\ 
0. U. Shepard—Corundum Gems in India. 339 
Art. XXXVIII.—WNotice of Corundum Gems in the Himalaya 
region of India ; by CHARLES UPHAM SHEPARD, Sr. 
THE discovery of a remarkable locality of the sapphire and 
ruby in the Himalaya Mountains has been communicated to 
me by Rev. M. B. Carleton of Keoloo, India, a former pupil of 
Mine, and graduate in 1877 of Amherst. He derived his 
information from the following descriptive note of Mr. Grahame 
Young of Kulu. 
“There are two versions of the discovery of the corundum 
deposits at Sungchang in Zanskar, one being that they were 
exposed by a hill-side slipping, the other that they wer 
discovered by hunters. Their value was so little known that 
the villagers bartered them for a trifle to Lahouli traders, who 
in their turn vainly endeavored to exchange them for grain 
in Kulu. On their value becoming known, there was a rush 
of jewelers from Delhi and other places; and they speedily rose 
to 100 rs. per tola = about £20 stg. per oz., for good specimens, 
at which rate they have remained ; at present none are to be 
had, all the stock brought down has been sold, and the mine 1s 
_ Strictly guarded by one of the Maharajah’s Dogra regiments. 
far as I can learn, the matrix is a schistose or slaty rock. 
The vein consists of 
I. Ordinary quartz crystals, some very large. 
II. A few crystals of amethyst. 
IL Deep blue corundum of a beautiful water, very rough 
€xternally, no crystal more than 4 inches long; sp. gr. 3°980, 
. +¥. Corundum, sapphire-colored only in the middle, shading 
lighter until both base and apex are perfectly limpid. 
V. Perfectly limpid corundum. 
VI. Black corundum. 4 
- Opaque white corundum, sapphire tinge in places, 
small black crystals (probably tourmaline) imbedded. All the 
above are beautifully crystallized, apex very acute. 
VIII. Massive corundum, both black and opaque white. 
IX. Chlorite, crystals imperfect. 
X. A little magnetite. ; 
The Maharajah has recently released from prison and largely 
rewarded two native hunters, who had been imprisoned for 
ealing in sapphire, on condition of their showing him two 
other deposits, one of blue and the other of red corundum. I 
have no information regarding these deposits.*¥ A small frag- 
Ment of the red corundum has, however, found its way to 
* And up to this time, May 22, 1883, I have heard nothing further concerning 
them.—W. B. CaRLEron. 
