Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s5.97

c9.s5.97

¹ *Arthaśāstra*, p. 82. He speaks of "the liquids which ooze out from pits, caves, slopes or deep excavations of well-known mountains; which have the colour of the fruit of rose-apple (*jambu*), of mango, and of fan palm; which are as yellow as ripe turmeric, sulphurate of arsenic (*hariṭāla*), honeycomb, and vermilion, which are as resplendent as the petals of a lotus, or the feathers of a parrot or a peacock; which are adjacent to any mass of water or shrubs of similar colour; and which are greasy (*cikkaṇa*), transparent (*visāda*), and very heavy are ores of gold (*kāñcanika*)." He also mentions those ores "which are obtained from plains or slopes of mountains; which are either yellow or as red as copper or reddish yellow; which are disjoined and marked with blue lines; which have the colour of black beans (*māśa*), green beans (*mudga*), and sesamum; etc.."