corundum, Burma.12, gems

A short survey by mining engineer Patrick Doyle of the mineralogy of Burma, published at Calcutta in 1879. The pamphlet was reprinted with modifications from articles in the Rangoon Gazette and runs to 15 pages. It belongs to the early literature attempting to bring together contemporary knowledge of Burmese minerals before the more systematic geological investigations undertaken after the British annexation of Upper Burma. The work is of historical value for documenting nineteenth-century interest in Burma’s mineral resources and their potential exploitation.