A strange 19th century story about transmutation

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A Strange Story.

Mr Malcolm Kinnear, in his ‘Travels in Asia Minor, Armenia', 1813, etc, relates that the British resident at Balsora, Mr Colquhoun, was visited by an Arabian philosopher, who sought with him protection from certain Arabs who had purposed to torture him out of the secrte which he possessed of making gold, and from whose power he had escaped. He proferred to perform this in Mr. C's presence, and accordingly, after retiring for a few moments returned with a crucible and chafing-dish of coals. When the former had become hot, he took out four papers, each containing a whitish powder, out of his pocket, and asked Mr. C. to fetch him a piece of lead. Mr. C. went into his study, took four bullets, weighed then, and returned. These the alchemist put into the crucible, and the whose was immediately fused. After twenty minutes he desired Mr. C. to take it off the fire, and put it into the air to cool. The contents were then removed by Mr. C., and proved to be a piece of gold, valued at ninety piastres (somewhat about £23), and exactly the weight of the four bullets - the which he left with Mr. C. and engaged to return next day. That night he was carried off by the Sheik of Grani (whence he had escaped) with a body of armed men; and never again, says Mr. Kinnear, heard of.

Quote of the Day

“Let them be silent who affirm that there is any tincture but our own, or any other sulphur than that which lies hid in magnesia; also those who would extract the quicksilver from any but the red slave, and who speak of some other water but our own which is incorruptible and combines with nothing except that which belongs to its own nature, and moistens [tinges] nothing except that which is one with its own nature. There is no acid but our own, no other regimen, no other colours. In the same way, there is no other true solution, sublimation, consolidation, putrefaction. I therefore advise you to have done with alums, vitriols, salts, black bodies, borax, aqua fortis, herbs, animals, beasts, and all that proceeds from them, hairs, blood, urine, human seed, flesh, eggs, and all minerals, and to keep to the metals. But though the quicksilver required for our Stone is found in metals only, and in these is the beginning of the work, they are not therefore our Stone, so long as they retain their metallic form. For one and the same substance cannot have two forms. How can they be the Stone which holds an intermediate form between metals and mercury, unless their present form is first destroyed and removed?”

Bernard Trevisan

The Golden Tract Concerning The Stone of the Philosophers

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