The stones of these
mines are also of a very pale blue, and have no great value."
(Houtum-Schindler, l.c. 1881, p. 491.)
The finest turquoises came from Khorasan; the mines were near Maaden,
about 48 miles to the north of Nishapuer. (Heyd, Com. du Levant, II. p.
653; Ritter, Erdk. pp. 325-330.)
It is noticeable that Polo does not mention indigo at Kerman. - H. C.]
NOTE 3. - Edrisi says that excellent iron was produced in the "cold
mountains" N.W. of Jiruft, i.e. somewhere south of the capital; and Jihan
Numa, or Great Turkish Geography, that the steel mines of Niriz, on the
borders of Kerman, were famous. These are also spoken of by Teixeira.
Major St. John enables me to indicate their position, in the hills east of
Niriz. (Edrisi, vol. i. p. 430; Hammer, Mem. lur la Perse, p. 275;
Teixeira, Relaciones, p. 378; and see Map of Itineraries, No. II.)
["Marco Polo's steel mines are probably the Parpa iron mines on the road
from Kerman to Shiraz, called even to-day M'aden-i-fulad (steel mine);
they are not worked now. Old Kerman weapons, daggers, swords, old
stirrups, etc., made of steel, are really beautiful, and justify Marco
Polo's praise of them" (Houtum-Schindler, l.c. p. 491) - H. C.]
Ondanique of the Geog.
