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 found, and that those in the 

 white and blue clay at BaUangodde and Eatnapoora are 

 but secondary deposits. I am further inclined to believe 

 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 this rock perfect 

 and unchanged by decomposition ; and that they are 

 to be obtained by opening a regular mine like the 

 ruby mine of Badakshan in Bactria described by Sir 

 Alexander Burnes. Dr. Grygax adds that having often 

 received the minerals of this stratum with the crystals 

 perfect, he has reason to believe that places are known 

 to the natives where such mines might be opened with 

 confidence of success. 



Eubies both crystalline and amorphous are also found 

 in a particular stratum of dolomite at Bullatotte and 

 Badulla, in which there is a peculiar copper-coloured 

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

 Pliny (so called from their containing a movable six- 

 rayed star), are to be procured 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 lime of a calcined shell and 

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

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

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

 Candite. 



