1820.] " The Book of Precious Stones." 186 



Secondly, Bidschade, the garnet, is a red stone, of pure water, 

 which often loses its lustre when worn in the dress,* and which 

 is distinguished from the jakut not only by its inferior weight, 

 but also by a greater degree of warmth, the jakut, when 

 taken into the mouth being cold, and making it moister, while the 

 contrary takes place with the garnet. Thirdly, the madeiidsch, 

 or madehendsch, is a very red stone ; it is quite similar to the 

 garnet, but its red inclines more to black, and it is Ughter in 

 weight. It'hus no lustre till it is cut deep from below.f 



Sect. 2. Of the Mines of these Stones.— l\\e benefsch is found 

 in the mines of the spinell ; the garnets and madendsch (made- 

 hendsch, or madenidsch) are found on the frontiers of Bedach- 

 schan, and brought to Cachemire, about ten days' journey oflf; 

 which has given rise to the erroneous supposition that there 

 were mines of them at Cachemire. The garnet has a division 

 like the laal, and is found in the mountain of Sahun, where there 

 are also jakut mines. When they come from the mines, they 

 are dark, and without water, and are not bright and transparent 

 till they are cut. 



CnAv.X.\l.—OftheOiiyx{Dschesi). 



Sect. 1. Of the Properties of the Oni/i.— There are several 

 kinds, as: \. Bakraioi. 2.Haheschi. 3. Aiiebi. But they 

 ore classed according to their colour : 1. Into the white. 2. Into 

 the black. 3. Into the red. 4. Into the particoloured. The 

 hakrawi has three layers ; the first, red, and not transparent ; 

 the second, white and transparent ; the third, transparent, like 

 crystal. The habeschi has hkewise three layers, two dark, and 

 a white one in the middle. The onyx is the hardest stone after 

 the diamond or jakut, and is about the same weight as a corne- 

 lian. Some onyxes are striped, others not; m others, the 

 stripes are interrupted ; so that they form singular figures. 



Sect. 2. Of the Mines of the 0«(/x.— Though the onyx is found 

 in several places, the most esteemed are those found on the 

 frontiers of China and Arabia. 



Chap. XIII. Of the Magnet. 

 Sect.]. Of the Properties of the Magnet.— There are four kinds 

 of the magnet: \. The iron magnet, commonly called the iron 

 robber, ahenruba. 2. The goW magnet. 3. The silver magnet. 

 4. The tin magnet, which attracts gold, silver, and tin. The 

 magnet loses its power in oily substances, but increases it when 

 put into blood, gold, or vinegar. The silver magnet is a white 

 ight stone, which swims on water, attracts silver, and is com- 



I 



♦ As <hey have little hardncF!!, tlipy soon Ix^comc dull. 



+ It i.-aUo usual among us to cut garnets of a dark colour hollow, or to laj' foil 

 nadrr ihcia. 



