Travels in India (Tavernier) 96: CHAPTER XIX · Concerning Coloured Stones and the places where they are obtained.
Travels in India (Ball) 96
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CHAPTER XIX · Concerning Coloured Stones and the places where they are obtained.
96.1
There are only two places in the East where coloured stones are obtained, namely in the Kingdom of Pegu and in the island of Ceylon. The first is a mountain twelve days or thereabouts from Siren in a north-east direction, and it is called Capelan. It is the mine from whence is obtained the greatest quantity of rubies, spinelles or mothers of rubies, yellow topazes, blue and white sapphires, hyacinths, amethysts, and other stones of different colours. Among these hard stones others which are soft are found, and are called bacan in the language of the country. These are not considered to be valuable. Siren is the name of the city where the King of Pegu resides, and Ava is the port of the Kingdom. From Ava to Siren you ascend the river in large flat boats, and it is a voyage lasting about sixty days. You cannot travel by land on account of the forests, which abound with lions, tigers, and elephants. It is one of the poorest countries in the world; nothing comes from it but rubies, and even they are not so abundant as is generally believed, seeing that the value does not amount to 100,000 écus per annum.
96.2
Among all these stones you would find it difficult to meet with one of good quality, weighing 3 or 4 carats, because of the strict injunctions against allowing the removal of any which the King has not seen; and he retains all the good ones which he finds among them. This is the reason why in all my journeys I have earned a sufficiently large profit by bringing rubies from Europe into Asia; and I very much doubt the story of Vincent le Blanc when he says that he has seen rubies in the King’s palace as large as eggs. The following is the price of some rubies which might pass as of good quality. During my several journeys I saw them sold by merchants who came from the mine, while I was at Masulipatam and Golconda. All rubies are sold by the weight called rati, which is 3J grains or |th of a carat and payment is made in the old pagodas, of which I have spoken in the preceding chapter : — A ruby of i rati was sold for 20 pagodas. >> ^8 rat is , , 85 . 1.1 «. 04 n »» 185 4f > » > » 450 .. 5 yy yy 525 M >. 62 > » yy 9202 „ When a ruby exceeds 6 ratis, and is perfect, it is sold for whatever is asked for it. All the other coloured stones in this country are called by the name ruby, and are only distinguished by colour. Thus in the language of Pegu the sapphire is a blue ruby, the amethyst a violet ruby, the topaz a yellow ruby, and so with the other stones.
96.3
The dealers are so particular about their profit in trade that they will not show you a parcel of rubies, although they may be fine, unless you promise beforehand that In case you do not buy you will make them a small present — as a turban or a waistband ; and when one acts somewhat liberally to them they show all their stock, and one can then transact some business with them. The other place in the East whence rubies and other coloured stones are obtained is a river in the island of Ceylon. It comes from high mountains which are in the middle of the island, and as the rains greatly increase its size — three or four months after they have fallen, and when the water is lowered, the poor people go to search amongst the sand, where they find rubies, sapphires, and topazes. The stones from this river are generally more beautiful and cleaner than those of Pegu. I forgot to remark that in the mountains which run from Pegu towards the Kingdom of Camboya some rubies are found in certain places, but more balass rubies than others, many spinelles, sapphires, and topazes. There are gold mines in these mountains, and rhubarb also comes from these places, which is highly esteemed, because it does not spoil so quickly as that which grows in other parts of Asia.
96.4
There are also in Europe two places from whence coloured stones are obtained, viz. in Bohemia and Hungary. In Bohemia there is a mine where flints of different sizes are found, some being as large as an egg, others the size of the fist, and on breaking them one finds in some of them rubies as hard and as beautiful as those of Pegu. I remember being one day at Prague with the Viceroy of Hungary, in whose service I then was, as he washed his hands with General Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland, before sitting at table, he saw on the General’s hand a ruby which he admired for its beauty. But he admired it much more when Wallenstein told him that the mine of these stones was in Bohemia; and, in fact, at the Viceroy’s departure he presented him with about 100 of these flints in a basket. When we returned to Hungary the Viceroy had them all broken, and out of the whole of the flints there were only two in which rubies were found, one weighing about 5 carats and the other about 1 carat. As for Hungary, it has a mine from whence opals are obtained; they are not found in any other place in the world.
96.5
Turquoise is only found in Persia, and is obtained in two mines. The one which is called “the old rock” is three days’ journey from Meshed towards the north-west and near to a large town called Nichabourg; the other, which is called ‘the new,’ is five days’ journey from it. Those of the new are of an inferior blue, tending to white, and are little esteemed, and one may purchase as many of them as he likes at small cost. But for many years the King of Persia has prohibited mining in the “old rock” for any one but himself, because having no gold workers in the country besides those who work in thread, who are ignorant of the art of enamelling on gold, and without knowledge of design and engraving, he uses for the decoration of swords, daggers, and other work, these turquoises of the old rock instead of enamel, which are cut and arranged in patterns like flowers and other figures which the (jewellers) make. This catches the eye and passes as a laborious work, but it is wanting in design.
96.6
As for the emerald, it is an ancient error of many people to suppose that it was originally found in the East, because before the discovery of America they were unable to think otherwise, and likewise still the majority of jewellers and artisans, when they see an emerald of high colour inclining to black, are accustomed to call it an Oriental emerald, in which they are mistaken, since the East has never produced them. I confess I have not been able to find the places in our Continent from whence these kinds of stones are obtained. But I am assured that the East has never produced them, neither on the mainland nor on the islands; and having made a strict inquiry during all my journeys, no one has been able to indicate any place in Asia where they are found. It is true that since the discovery of America some few rough stones have often been carried by the Southern Sea from Peru to the Philippine Islands, from whence they have been exported in due course to Europe; but that does not justify these being called “Oriental,” nor support the view that their source is situated in the East, since both before this discovery and this passage there was no want of emeralds for disposal throughout the whole of Europe, and because at present, having left this route, they are all conveyed by the North Sea (Atlantic) to Spain. In the year 1660 I saw per cent less price given in India for emeralds than they would be sold for in France.
96.7
But concerning this navigation and commerce between America and the Philippine Islands, it should be remarked that the Americans having arrived at these islands, the people of Bengal Arakan, Pegu, Goa, and other places, carry thither all sorts of cloths, and a quantity of worked stones, as diamonds and rubies, with many manufactured articles of gold and silver, silken stuffs and Persian carpets. But it should be added that they are unable to sell anything directly to these Americans, but only to those who reside in the Manillas, and that they resell them again when the former have left. Similarly, if any one obtained permission to return from Goa to Spain by the Southern Sea he would be obliged to pay 80 or 100 per cent for transmitting money as far as the Philippines, without being allowed to buy anything, and to do the same from the Philippines as far as New Spain. This it is then which was done with the emeralds before the West Indies were discovered, for they only came to Europe by this long way and tedious journey. All that were not fine remained in this country, and all those that were passed on into Europe.