w-ilhiroSs/and neatly ofthe same temperature with the atmosphere
Saw a few ill-thriving pillows planted near the habitations, which-aj-e
the nrily trets. to be met "with.
September 20,21, and $2, Road ta Tissoolumboo.* The remaining
part of our journey was over a more fertile soil, enjoy in g.a milder
climate.. Some very good fields of wheat, barley, and pease; many
pleasant villages; arid distant houses; less sand, and mure rock; part
slaty, and much of it a very good sort of flint. The soil in the, valley,
a light-coloured clay and sand; they were everywhere, employed in
cutting down their crop. What a happy climate! the sky was serene
and clear, without a cloud; and so confident were they.of,the continuance
of this weather, that their crop was thrown together in a
convenient part of the field, without apy cover, , to remain tiU they
could find time to.thrash.it out.
Before we reached Tissoolumboo, we found some elms and ash
trees.
The hills in Thibet; have-, from their general appearance, strong
marksLef containing those fossils, that are inimical tp vegetation ;■ such
are most of the ores of the metal and pyritical matter.
The country properly explored, promises better; than any I-have
seem* to gratify the curiosity of a philosopher, and.to. reward.the
labours of a mineralist.- Accident, mere-than a spirit of enterprise
and . enquiry, has already discovered the presence of many valuable
ores and minerals in Thibet. The first in this list is, deservedly, gold j
they find it in large quantities, and frequently very pure, In the form
* Tcslioo Loomboo.
of gold dust, it is found in the beds of rivers, and at their ^eye^al
bendings, generally attached 4o ismall .pieces óf -stone, with hb^Sbry
appearance of its having been part of a . larger mass. They -find igt
sometimes in large masses,, lumps,«and irregular veins; theiadfeefing
stone is gerieraify-flint or quartz, and I have sometimes-seen/.a half-
formed, impure sort-of ,precious stone in the-raass, By ajeota-mon.process
for-purification ofi sold, I extracted 14?per eenk^i refuseifEsip
some gold dust ; aadjioniexaminationjTöimddtd^fihS^ÄÄi^S^’Äi^ ^ 5
of iron, which last was not likely* to have Jatfenwith itdn^tSg^ativje
State, tot rprtrf&blyemptoysd/fcr ,the purpose, ofoadulfcrat-ktn. Two
days jouftmy from Tissoolumboo there is; a dead mine ; tfp gjgigyjg
much the same as -that found in Derbyshire, mineralized by sulphur,
and the metal obtained by the very simple operation of^fo^ijop.alpnq,
'McfStdead contains a portion of silver, and some in such proportion, as
to make it- an objeet to Work the lead <we jfor the sake of-the silver, C in nabar,
containing a daige; portibn/of quieksilver;/is found dii Thlb^,
arid might be advantageously employed for>,thè ( purpose lofyqytr^etipg
thisjtnëtal. The (process is simple, by distillation,; bnt/tp.!carry,(itjap •
In the great, would require more fuel than the eountry can well supply.
I have seen ores and. loose stones containing, mopper, ahdi.bave.nqt, a
doubt ofits being found in great abundance in the country. ..frcp.is
more frequently1 to be met with in Boufcam than,in Thibet..and, was it
more common, the difficulty of procuring proper fiief for smelting :the
less valuable ores, must prov-e>an4nsuperable,objecti.dn!to the working
them. The düng öfariimalsls-'thenstolyjsubstitute
wood; and with that alone; they wilkriêVërbe;iablè:itoiexmteiafd ^ r #