Ball — On the Colloquies of Garcia Be Orta — II. 
667 
talline form, and in not possessing dichroisra like the ruby. The pinkish varieties 
of spinels are sometimes distinguished as Balas rubies, which title is derived from 
Balkh, the chief town of Badakshan, where there are spinel mines of great anti- 
quity. The red topaz has also been mistaken for the ruby, and probably so also 
has tbe red zircon or hyacinth. 
Of the occurrence of true rubies in India definite information is wanting at 
least as to the existence at any time of regular mines. In all respects the remarks 
made above as to the sapphire apply to the ruby also, but it should be stated as to 
the occurrence of both, in Ceylon and in Burmah, that while Ceylon produces the 
sapphire abundantly and the ruby sparingly, the exact converse is the case in 
Burmah. 
As to the phosphorescence or rather fluorescence of the ruby it is to some extent 
founded on fact, and was very generally believed by the ancients. According to 
the Talmud, it is said that Noah illumined the recesses of the Ark by means of the 
light given out by precious stones. 
R. Tell me the names of these stones in Arabic and in the language 
of this country. 
0. The Arabs and Persians call the ruby yacut^ and the people of 
this country call it manica} The jacinth and grenade have specific 
titles as yellow ruby and black ruby. The grenade and sapphire are 
called nila. 
R. A stone much more important you have not told me of, viz. 
the emerald, which enters into the electuary of "^m«s" under the 
name of ferrugezi. 
0. Emeralds are not so cheap that they may be mistaken, for 
ferrugezi. Emeralds are very scarce and of very great price, and 
their true matrix is not known. In fact there are not fragments 
enough left. Whoever says that ferrugezi means the same as emerald 
does not know Arabic. IS'or was it the intention of Mesne to introduce 
the emerald in this composition, although Cristofaro de Honestis, com- 
mentator of Mesne, thinks di:fferently. The reason of this is because 
in Persian and in the language of this country the emerald is called 
pachec, and in Arabic zamarrut. And Serapion in the chapter on 
emeralds, where he says zabarget should have said zamarrut. It should 
not be tabargat, as the Pandetaries think. ^ 
^ Manica = Sansk. ManiJcya. 
2 The question of the sources whence Eastern nations obtained emeralds in early 
times is one which I have at present in hand ; but it cannot be fully dealt with in 
a footnote. It may be said, however, that mines at Zabara, &c., in Egypt, furnished 
the principal part of the supply. Fachec, this is said to be from the Malayalam 
pacca, green colour. Zamarrut for zomorad, Arab., whence the European names 
smaraude, smaragd, emeraude, emerald, {^qq LinscJioteti in Hak. Soc, ii., p. 140., 
