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114
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GOLD.
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metamorphic
rocks has been satisfactorily proved. This, from various reasons, I was
not prepared to expect. Colonel Haughton, who speaks of the granitic
gneissose rocks as igneous, states that gold is never found in
the streams traversing them. Again, the natives, so far as my
experience goes, do not wash the sands, &c, lying on these
gneissose rocks, although they do not connect the existence of gold in
the sands with the vicinity of any particular rock.
In
Manbhum, the experience of generations of washers has enabled them to
define the boundaries within which washing is remunerative ; and this
boundary, it is interesting to observe, corresponds on the north
exactly with that of the sub-metamorphic rocks.* This coincidence I
ascertained in the following manner. On my arrival at Dulmi (which is
situated on the faulted boundary of these two groups of rocks) when
marching northwards from the lower part of Patkum, the gold-washer
asked to be allowed to return to his own country (Dhalbhum), stating
that none of his race ever went north of Dulmi. I induced him, however,
to stop, and while we remained north of the fault the washings were
carried on in the granitic gneiss area with comparatively poor, but not
exactly barren, results. On the day I crossed the fault south of
Sindaree, when returning southwards, the gold-washer said that we
should after that find gold more regularly and in greater quantities
than we had done since we came north at Dulmi.
During
the whole time, a record was kept of the daily results and of the
nature of the rocks in which the washings were made. The following
abstract will suffice for comparison of the productiveness of the two
formations :—
*
A line drawn across the southern part of Manbhum from Simlapal on the
east through Burrabazar to a little north of Echagurh on the west,
roughly indicates the position of the line of boundary between the two
formations.
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