Extraordinary women–and a Gobi sand question

 
For one reason or another, I have been reading The Gobi Desert by Mildred Cable and Francesca French. In the history of exploration and enquiry into far-flung parts, it’s easy to overlook that regiment of indefatigable women – particularly Victorian - who played extraordinary roles. Perhaps the most celebrated was, of course, Gertrude Bell, whose middle-eastern exploits changed politics and history. But in China, in the first couple of decades of the last century, there were three women, Mildred, Francesca, and the latter’s sister, Eva (Evangeline), who documented the landscapes and culture of that part of the world through quite remarkable travels. Yes, they were missionaries, but they pursued their goals with linguistic skills and a deep cultural sensitivity that resulted in accounts that are distinctly and fascinatingly different from the typical travel writing of the times and have become classics. And the classic of the classics is their description of their thirteen years in the Gobi, “following trade-routes, tracing faint caravan tracks, searching out innumerable by-paths and exploring the most hidden oases. ... Five times we traversed the whole length of the desert, and in the process we had become part of its life."

The story begins as they set out from the fort at what is today called Jiayuguan, the westernmost bastion of the Great Wall. Leaving the western gate, they passed a great mound of earth whose role was to keep out the evil spirits of the desert, and a stone tablet on which were inscribed the forbidding words “Earth’s Greatest Barrier.” Following the Silk Road westwards, they stopped at isolated and insular oases – Shachow, “City of Sands,” Shamen, “Gates of Sand.” These even before they reached the Taklamakan Desert proper.

But one of the things that intrigues me is the following account from their overnight stay in Huei-huei-pu, the “Moslem Tomb Halt,” whose location today I have yet to figure out. While wandering around the village, Mildred stopped at the local shop, where

There was something different here, however, for, in addition to the dull stock of the oasis shopkeeper, this man had a variety of articles made from a fine-grained, light-grey stone which was found near at hand. These were slabs on which to rub down the hard sticks of Chinese ink, and little pots to hold water with which to moisten them. The chief demand, however, was for small pieces to be used as whetstones for knives, razors or scissors, and many a carter passing that way added a hone to his small outfit of traveller’s necessities.

Having made some purchases, Mildred sat down and chatted with the shopkeeper about this and that, but then

I turned to go, and just as I was leaving, I noticed on his counter a jar of coarse grey sand. Taking some of it in my hand, I rubbed it between my fingers testing the quality of the grains, and as I did so I felt there was something unusual about it. “What do you keep sand for?” I asked. “Is there not enough of it by the roadside?”

“This is special sand, Lady,” he said. “It comes from near here but is not found elsewhere in the Gobi.It is so heavy that the wind does not blow it about, and it is the only sand which can be used for one process in the polishing of jade.Though it is hard enough to use even on jade, yet it never scratches the surface. It is very highly valued, and jade polishers send here to get it.”

So there’s my question – does anyone have an idea as to exactly what this highly valued sand might be?

Comments

[Howard Allen]

Interesting puzzle. I don't have any insight as to "exactly" what it might be, but interpreting the quotation gives me some room to speculate. Mildred calls it "coarse" grey sand. I don't suppose she's strictly following the Wentworth definition of "coarse", but one would think that all other factors being equal, coarseness alone would make it less likely to be blown about by the wind. "Coarse" sand isn't what I'd think of for a polishing compound: typically abrasive polishes have a very fine/powder consistency. Perhaps the jade carvers ground the "coarse" sand prior to use? Anyway, something that polishes jade (presumably nephrite) but doesn't scratch it would have to be equal in hardness or nearly so, but not much harder. Nephrite's Mohs hardness is 5.5-6 (Wikipedia). I'm thinking something like apatite (5) or titanite/sphene (5-5.5). Both are significantly heavier than quartz sand, and could conceivably form placer (or even aeolian?) concentrates. Barite/baryte comes to mind as a heavy mineral, but its hardness, 3-3.5, wouldn't be much good for polishing jade. Pure feldspar sand would probably be the right hardness, but its density is about the same as quartz sand. I hope you let us know if you find out!

[Richard Bready]

Sources mention corundum, quartz, and garnet. Sources are often lead-authored by Margaret Sax at the BM: http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/about_us/staff/conservation_and_science/margaret_sax.aspx

Thanks for the reminder of those extraordinary women. Have you encountered the novel of that name, by Sir Compton Mackenzie? A very different business.

[Sandglass]

Howard and Richard, many thanks - as always - for your ideas. The hardness (and density) criteria are important; I thought that I had come across something of interest when I saw reference to a titanite placer deposit in Mongolia - but a more direct source did not mention the mineral as one of the constituents. My current line of enquiry (after a garnetifeous detour) is following up on the suggestion of corundum and its habitat in China.- - the link to Margaret Sax is very interesting indeed.

Re Compton Mackenzie, I am well acquainted with "Whiskey Galore" but not "Extraordinary Women." But I came upon this description on the net: "Mostly unknown entertaining novel with many different types of aristocratic queer women vying for one another while vacationing in Italian villas." I'll give this some thought...