Chap. I.] METALS. 29 



ence of tin in the alliiviiim along the base of tlie 

 moimtams to the eastward towards Edelgashena ; but so 

 circumstanced, owing to the flow of the Walleway river, 

 that, without lowering its level, the metal could not be 

 extracted with advantage. The position in which it 

 occurs is similar to that in which tin ore presents itself 

 in Saxony ; and along with it, the natives, when search- 

 ing for gems, discover garnets, corundum, white topazes, 

 zircon, and tourmaline. 



Gold is found in minute particles at Gettyhedra, and 

 in the beds of the Maha Oya and other rivers flowing 

 towards the west.^ But the quantity hitherto discovered 

 has been too tri\dal to reward the search. The early in- 

 habitants of the island were not ignorant of its presence ; 

 but its occurrence on a memorable occasion, as well as 

 that of silver and copper, is recorded in the Mahawanso 

 as a miraculous manifestation, which signahsed the 

 foundmg of one of the most renowned shrines at the 

 ancient capital.^ 



Nickel and cobalt appear in small quantities in Saf- 

 fragam, and the latter, together with rutile (an oxide 

 of titanium) and wolfram^ might find a market in China 

 for the colouring of porcelain.^ Tellurium^ another rare 

 and valuable metal, hitherto found only in Transylvania 

 and the Ural, has hkewise been discovered in these 



^ Riianwelle, a fort about forJ.y 

 miles distant from Colombo, derives 

 its name from tlie sands of the river 

 wliicli flows below it, — rang-welle, 

 "golden sand." '^ Rang-galla," in 

 tbe central province, is referable to 

 the same root — the rock of gold. 



2 MahaxoansOy eh. xxiii. p. 166, 

 167. 



^ The Asiatic Annual Hecfister for 

 1799 contains the following : — 



"Extract from a leHo' from Colombo, 

 dated 2ijth Oct. 1798. 



" A discovery has been lately made 

 here of a very rich mine of quicksilver, 



about six miles from this place. The 

 appearances are very promising, for 

 a handfid of the earth on the surface 

 will, by being washed, produce the 

 value of a rupee. A guard is set over 

 it, and accounts sent express to the 

 Madras Government." — P. 53. See 

 also Peecival's Ceylon, p. 539. 



JoiNviLLE, in a MS. essay on TJie 

 Geology of Ceylon, now in the library 

 of the East India Company, says that 

 near Trincomalie there is " im sable 

 noir, compose de deti-iments de trappe 

 et de cristaux de fer, dans lequel on 

 trouve par le lavage beaucoup de 

 mercure" 



