[386] See on this subject W. A. Pickering, "Chinese Secret Societies" (Journal of the Straits Branch of the R. Asiatic Society, 1878, No. 1, pp. 63-84)
[387] Concerning their formation and origin see a paper by K. Nordenskiöld in Öfversigt af Vet.-akad Förh 1870, p 29.
[388] Emerson Tennent says on the subject:—The gem collectors penetrate through the recent strata of gravel to the depth of from ten to twenty feet in order to reach a lower deposit, distinguished by the name of Nellan, in which the objects of their search are found. This is of so early a formation that it underlies the present beds of rivers, and is generally separated from them or from the superincumbent gravel by a hard crust (called Kadua), a few inches in thickness, and so consolidated as to have somewhat the appearance of laterite or sun-burnt brick. The nellan is for the most part horizontal, but occasionally it is raised into an incline as it approaches the base of the hills. It appears to have been deposited previous to the eruption of the basalt, on which in some places it reclines, and to have undergone some alteration from the contact. It consists of water-worn pebbles firmly imbedded in clay, and occasionally there occur large lumps of granite and gneiss, in the hollows under which, as well as in "pockets" in the clay (which from their shape the natives denominate "elephants' footsteps "), gems are frequently found in groups, as if washed in by the current. (E. Tennent, Ceylon London, 1860, i. p. 34.)
[389] Diamonds are wanting in Ceylon. And neither gold nor platinum appears to occur in noteworthy quantity in the gem gravel.
[390] The only considerable exceptions from this are two localities for precious stones in Southern Siberia and the occurrence of precious opal in Hungary. The latter, however, in consequence of defective hardness and translucency, can scarcely be reckoned among the true precious stones.
[391] The Catalogue of Pali, Singhalese, and Sanscrit Manuscripts in the Ceylon Government Oriental Library, Colombo, 1876, includes:— Ceylon Government Oriental Library, Colombo, 1876, includes:—
41 Buddhist canonical books
71 Other religious writings
25 Historical works, traditions
29 Philological works
16 Literary works
6 Works on Medicine, Astronomy, &c.
According to Emerson Tennent (i. p. 515), the Rev. R. Spence Hardy has in the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Asiatic Society for 1848 given the titles of 467 works in Pali, Sanskrit, and Elu, collected by himself during his residence in Ceylon. Of these about eighty are in Sanskrit, 150 in Elu or Singhalese, and the remainder in Pali.