36 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. [Part I. 



small round hills which intercept it, I found the rubies 

 changed into brown corundum. Upon the hills them- 

 selves the trace was lost, and instead of a stratum there 

 was merely a wild chaos of blocks of yellow granite. I 

 carefully examined all the minerals which this stratum 

 contains, — felspar, mica, and quartz molybdena, and iron 

 pyrites, — and I found all similar to those I had pre- 

 viously got adhering to rough rubies offered for sale at 

 Colombo. I firmly believe that in such strata the rubies 

 of Ceylon are originally founds and that those in the 

 wdiite and blue clay at Ballangodde and Eatnapoora are 

 but secondary deposits. I am further inclined to beheve 

 that these extend over the whole island, although often 

 intercepted and changed in their direction by the rising 

 of the yellow granite." It is highly probable that the 

 finest rubies are to be found in them, perfect and 

 unchanged by decomposition ; and that they are to be 

 obtained by opening a regular mine in the rock hke the 

 ruby mine of Badakshan in Bactria described by Sir 

 Alexander Burnes. Dr. Gygax adds that having often 

 received the minerals of this stratum mth the crystals 

 perfect, he has reason to beheve that places are known 

 to the natives where such mines might be opened witli 

 confidence of success. 



Eubies both crystalline and amorphous are also found 

 in a particular stratum of dolomite at BiiQatotte and 

 BaduUa, in which there is a peculiar copper-coloured 

 mica with metaUic lustre. Star rubies, the " asteria " of 

 Phny (so called from their containing a movable six- 

 rayed star), are to be had at Eatnapoora and for very 

 trifling sums. The blue tinge which detracts from the 

 value of the pure ruby, whose colour should resemble 

 " pigeon's blood," is removed by the Singhalese, by 

 enveloping the stone in the hme of a calcined shell and 

 exposing it to a high heat. Spinel of extremely beauti- 

 ful colours is found in the bed of the Mahawelh-ganga at 

 Kandy, and from the locahty it has obtained the name of 

 Candite. 



