An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

ITIBET. 405of gold dust, it is found in the beds of rivers, and at their severalbondings, generally attached to small pieces of stone, with everyappearance of its having been part of a larger mass. They find itsometimes in large masses, lumps, and irregular veins ; the adheringstone is generally flint or quartz, and I have sometimes seen a halfformed,impure sort of precious stone in the mass.By a common processfor the purification of gold, Iextracted 12 per cent, of refuse fromsome gold dust ; and, on examination, found it to be sand, and tilingsof iron, which last was not likely to have been with it in its nativestate, but probably employed for the purpose of adulteration. Twodays journey from Tissoolumboo there is a lead mine; the ore ismuch the same as that found in Derbyshire,mineralized by sulphur,and the metal obtainedby the very simple operation of fusion alone.Most lead contains a portion of silver, and some in such proportion, asto make it an object to work the lead ore, for the sake of the silver. Cinnabar,containing a large portion of quicksilver, is found in Thibet,and might beadvantageously employed for the purpose of extractingthis metal. The process is simple, by distillation; but to carry it onin the great, would require more fuel than the country can well supply.I have seen ores and loose stones containing copper, and have not adoubt of its being found in great abundance in the country. Iron ismore frequently to be met with in Boutan than in Thibet ;and, was itmore common, the difficulty of procuring proper fuel for smelting theless valuable ores, must prove an insuperable objection to the workingthem. The dung of animals is the only substitute they have for firewood;and with thatalone, they will never be able to excite a degree