San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-06
IN SIAM.

the Precious stones.
The region in which gems, includ-
ing rubies and sapphires, have for the
past ten years been found, lies sit
uated on the western side of the
Cambodian Peninsula, about 240
miles southeast of Bangkok, and
GOV srs approximately an area of 100
square miles. The center of that
district is Chantabun, a seaport, with
q good harbor, connected with Bang
kOk by q line Of three small steamers
running az regular intervals, 1t is
stated In a recent report to the
Foreign Office that within three
hours walk from Bangkok, to the
northwest, Is Ban Kacha, where
rubies of a very inferior kind are still
sought after by the local inha bitants,
both Siamese and Chinese, Tongoos, or
natives Of pegu, aud Burmese, 10 not
work there. Again, twelve hours
distant from ChantaDun are the mines
of Muang Krung, with a mining pop
ulatlen of about 100 in all, mostly
TOngOos, with q few native Siamese
and Chinese. Two days journey
from Chantabun, in q southerly di-
! rection, is the district of Krat, with
mines from which rubies are ex-
| tracted, and but few sapphires. The
TongsoO workers there number about
| 5000. On the eastern side of the hill
range, and three days. journey due
| EAST from Chantabuu, midway be-
tween that town and Battambong,
are the Phailin mines, the most
| extensive and most frequented of all.
| Here there are between 1000 and
5000 gemseekers. Rubies and sap
| phires are both found, the latter be-
| ing more abundant. The rubies at
| these diggings, although more rarely
met with, are said to be OF higher
value than those discovered at other
| places in Siam. A stream which
rises in the hill ranges passes
| through the neighborhood of the
mines on it's way to the Thale Sap
aud Cambodia River. All three of
these localities -Krung, Krat and
| PhailIn-have been. or shortly Will
be, conceded on mining leases.
The method of obtaining the pre-
cious stones, as described in the
Journal of the Society of Arts,
London, is ide ltical at all the dig.
gings in the region of Bangkok, and
is as follows: The intending digger,
on entering the district, pays 8 ticals
(5s 3d) to the head mana Burmese
British subject appointed by the
British Legation, and responsible to
the Governors of BattaDb bong and
Chantabun, according as the fees
received are derived from the Phailiu
or Krat mines. Beyond this tax
there is no further fee exacted. The
Siamese Government claim no right
to pre-empt gems found, or to pur-
chase at market value all stones
above a certain carat weight, as was
the ease in Burmah. The Tongsoo
digger's first object Is to discover a
layer of soft. yellowish sand, In which
both rubies aud sapphires are de-
posted. This stratum lies at a
depths varying from q few inches to
20 feet on a bed of s%uOsoil, on which
no precious stones are found. A pit
is dug until this corundum is ex-
hausted; and the soil removed is then
taken to q neigh boring canal or
stream, one of which runs In the ~.
ximity of the mines both at Phai in
aud Krat. where it is mixed VI"
water and pa sed through an 0rdin-
ary hand .seive. In his search for
this peculiar aIluvial deposit, which
is generally free from a',y admiXture
OF clayey earth, the digger has often
to penetrate into the jungle that
grows thickly aroun !, combining
the work of clearing with the occu-
patton of gem-diggiug.
The TOngous do not appear to form
themselves into companies for NUT
usl assistance or division of profits.
They work principally In twos and
threes; aud, IL chance lead them to
discover u gem of any value, they
either undertake q sea voyage to
RangJon or Calcutta for the purpose
of obtaining q good price for IL them
selves with the dealers In precious
stones at these places, or consign
their acquisitions to an agent, while
they themselves continue to search
for more. A process of migration Is
continually going on among the Ton
goOs of the different mines, the work.
ers passing from II to che other,
according to the reputation Of a par
ticular mine at certain periods.
No artificial or mechanical processes
for the washing of the soil have as
yet beeu introduced, nor have gems
been discovered i'm fissure veins of
soft material embedded In crevices of
hard rock or In crystal torn. Rubies
and sapphires r found at all the
diggings. often deposited side by
aide iu the same layer or stratum of
8 md. The ruby OF pigeons blood"
color is rarely, If ever, met with.
The color of tine Siam ruby is usually
light red OF q dull hue. The sapphire
IL Of q dark, dull blue, without any Of
the eli ken gloss " hich Is the distinct
i've mark of The Burmah and Ceylon
stone. Stones resembling garnets
raIher than rubjes are found i'm the