82 THE ALLEGED DISCOVERY OF MERCURY IN MALACCA. 



altogether were collected, but had the pots been full, as they 

 probably were when first stowed away, they must have con- 

 tained more than a ton of mercury. The metal had been 

 brought there in connection with gold-mining on Mount 

 Ophir. As only a small quantity of the metal was recovered 

 in 1864 and recently, a ton or so of the metal, representing a 

 value of about §2,000 would still remain buried in St. Paul's 

 Hill. It remains, however, still to be proved that the mercury 

 recently found is part of that formerly discovered by Playfair. 

 The latter distinctly states that the mercury was discovered 

 at the base of the hill, whereas the recent finds were made 

 some distance above the base. It is difficult to conceive that 

 this mercury should have worked its way up the hill, and it is 

 more likely to be traced to another hiding place or store-room 

 made on a higher level. 



W. BOTT. 



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