31 MAY 2012 by ideonexus

 Ancient Description of Layers in Mountains

Where there is cinnabar above, yellow gold will be found below. Where there is lodestone above, copper and gold be found below. Where there is calamine above, lead, tin, and red copper will be found below. Where there is haematite above, iron will be found below. Thus it can be seen that mountains are full of riches.
Folksonomies: geology
Folksonomies: geology
  1  notes

From China, that "mountains are full of riches."

24 JAN 2012 by ideonexus

 A Strange Way to Categorize Stones and Metals

Consider the eighth category, which deals with stones. Wilkins divides them into the following classifications: ordinary (flint, gravel, slate); intermediate (marble, amber, coral); precious (pearl, opal); transparent (amethyst, sapphire); and insoluble (coal, clay, and arsenic). The ninth category is almost as alarming as the eighth. It reveals that metals can be imperfect (vermilion, quicksilver); artificial (bronze, brass); recremental (filings, rust); and natural (gold, tin, copper). The ...
Folksonomies: taxonomy categorization
Folksonomies: taxonomy categorization
  1  notes

Jorge Luis Borges compares the method to an ancient Chinese method of categorizing animals.