No. 31. — 1885.] 



PLUMBAGO. 



183 



deficient in lustre, contains much iron, and one specimen 

 gave 35 per cent, of lime. Lime is, perhaps, even more fatal 

 to the value of plumbago than iron, and although graphite 

 may occur in the magnesian limestones of Ceylon (I never 

 heard of but one instance,) it is quite manifest that digging 

 in the dolomite need never be resorted to, the mineral being 

 so plentiful in our quartzy gneiss, where the only enemy 

 encountered, and that, happily, not very frequently, is iron. 

 Like some other adversaries, this one sometimes appears 

 in guises the most radiantly beautiful, in the present case 

 as pyrites varying from splendidly crystallized masses, with 

 facets polished like finest silver, and again simulating auri- 

 ferous treasures by putting on the most glorious colourings of 

 gold, shading away to a lovely and delicate green, indicative 

 this tint, it is supposed, of the presence of sulphate of copper. 



This auriferous coloured pyrites is appropriately named 

 in Sinhalese JDiya rat-ran^ or 6 water gem-gold/ the 

 recognition of water as the agent to which the formation 

 and its brilliant colours are largely due being, curiously 

 enough, in perfect accord with the conclusions of the most 

 advanced geological scientists. 



To Mr. Williams, Acting Government Agent of the 

 North- Western Province, I am indebted for a collection of 

 interesting specimens from Polgola on the road to Dambulla, 

 showing how plumbago is associated with and forms round 

 a nucleus of crystalline or semi-opaque and sometimes 

 garnetiferous quartz (the position of the minerals being, I 

 am told, occasionally reversed), and quite a number of pieces 

 of rock which the non-scientific might well be excused for 

 regarding as coated and permeated with brilliant golden ore. 

 These may be regarded as the flowers of the subterrannean 

 regions where plumbago is mined. I am bound to state, 

 however, that the brilliancy of iron pyrites has no effect in 

 modifying the inimical feelings with which those connected 

 with the plumbago enterprise regard the mineral, while 

 they talk with disapproval, and disgust of the Yabora = 

 (a) ya iron, bora dross, iron dross, the hard, iron-like 

 form of plumbago; and any one desirous of procuring 

 specimens, will be made heartily welcome to what 

 in the eyes of the plumbago dealer is associated with a 

 rocky, inferior, and unsaleable product. But truly the pure 



