Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c45.s3.17

v2.c45.s3.17

Capala was defined as a material which melts quickly like *vanga* or tin when put on fire *vaṅgavad dravate vahnau capalastena kīrtitaḥ* (RRS, 2.143) and has six edges, brilliance and heaviness. *Capala* could be yellow, white, red or black. Was the heavy black variety galena, yielding low-melting metal lead? As a matter of fact, *RRS* does refer to *nāgasambhūta capala*, or lead-bearing *capala* (8.41-8.42) and *vaṅgasambhūta capala*, another variety containing tin (8.43-44). Some scholars have claimed that a third variety of *capala* contained bismuth.