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Travels in India. Part II 



rats that is abfolutely clean, by reafon that the King ftridly enjoyns his Subjects 

 not to export them out of his Dominions -, befides that, he keeps to himfelf all the 

 clean Stones that are found. So that I have got very confiderably in my Travels, 

 by carrying Rubies out of Europe into JSJta: Which makes me very much fufpeâ: 

 the relation of Vincent le Blanc, who reports that he faw in the King's Palace 

 Rubies as big as eggs. 



All Rubies are fold by weights, which are call'tf Rat is ; that is, three grains and 

 a half, or (even Zths of a Carat : and the payments are made in old Pagods. 

 A Ruby weighing one Ratis, has been fold for Pagods 20 

 A Ruby of 2 Ratis and one Ztb t Pagods ^ y 



A Ruby of 3 Ratis and one 4^, Pagods 18 y 



A Ruby of 4 Ratis and five 8ths, Pagods 4^0 

 A Ruby of 5- Ratis, Pagods y 2 y 

 A Ruby of 6 Ratis and a half, Pagods 920 

 If a Ruby exceed fix Ratis, and be a perfect Stone, there is no value to be fet 

 upon it. 



The Natives-of the Countrey call all Colour'd- Stones Rubies, diftinguifhing 

 them only by the colour. Saphirs they call Blue-Rubies, Amethyfts they call 

 Violet-Rubies, Topazes Yellow-Rubies ; and fo of other Stones. 



The other place where Rubies are found, is a River in the Ifland of Ceylan, 

 which defcends from certain high Mountains in the middle of the Ifiandj which 

 fwells very high when the rains fall 5 but when the waters are low, the people 

 make it their bufinefs to fearch among the Sands for Rubies, Saphirs and Topazes. 

 All the Stones that are found in this River, are generally fairer and clearer than 

 thofe of Pegu. 



I forgot to tell you that there are fome Rubies, but more Balleis-Rubies, and an 

 abundance of Baftard-Rubies, Saphirs and Topazes found in the Mountains that 

 run along from Pegu to the Kingdom of Camboya. 



Colour'd-Stones are alfo found in fome parts of Europe, as in Bohemia and Hun- 

 gary. In Hungary : th?re is a Mine where they find certain Flints of different big- 

 nefs, fome as big eggs, fome as big as a man's fift, which being broken, contain 

 a Ruby within as hard and as clean as thofe of Pegu. 



In Hungary there is a Mine of Opals^ which Stone is no- where elfe to-be found 

 in the World but there. 



The Turquoife is no-where to be found but in Perjîa. Where there are two 

 Mines. The one is called the Old-Roc^, three days journey from Meched, toward 

 the North- weft, near a great Town which goes by the name of Mtchabourg. The 

 other which is call'd the New-Rock, is five days journey off. Thofe of the Nerv- 

 Rock are of a paler blue enclining to white, and lefs efteem'd, fb that you may 

 have a great many for a little Money. Some years fince the King of Perjîa. com- 

 manded that no Turquoises fhould be digg'd out of the Old-Roc^, but only for him- 

 felf 1 making ufe of thofe Turcjuoifes inftead of enamelling, to adorn Hilts of 

 Swords, Knives and Daggers j of which the Perfmns are altogether ignorant. 



As for Emraulds, it is a vulgar error to fay they come originally from the Eafh 

 And therefore when Jewellers and Gold-fmiths, to prefer a deep-colour'd Em- 

 jrauld enclining to black, tell ye, it is an Oriental Emrauld, they fpeak that which 

 is not true. I confefs I could never difcover in what part of our Continent thofé 

 Stones are found. But fure I am, that the Eaftern-part of the World never pro- 

 duc'd any of thofè Stones, neither in the Continent, nor in the Iflands. True it is, 

 that fince the difcovery of America fome of thofe Stones have been often brought 

 rough from Peru to the Philippine-lûands, whence they have been tranfported in- 

 to Europe j but this is not enough to make them Oriental. Befides that, at this 

 time they fend them into Spain through the North-Sea. 



CHAR 



