to occur in masses 

 and nodules embedded in other rocks. He obtained a small specimen 

 from Major Lynch, which was said to have been brought from Hazara, 

 and he heard that it occurred in Khelat. Several writers speak of 

 its occurrence in Biluchistan, but possibly this may be due to some 

 confusion in names. Bevond a question of doubt it does exist in 

 Badakshan, the mines south of Firgamu, in the Kokcha vallej^s,, 

 having been described by Wood in the narrative of his journey to the 

 Ox us. 



The entrance to the mines is on the face of the mountain at an ele- 

 vation of about 1,500 feet above the level of the stream. The rocks 

 are veined, black and white limestones. The principal mine, as repre- 

 sented in elevation, pursues a somewhat serpentine direction. The 

 shaft by which you descend to the gallery is about 10 feet square, and 

 is not so perpendicular as to prevent your walking down. The gallery 

 is 30 paces long, with a gentle descent, but it terminates in a hole 20 

 feet in diameter and as many deep. The gallery is 12 feet in diameter, 

 and as it is unsupported by pillars accidents sometimes occur. Fires 

 are used to soften the rock and cause it to crack; on being hammered 

 it comes off in flakes, and when the precious stone is disclosed a groove 

 is picked round it, and together with a portion of the matrix it is prised 

 out by means of crowbars. Three varieties are distinguished by the 

 miners, the nili^ or indigo colored, the asmani, or sky-blue, and the 

 sabzl^ or green. The labour was compulsory ; and mining wa s only prac- 

 tised in the winter. According to Wood, these mines and also those for 

 rubies had not been worked for four years as they had ceased to be 

 profital)le. Possibly this may have been partly due to the fall in value; 

 according to Mr. Baden-Powell, recent returns represent the exports 



