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JOURNAL, R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VII., Ft. L 



GOLD. 



By Alex, C. Dixon, B. Sc. (Honors), London. 

 (Read April 7th, 1881J 



The Island of Ceylon is referred to by Ptolemy as containing 

 gold, and Solinus, a noted historian, makes mention of it in his 

 works, A.D. 238. The early inhabitants of Ceylon were not 

 ignorant of its presence. It is referred to in the Mahawanso, 

 while during the founding of the Ruwanveli Dagoba at 

 Anuradhapura there was a sudden appearance of sprouts of 

 gold above and below the ground, and of silver in the vicinity 

 of Adam's Peak. 



It is also referred to in the Sinhalese works entitled Kada- 

 yimpot, as being found in several localities ; and the names of 

 many places either have reference to its occurrence or to their 

 glistening appearance resembling gold, such as Ruwanvellco, 

 Ramboda (formerly Rangbod%). 



The Sinhalese name for gold is ran ; for gold ore the term 

 amuran, signifying not ripe or unextracted gold ; while ratran 

 refers to melted gold. 



In 1854 it was found in the Maha-oya and at Nuwara Eliya, 

 and still later again at Nuwara Eliya. 



There is a great similarity between the hill regions of 

 Ceylon and the South-East Wynaad district at the North- 

 West base of the Neilgherries, which has recently become so 

 prominent on account of its auriferous reefs. As to the probable 

 age of these districts we are uncertain, but there can be no 

 doubt that the two regions are contemporaneous, consisting of 

 granitoid schists or gneissoid rocks, that they are highly meta- 

 morphosed, and that quartz reefs form a conspicuous feature. 



The reefs are often white, occasionally somewhat breceiated, 

 and not unfrequently bound together by haematite or limonite. 



