All about Gold, Gems, and Pearls (also Minerals Generally) in Ceylon and Southern India |
Other editions - View all
All about Gold, Gems, and Pearls (Also Minerals Generally) in Ceylon and ... A. M. Ferguson No preview available - 2017 |
All about Gold, Gems, and Pearls (Also Minerals Generally) in Ceylon and ... A M Ferguson No preview available - 2015 |
All About Gold, Gems, and Pearls (Also Minerals Generally) in Ceylon and ... A M Ferguson No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
abundant acid alluvial auriferous Australia banks beautiful blue boats carats carbon cent Ceylon clay coast Colombo Colonial colour Company containing copper coral corundum crucibles crystals deposits depth diamond diggers digging discovery district divers dolomite existence export feet felspar fishing formation garnet gems geological gneiss gold mines Government grains granite graphite gravel gravity Gygax heat hills hornblende inches India iron pyrites island Jaffna jewels Kandy known Kurunegala labour land limestone localities LOCALITIES.-Found lustre Maha Oya masses matter mica miles mineral mountains Mysore natives nuggets Nuwara Eliya Observer obtained occurs pearl fishery pearl oyster plumbago powder precious stones present produced profit quantity quartz quartz reefs Ratnapura result rich river rock ruby Saffragam sample sand sapphire shells silver Sinhalese soil specimens spinel stream surface topaz tourmaline Twynam veins washed weight Wynaad yellow yield
Popular passages
Page 361 - Receive them free, and sell them by the weight; Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts, Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds, Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds, And seld-seen costly stones of so great price, As one of them indifferently rated, And of a carat of this quantity, May serve, in peril of calamity, To ransom great kings from captivity...
Page 220 - And while the soil bears on its surface all kinds of fruits which are known to cultivation, it has also underground numerous veins of all sorts of metals, for it contains much gold and silver, and copper and iron in no small quantity, and even tin and other metals, which are employed in making articles of use and ornament, as well as the implements and accoutrements of war.
Page 257 - The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
Page 181 - And precious their tears as that rain from the sky, Which turns into pearls as it falls in the sea.
Page 182 - ... are only partly below the surface of the wood, which they then place in water. As it soaks up the water and swells, the pearls become tightly fixed, and are then perforated, &c. These operations are all carried on on the spot. For many miles along the Condatchy shore, the accumulation of shells is enormous, and averages at least four feet in thickness. This is not to be wondered at, when it is remembered that this fishery has been in active operation for at least 2000 years.
Page 111 - ... are sharp Poles set up fixed in the ground, signifying, that none upon pain of being stuck and impaled upon those Poles, presume so much as to go that way ; Also there are certain Rivers, out of which it is generally reported 'they do take Rubies and Saphires for the Kings use, and Cats eyes.
Page 183 - The fishing for pearl mussels is by no means so dangerous or troublesome as for pearl oysters ; usually they are found in the beds of streams, shallow enough to wade in, and so clear that they can be seen at the bottom. If too deep to remove with the hand, they are easily captured by putting a stick between their gaping shells, which instantly close upon it, and can be drawn out with it So profitable is this pursuit becoming, that a great many persons are now engaged in it.
Page 314 - And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so.
Page 182 - ... years. The place itself is exceedingly barren and dreary, and, except during the fishing season, is almost deserted ; but at that time it presents an exceedingly animated spectacle ; thousands of people, of various countries and castes, are here drawn together — some for the fishery, others to buy pearls, and others to feed the multitude. They chiefly reside...
Page 108 - ... most part horizontal, but occasionally it is raised into an incline as it approaches the base of the hills. It appears to have been deposited previous to the eruption of the basalt, on which in some places it reclines, and to have undergone some alteration from the contact. It consists of waterworn pebbles firmly imbedded in clay, and occasionally there occur large lumps of granite and gneiss, in the hollows under which, as well as in "pockets...