1832.] Oriental Accounts of Precious Minerals. 353 



Establishment in this kingdom, with a view, I presume, of making 

 converts. Hitherto, the Catholic clergy here appear to have confined 

 their labours to their own flock, without any desire of increasing it. 

 Besides the number of Catholics in Dibayen and here, there are 

 about 260 souls at Rangoon under a Padre Don Ignatio ; and many 

 of these are wealthy enough to build themselves a good brick Chapel,' 

 which they have lately done. The Catholics near Ava live and 

 dress like Burmese, from whom, I am sorry (o say, they cannot be 

 distinguished by any superiority in moral or intellectual qualities. 

 Pere Domingo is now residing at Khjan-ta-roowa, and Pere Tarali 

 at Ngabek. 



IV. — Oriental Accounts of the Precious Minerals. 

 [Translated by Raja Kalikishen ; with remarks, by James Prinsep, F. R. S. &c] 



I have been favored by Raja Kalikishen, with some interesting 

 extracts from oriental works, respecting the precious minerals, which I 

 have embodied in the present notice, with such modifications, as appear- 

 ed necessary to suit the mineralogical reader, and with the addition of a 

 few remarks in elucidation of the subject arising from a reference to the 

 original works obligingly lent to me by the Raja, as well as from an 

 examination of the rough minerals themselves, where I could procure 

 them from the native jewellers. I trust that the Raja will continue his 

 translations from similar works, both Persian and Indian, as nothing 

 can conduce more to a right knowledge of that, at present, obscure 

 subject, oriental mineralogy. A great variety of mineral substances are 

 sold in the bazars of India, and included in its materia medica, of the 

 proper classification of which we are as yet altogether ignorant. 



The information contained in the present notices is extracted from 

 three books, of different ages : 1, the Ajdib-ul-makhlukdt o Ghardib- 

 ul-moujuddt, an ancient Persian work on natural history, written 

 by Zakarya, a native of Kufa, date unknown; 2, the Aqul-i-ashreh, 

 a work on science, by Mahomed of Berar, An. Hej. 1084, (A. D. 

 1673 ;) and 3, the Jawdhir-ndmeh, a modern anonymous compilation, 

 containing much useful matter in a condensed form : it was probably 

 written at one of the native courts, either Delhi or Hydrabad, since it 

 mentions the opening of recent mines in India. 



The two former volumes comprise sketches of all the different scien- 

 ces known to the ancients. The third, as its name denotes, particu- 

 larly treats of mineralogy. The Raja has not attempted to give a verbal 



Y 2 



