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XL VIII.— ON THE NEWLY DISCOVEEED SAPPHIKE MINES 

 IN THE HIMALAYAS.^ By V. BALL, M.A., F.E.S., 



Director, Science and Art Museum. 



[Read, February 16, 1885.] 



A VERY remarkable, and so far as is known, new discovery of a 

 mine of sapphires, rubies, and ordinary corundum was made about 

 the years 1879 and 1880, in the district of Paldar, or Padar, north 

 of the Chandrabagha Range, but south of the main chain of the 

 Himalayas. The district of Zanskar — whence they were incorrectly 

 supposed to come by some writers — lies to the north of the chain. 



The stones were found at the foot of a precipice, where a land- 

 slip had taken place. The including rocks are gneiss and mica 

 schist. At first the stones were merely collected by the villagers, 

 who were attracted by their beautiful colours ; but so little was 

 their value realized, that they were used as flints are for striking 

 lights with steel. At that time they appear to have been so 

 abundant that one writer speaks of having seen about one cwt. of 

 them in the possession of a native. Gradually, as they were car- 

 ried by traders to distant points, especially to Simla, their value 

 became known, and the agents of jewellers commenced a brisk 

 competition, till most of the available stones had been bought up. 

 The Maharajah of Cashmere then intervened by sending a regi- 

 ment of sepoys, with their officers, to take possession of the mines; 

 and, it would appear, with carte blanche to harry the inhabitants 

 who had, or who were suspected of having, any of the stones in 

 their possession. Indeed, so thoroughly did they fulfil their mis- 

 sion, that any one they laid hands upon who was found to have 

 money, was suspected of either having sold or being about to pur- 

 chase sapphires, was thereupon despoiled, and if not arrested and 

 confined, was placed under observation. 



1 The principal authorities on the subject are — Mallet, Eee. Geol. Surv., India, 

 vol. XV., 1882, p. 138; S. B. L., Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, Nov. 2, 1883 ; 

 Shepard, C. V., Am. Jour. Sci. (vol. sxvi., No. 155), Nov. X883, p. 339 ; Ly- 

 dekker, E., Mem. Geol. Surv. India, vol. xxii., p. 335. 



SCIEN. PKOC. K.D.S. VOL. IV. PT. VII. 2 L 



