1855.] Notes on Eastern Thibet. 233 



7th. Ser, Gold ; is found in the sands of a feeder of the Yaroo 

 which joins it on the Northern bank. The name of this river is not 

 known to me, but it flows from a country called " Shapduk" and 

 falls into the Yaroo to the west of Digarchi. The greater part of 

 the gold of Thibet is the produce of mines or diggings. See Koute 

 No. 2, from Digarchi annexed, (p. 334.) The Yaroo itself does not 

 yield any gold-washings. There are no mines of iron, silver, copper, 

 quicksilver or lead in Thibet. All these metals, and their oxides 

 are imported from China. 



8th. The yellow Arsenic of commerce is found at Teloongchurfoo, 

 near the borders of China to the North and West of Lassa ; it is 

 called Pabea. 



9th. Feu-she, Amber. The Thibetans always wear large opaque 

 amber-like beads in their necklaces ; but the substance is not a produce 

 of their own country, nor is it amber ; it is, I believe, expissated tur- 

 pentine — gundaferoza, mixed with some hardening material. Fric- 

 tion makes it smell of turpentine. It is brought from Siling and 

 other marts of China. 



10th. Turquoise, Gya yen, or China stone. 

 P<? yen, Thibetan stone. 

 Te yen, Cashmere stone. 



This beautiful stone is greatly prized in Thibet, and every one 

 wears it, real or imitation, in rings, necklaces, earings and amulet 

 cases. The best are very rare, and although found in Thibet, I 

 believe, no one can give an intelligible account of the localities. I do 

 not believe that the turquoise is a natural product of Thibet, and 

 the following story corroborates the opinion. 



"A great merchant of Thibet named Chongpo who traded, ages 

 ago, with India, and once crossed the seas beyond India, brought 

 the finest real turquoise to his native country. From that time the 

 stone has been known there, and like coined money, it continues to 

 circulate in the country as a medium of exchange." The imitations 

 brought from China are made of common earthen-coloured or other 

 compositions. They are easily detected. Those imported via Cash- 

 mere are real stones but not valuable. The only test of a real stone 

 is to make a fowl swallow it ; if real it will pass through unchanged. 



2 n 2 



