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T I BE T. 405 
of gold dust, it is found in the beds of rivers, and at their several 
bendings, generally attached to small pieces of stone, with every 
appearance of its having been part of a larger mass. They find it 
sometimes in large masses, lumps, and irregular veins; the adhering 
stone is generally flint or quartz, and I have sometimes seen a half- 
formed, impure sort of precious stone in the mass. By a common pro¬ 
cess for the purification of gold, I extracted 12, per cent, of refuse from 
some gold dust; and, on examination, found it to be sand, and filings 
of iron, which last was not likely to have been with it in its native 
state, but probably employed for the purpose of adulteration^ Two 
days journey from Tissoolumboo there is a lead mine; the ore is 
much the same as that found in Derbyshire, mineralized by sulphur, 
and the metal obtained by the very simple operation of fusion alone. 
Most lead contains a portion of silver, and some in such proportion, as 
to make it an object to work the lead ore, for the sake of the silver. Cin¬ 
nabar, containing a large portion of quicksilver, is found in Thibet, 
and might be advantageously employed for the purpose of extracting 
this metal. The process is simple, by distillation; but to carry it on 
in the great, would require more fuel than the country can well supply. 
I have seen ores and loose stones containing copper, and have not a 
doubt of its being found in great abundance in the country. Iron is 
more frequently to be met with in Boutan than in Thibet; and, was it 
more common, the difficulty of procuring proper fuel for smelting the 
less valuable ores, must prove an insuperable objection to the working 
them. The dung of animals is the only substitute they have for fire¬ 
wood; and with that alone, they will never be able (o excite a degree 
