ent of every one in Ceylon, and
to the utter confusion of Dr. Davy's opinions, they actually discovered
gold!

The quantity was small, but the men were very sanguine of success, and
were making their preparations for working on a more extensive scale,
when they were all prostrated by jungle fever--a guardian-spirit of the
gold at Amberpusse, which will ever effectually protect it from
Europeans.

They all returned to Colombo, and, when convalescent, they proceeded to
Newera Ellia, naturally concluding that the gold which existed in dust
in the rivers below must be washed down from the richer stores of the
mountains.

Their first discovery of gold at Newera Ellia was on the 14th June,
1854, on the second day of their search in that locality. The first
gold was found in the "Vale of Rubies."

I had advised them to make their first search in that spot for this
reason: that, as the precious stones had there settled in the largest
numbers, from their superior gravity, it was natural to conclude that,
if gold should exist, it would, from its gravity, be somewhere below
the precious stones or in their vicinity.

From the facility with which it has been discovered, it is impossible
to form an opinion as to the quantity or the extent to which it will
eventually be developed. It is equally impossible to predict the
future discoveries which may be made of other minerals. It is well
known that quicksilver was found at Cotta, six miles from Colombo, in
the year 1797. It was in small quantities, and was neglected by the
government, and no extended search was prosecuted. The present search
for gold may bring to light mineral resources of Ceylon which have
hitherto lain hidden.

The minerals proved to exist up to the present time are gold,
quicksilver, plumbago and iron. The two latter are of the finest
quality and in immense abundance. The rocks of Ceylon are primitive,
consisting of granite, gneiss and quartz. Of these the two latter
predominate. Dolomite also exists in large quantities up to an
elevation of five thousand feet, but not beyond this height.

Plumbago is disseminated throughout the whole of both soil and rocks in
Ceylon, and may be seen covering the surface in the drains by the road
side, after a recent shower.

It is principally found at Ratnapoora and at Belligam, in large,
detached kidney-shaped masses, from four to twenty feet below the
surface. The cost of digging and the transport are the only