creased yield would undoubtedly result from supplanting the native's dish by the Californian pan, rocker, long-tom, and sluice.
North-West Provinces, including the Himalayas and Punjab.
In
the North-West Himalayas the occurrence of gold has been alluded to by
many travellers, but the following notices, from the official
publications of the Geological Survey of India, contain the most
important facts in connection therewith :—
There
are gold-washings carried on yearly in the beds of the Himalayan
rivers, and most extensively even in streams which only drain the
sub-Himalayan rocks. The fact is rather interesting ; since in these
streams the gold must have a doubly derivative origin.*
Sona River, Gurhwal District.—This
stream rises in the lower range of hills, and joins the Ramgunga river
in Palti Dhiin. Its sands yield gold, and the bed of the Ramgunga below
the junction is auriferous. The washing is not very profitable,
scarcely averaging four annas a day to each workman.
Again :—
The
sands of the Ganges, running through Taluka Chandi, contain gold, but
the profit arising from the washing is not greater than in the Sona
river.f
Punjab:—
Gold
is washed for in the Indus, at Kalabagh, sometimes also in the Bunhar
river bed at the other end of the range (Salt Range), and in several
small streams along its northern flanks, the present source of the precious metal being the tertiary sandstone formation,
*
Medlicott, "Mem. Geol. Survey of India," vol. iii. p. 179. t Lawder, "
Records of the Geological Survey of India," vol. ii. pp. 88, 90.
