332 
On the supposed Adulteration of Banco Tin. [Oci. 
the same Antidiluvian fossil bones, so celebrated in the low regions of Kami 
and Yrtiche : they occnr upon the ridge of the chain, as on the plateau between 
Beresowsk and Jekatherinbourg, embedded in appropriate soil, [terra,,, ,lc rappor,) 
rich in gold and platina. Again, there is further evidence of the subterraneous 
action of elastic fluids, in raising up continents, dtones, and chains oi mountains ; 
in displacing rocks along with the organic remains contained in them ; in toimm; 
eminences and depressions by the falling in of the vault, as is observable in the west 
J As - m . thus the waters of the Caspian sea and lake Aral, which may be regards 
asthe focus of this depression, have their level 50 and 32 toises [300 "JM 
below the level of the ocean. The observations ot Messrs. Ho(l f ’ a "' H J 
r Rose and myself, prove, that this debasement extends even as far as Sai atou 
Orenburg, on the Jaik river; and apparently it continues to the ^‘h-west ate, as 
far as the lower branch of the Sihoun (Jaxartes) and of ‘‘'^‘ToO eet e owt 
The depression of so considerable a portion of Asia more than 300 tc t he 
mean level of the ocean, could not, until now, be viewed in its proper hg , h • 
our observations had hitherto been made in countries more or less 
sea where similar phenomena occur only in avery minor degi . 
this concavity in the surface of the north-west of 
timate connection with the uplifting of the mountains of the Caucus 
Koh and the table land of Persia, which are immediately south of the c ^ 
and fhe Maveralnehe, : perhaps also it may he allied to tUe "P 1 ^ centia , 
mass, which is so vaguely and incorrectly designated as the 
Asia. This concavity of the ancient world is doubtless of the sam ( 
craters of Hipparchus, Archimedes, and Ptolemy, on the moon s nte 
which are 90 miles in diameter, and which may be compared to Bohemia, 
more truth than to the little cones and craters of our present volcano . 
XIV._ On the supposed Adulteration of Banco Tin. By i. Prinsep, 
Deputy Assay Master, Calcutta Mint. ^ ^ 
The tin trade of Singaphr with China has suffered materially of 
supposition that the metal has been brought to mar “ ” lxe< deprec iatios «< 
inferior metals. A great deal of it was sacrificed thus at . • ** ^ of 
25 per cent, in Canton, and the evil continuing unabated . cted ti „ to 
Singaphr, in July last, transmitted a number of sped . I lli,rt 
the Mint Master in Calcutta, to be submitted * “ asio „ a. 
been requested to give publicity to the report dr awn up on . h0 ,. 
office, with a view to satisfy the public on the -bjec, l ^el, 
ever, that it must be regarded only as a repoit ui P a sim ilM 
which were apparently cut from the corners of the blocks ot , ^ 
depreciation in the Calcutta market of a quantity of tin f. quality.! 
been brought to my notice, [where also the mustei s pioA nd 0 f scor> a 
I found on breaking the ingots in half, that the interior was a ta]< The 
and refuse dust, concealed from view hy an outwai case g " Chinese, 
same may probably prove to he the case with the tin rejecte y 
Report on Singap&r Tin . 
The eight specimens of tin handed to me, with a letter from 
and Co. of Singapur, were submitted to chemical examination, ^ ^ 
ther any and what other metals were mixed with them, w 11 c 
