‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎167r] (338/722)

difficult. The turquoises of AK Mirzai are not very good; their colour soon
fades.
On the top of the Reish mines in the same valley a vein of turquoises
was discovered only a year or two ago, and a new mine was opened there,
with the name of the “ Sar-i-Reish ” (the “ Head of the Reish ”). In it are
found turquoises of great size and good colour; but the colour soon fades,
and the stone becomes a dirty green with white and grey spots. As long as
these turquoises are kept damp, they preserve their colour: if once they
get dry, they are worth very little.
The next valley, called the Dara-i-Sabz, the Green Valley,"” contains
the old Ardalani and Sabz mines and the new Anjiri mines. The Ardalani
was once a great mine. More than twelve old shafts, all now filled up, are
still to be seen ; its present entrance is by a large artificial cave with
a dome-like roof. It has a vertical depth of 85 feet; but is badly ventilated,
having several galleries full of foul air. Such galleries are called
Chiragh-Kash, i.e., “lamp extinguishers."” The Ardalani turquoises are
not good.
The Sabz mine has, as its name implies, green turquoises, and is at
present filled up.
The Anjiri mines, which have their name from the fig trees growing in
the valley' are new mines. They produced during the last few years a
very great quantity of ttirquoises, which had a fine colour and were sold
well. The colour of these turquoises, however, soon faded, and the
possessors were not at all satisfied with their purchases. Schindler considers
that the great fall in the price of turquoises in Europe is mainly due to the
quantity of stones of these and of the Sar-i-Reish mines, which have been
sent to Europe and kept moist in damp earthenware pots till they were
sold. Out of the damp they lost their colour, and in a year or two thus
became quite faded. European jewellers in consequence have at present no
confidence in these turquoises, and consequently buy at very low prices.
The next and last, and also most westerly, mine is the one with the
Ivamiri mine. This mine is full of water at present, and several attempts
made to empty it have failed. It has some thick veins of turquoises; but
the stones are of no use for rings, being usually worked into armlets,
S6£ils
A little to the south of the All Mirzai mine lies the Khurruj mine-
very extensive, but partly filled up. It had sixty years ago very good tur
quoises, but at present it is not worked. There are many more mines with
names, perhaps a hundred, and more than a hundred nameless ones ; but
they are either parts of those already enumerated or unimportant. Work
in these mines is carried on with picks and crowbars, and gunpowder.
Blasting with gunpowder has come in vogue only within the last twenty
years. Formerly all the work was done by picks, and much better. The
picks extracted the turquoises entire. The gunpowder does more work; but
breaks the stones into small pieces. _ _ .
(b) The khaki mines.—These are diggings m the detritus and rubbish
collected at the foot of the above-mentioned mines, and in the alluvial
soil consisting of the detritus of rocks, and extending from the foot of the
mountain a mile or so into the plain. The finest turquoises are at present
found in the khaki mines. In fact, good ring stones are at present only
obtainable from the khaki mines. Work here is carried on by promiscuous
diggings, without any system whatever. The earth is brought to the
surface,—sifted, and searched for turquoises; the latter work being generally