376 
Examination of the Minerals, 
[Dec. 
perhaps, sought for, in the others ; it is found in most, if not in all, of the substances 
of which the hill is composed, but principally in four : in a dead grey earth ; in the 
heavy hard brown rock ; in the soft yellow stone ; and in the specular iron ore. 
There are five principal mines or pits from whence the gem is taken. The first to 
which we were led, is called the “ Kerucb,’' which signifies, “ that which has made 
its appearance this is by no means so old as the others : the stones are here found 
in loose soil, of a whitish grey colour, attached to pieces of the matrix, dug from 
small pits, on the side of a hill : this earth, and the small stones it contains, the 
workmen turn over and over, and find fragments of the gem as if by chance. 
“We wound along the side of the hill, rising, to a great mass of dark brown 
stones, the accumulated refuse thrown out of several pits dug under an overhanging 
rock, upon the hill side. Among this debris we found several pieces, with fragmen t 
of the gem sticking to them in various forms ; some in that of small round pimp 1 -» 
of an exquisite blue, budding, as it were, from the dark brown stone. I' 1 ^ ie ex ^ or 
vations there lay a quantity of the fragments hewn from above, to be broken up 
their contents; aud upon examination, both above and below, the rock was 
vered to be full of little veins containing the blue matter of the turquoise. 11 
fis ures shewed no signs of stratification 
.. w. „ beneath the solid rock, and in the crc\ 
there was a congeries of pebbles like the aggregates before mentioned — 7^°'^ oue * 
grey, and brown ; and in this mass pieces of the gem are frequently found. ^ 
of the excavations, a white efflorescence was observed, which the natives sau 
zeng (aluui), and which, they informed us, abounds hereabouts. On the ro ° ’ 
there were several patches of a fine verdigris blue colour, that led me to s U! T t j ie 
presence of copper, although the natives denied having ever heard of copP 01 ^ t g s 
hill, and attributed this appearance also to the presence of the zeng. , U M . sU b- 
have been the colouring matter of the turquoise, laying hold of some ot 1C 
stance adapted to receive it, though calculated to vary its shade ?” . vC j n s : 
“ In another mine the turquoise matter did not appear to ruo so much 1,1 ^ 
on breaking some promising pieces of rock, a quantity of white or light » rCL Q,jiers 
was found, which might have been taken for turquoises in an imperfect ‘ l0S sess^ 
there were of sufficient hardness, but of a dead pale hue : had these been .P ^ vaS) 
of a full degree of colour, they would have been worth an immense price ; ’^ e 
they were worthless. In some instances, the stone was found adhering q'hus 
rock ; in others, dispersed in spots through its softer and more decayed I ,al ()|1 jd a c ' 
there was no general inference to be deduced, from what was seen, that " singly 
count for its mode of formation ; for although the finer specimens are very , j eS ger 
sprinkled, the turquoise matter events to pervade the whole hill in greats 1 0 
degree. * , who 
The 
it ry 
one 
The mines, being the property of the crown, are fanned out to anV 
chooses to give the rent required : which was, in 1821, two thousand tow ,a/, ^' o0 poly 
inhabitants of the two neighbouring villages have, time out of mind, bad * % as { f' 
of the mining operations. The manner in which they conduct the business* jn five 
i * » " take the whole mines, and work in parties 0 *- t j ie r s ° 
of their labour collectively. The produce el 
lows : one hundred villagers 
to ten, dividing the produce of their labour collectively. The produce 
to the merchants who resort here to trade, or it is sent to Meshed. 
1 A 
“ The turquoise is'sold in three shapes ; I. As single stones, freed fron 1 * ^ p ( >li s '^ 
and ground so far as to expose the size, shape, and colour of the gem, but 1) ‘‘ ,[ 0 d 
ed : in this state, by wetting it, any flaws it may contain can be percei v ' et | c o? ete [ 
true value ascertained. Separated from the rock before grinding, a u jija trlS 
with the impure crust that envelopes it in the vein. 3. In lamps, with ^ ,n arC "' 
rock very loosely knocked off, at variable prices, from 3 to 30 tomans ‘ 
(71'bs.) 
“ b’our miles down the glen, are situated some mines of finely crystal 1 ^ »H 
The series of specimens put into my hands, by Mr. E. Stirling, coi n P r< ' rt ,ua^’j 
tbe varieties alluded to in the foregoing description: — the detach 1 ' . 0 f 
pieces, the botryoidal concretions, and the disseminated veins; the col° l . ll e 
likewise varying from vvliite earthy, to dead pale blue, genuine turquois^ ^ U ? , 
loll rt ll<1 I’ll I 1 ftlMy. . 11.. _ 1 ^ 
abundance °/ Jf 
atn-<» 
n . . ~ - * ' -« -- * —j and sulphf te t {je 
«oinblende, augite, amethystine quartz, lithomarge and felspar, occur , e io^’ 
themselves, or in the immediate neighbourhood; proving the hills 10 ° 
all probability, to the volcanic formation. 
pe* 
in 
.... 1^ 
IS?’ iH» 
been 
full description of this mineral, as distinguished from the bone-ttf J ^'\ji 
given by Mr. President Fischer, in a pamphlet published at Mosc^ 
