632 



Notice of the Ajaib-al-Mukhlukat. L ■* «l3LAg^! i > A J^ g ^ty Captain 

 Newbold, F. /J. 5. 



The following sketch of Cazvini's " Wonders of the Creation," consists 

 of a number of notes thrown together for private reference, while look- 

 ing over a MS. copy, in Persian and Arabic, of this curious compila- 

 tion (illustrated with pictures,) in possession of the son of the late 

 Nawab of Kurnool. 



Being engaged in some researches with the n^neral resources of S. 

 India, my principal object was information as to sites, (hitherto un- 

 known to Europeans,) of ores, gems or valuable minerals in India, and any 

 thing that might afford the means of judging of the amount of produce 

 anciently yielded by those extensive excavations, in its diamond, copper 

 and lead districts, which are seen at the present day entirely neglected, 

 and half choked by vegetation and rubbish. 



Little, it must be confessed, on this head has been elicited from diving 

 into the pages of the Ajaib-aUMukhlukat. It mentions mines of tutiya, 

 Uj'aj blue vitriol, on the coast of Hindustan ; but the precise site is not 

 specified : I am not aware of the existence of any such mines at the pre- 

 sent day in India. It is exported from Pegu, and used by Hindus as an 

 escharotic loadstone, aUmakndtis, yM^LJUl colour red, with black 

 lines, he states to be brought from India. It has the property, he adds, 

 of attracting iron, hence vessels that sail to the land of the loadstone, 

 are built without iron nails. 



I have found large masses of magnetic iron ore with polarity in the 

 neighbourhood of Hospeti, Kittovo, and the Baba Booden mountains, 

 with dark red and black stripes, as described ; and have little doubt that 

 it exists largely in the highly ferriferous granites and hypogene rocks 

 of S. India. The idea of the rocks on the coast of India attracting ves- 

 sels by magnetic forces, may have arisen from the observation of the 

 effects of the powerful surf in washing vessels ashore ; and that of the 

 vessels without nails, from the Massula boats, which are constructed of 

 planks sewn together with coir. Diamonds, lead, copper, and iron are 

 not mentioned as exports from India. The best sword blades are 

 stated to be brought thence. 



Diamonds are said, as well as rubies, to be found at the foot of Gebel 

 Serendib, in Ceylon. 



