The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-05
Attempts to Lift the Veil Of Mystery
From Them Are Finally
Successful.
Taken From the Shans Over 25O
Years Ago, But Jealously
Guarded Since.
Tho Gems Are More Highly prixed In Ii
Orient Than They Are
in Europe.

All tteMpi to lltt the veil OF mystery
which had snshroudsd the famous ruby
mines of Rurmah. since the time they we're
first brought TO the knowledge of Europe
ans in tho fifteenth century, had been nj
terly fruitless until after the formal annex
alton of Upper Barnah. in the beginning
OF 1886. Up to that time We were pro-
foundIy ignorant of the conditions under
which the pem stones occurred in that iaao-
oessible country. says Il. W. Strester IN
PRECIOUS Stones and Gems" The mines
appear to have been acquired by tho Bur
mese from the Shans about 1880: but they
were jealously guarded from Europeans,
and had been rarely, il ever. visited by any
one posi- ssine . competent knowledge OF
mineralogy.
Tavernier, the famous french jeweler.
whose travels during the seventeenth CEN
fury threw much light upon the occurrence
of precious stones in India. has but few re-
marks in his published writings concerning
ruhies. He tells us that they are found in
"a mountain twelve days or thereabouts
from Siren, in a northeast direction. and it
is called Capelar." This statement has been
repeated until quite recently in most works
ON minsralosy. TIL name 'Capelan" ID
probably intended. ~ suggested by Prin-
sep, for the well-knovn'locality Kyat-pyin.
Tavsrnier seems to have been rather IN
fsvorably impressed BY what no heard
about the mines. and states that the yield
did not exceed in annual value 100000 ecus,
equivalent to about 500. 500. So far from
attempting to bring any oriental rubies
to Europe, he took them with him to the
east, a. he found they were more highly
valued there than in the western markets.
II have earned" says the shrewd old trav-
elsr, "a sufficiently large profit by bringing
rubies from Europe into Asia:'
The Psre Giuseppe d'Amsto visited the
lier and described the native methods Of
mining. 1t is know, too, that = party of
~Frenchmen, under an engineer in the kings
service, were at the mines in 1881.
German miner named Bredmeyer was
at one time in charge of certain ruby mines
in Burmah. but they were merely small
workings of little value at Sagyin, near
Mandalay, and not mines in the typical
ruby district around Mogok, Kyat-pyin or
kathe.
Soon after the annexation OF upper Bur-
NAH to the British empire. the author
of this work applied to the In
dian government for a concession
Oh Hl0lAk A1AAtD IA - AS"hy "o
ouirsd territory. During the negotiations,
his son, George SHELTON Streeter. Mr.. G.
Bill and Mr.. Bescb, we're permitted to &C.
COMPANY the first military expedition to the
rnby mines. In MnEray's Magazine foT
May, 1887. an article was published on the
subject. which had peculiar interest, since
it was written at the mines, and was the
first description which had ever appeared
from the pen of any European expert in
gems personally acquainted with the stones
and the district.
Toward the close of 1887 the India office
commissioned Mr.. Bennington Blown, for
merly Of the geological survey of the West
Indies, to proceed TO Burmah and inspect
the ruby mines. The result of this visit
was a report presented to the secretary of
state for India which partly formed the
basis OF our knowledge of the geological
structure of the country. While as the
mines he found the ruby embedded in a
matrix Of calc-spar, and recognizing the
scientific interest of this occurrence, he
sent home six specimens, with the request
that they be submitted to Prof. j. W. Judd.
The specimens wee accordingly sent to
him by the India Office, and exhibited at a
meeting Of the geological society of Lon
don, on June 9, 1885.
Az an early stage of the negotiations for
a lease of the ruby mines, the author had
recognized the necessity OF having a survey
Of the district, and had accordingly secured
the services of Mr.. Robert Gordon, @. t..
whose familiarity with the language and
the customs of the Burmese rendered him
peculiarly valuable. On Feb. q, 1888, be
read. before the geographical society. a
papsr descriptive of the district.
Ths only other paper which need be here
referred to Is one read by Mr.. q. :.
Streeter, on Feb. ID. 1889. before the Indian
section of the society of arts. Sir Charles
Bernard. the first chief commissioner of
upper Burmah, occupied the chair. The
paper was illustrated by photographs OF the
mines. and OF the inhabitants of the dis
trict. M. Streetor having taken. during
his visits, a large number of views. acme of
which were published in the Illustrated
London News.
such are the principal sources of infor-
nation at present available to the public,
with reference to the famous ruby mines
OF Burmah.