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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XV. 



In the same year the late S. Jayatilleke, Mudaliyar, 

 of Kurunegala, submitted for analysis some interesting 

 specimens of quartz and plumbago streaked with auriferous- 

 looking substances found in that district. The streak of 

 green glittering matter in the plumbago was reported to be 

 copper, while the quartz was freely mixed with pyrites, but 

 of a very promising character, and in one instance Mr. 

 Dixon thought it must be auriferous.* 



Mica mistaken for Gold Dust. — Col. Campbell records the 

 following interesting discovery in the Kurunegala District, 

 bat the particulars are too vague to identify the spot : — 



After nearly an hour spent in search of it [the fairy well] I at last 

 came to an open space of fine green sward close to the bank of the 

 river, which was there delightfully shaded by some tall trees, in the 

 midst of which was a circle of about seven or eight feet in diameter, 

 entirely covered with a brightly shining foliated substance of a red 

 and yellow hue ; and in the very middle of it, to my surprise and 

 delight, I saw a beautiful diminutive jet d'eau, throwing up water of 

 the same bright, shining colour, fully three or four inches above the 

 surface, and which fell as it were in a circle of little sparkling drops. 

 I stood for some minutes really enchanted with the beauty of the 

 extraordinary »fairy well, the water of which seemed full of gold 

 particles. I therefore set to work and strained out a small quantity 

 of them, pouring the water through my handkerchief, when to my 

 increased delight they looked " for all the world " like real gold dust. 



Campbell filled a quart bottle with some of the "golden " 

 water and despatched it with a very small quantity of the 

 dust to Dr. Farrell, the Deputy Inspector of Hospitals, 

 whose opinion was that it was " only the very finest speci- 

 men of mica he had ever met with."f 



All that has been said and written about the existence 

 of gold in the Province and the results of explorations 

 hitherto made point to but one conclusion, that though gold 

 is to be found, it is not to be met with in sufficiently paying 

 quantities so as to encourage the capitalist to embark on 

 the venture. 



* Ferguson's " All about Gold, Gems, and Pearls," second edition, p. 179. 

 f " Excursions, Adventures, and Field Sports in Ceylon," vol. II., 

 pp. 114, 115. 



