|
40
|
GOLD IN CEYLON..
|
||
|
|
|||
|
The cradle, as used in California, is a rude affair, and acts upon some of
the proceeding principles. It is eight feet long, and stands on
rockers, whence its name; at its head it has a coarse wire grating, the
bottom is rounded with small cleets across. Four men are requisite to
work it. One carries the soil and empties it on the sieve, another digs
it from the gold bed, the third rocks the cradle, and the fourth
supplies the water. The gutter we have spoken of is a better, though
not so compact a contrivance. In the cradles, the sieve or grating
keeps out the stones, the water clears away the earthy matter, and the
gravel gradually finds its way out at the foot of the machine, leaving
the gold and sand above the upper cleets. This is taken out, dried in
the sun, and the sand blown away. The above description is from a
despatch by Colonel Mason, given by Professor Ansted. It would be
useless to give any further description of gold-washing contrivances.
All are on one or more of the above principles, and he must have little
ingenuity who could not both make and use them.
The
tools necessary are just as simple, and consist of a crow-bar, a pick,
and a shovel, to which maybe added a blacksmith's striking hammer for
breaking any rock suppoied to contain gold. Other implements" are
unnecessary. The crowbar is indispensable. If quartz has to be crushed
or ground in any quantities, mills are necessary, but these we shall
not stay to describe, as they involve a great expense, and are the work
of the engineer. The above improvisatory methods are sufficient for
all ordinary purposes.
Quicksilver
is recovered from the amalgam by distillation, leaving the pure gold
behind. Quicksilver machines may be purchased in London, and would be
found highly serviceable where the emigrant can afford to go out well
equipped for his work. But let him avoid encumbering himself with
ingenious mining impedimenta. When on the gold fields he will
soon be rich enough to indulge in scientific whims, and by that time,
indeed even now, he may purchase them in the colony.
Much
gold is now lost in Australia by the cradling method; but by the
methods we have described, not a particle need be lost, and the digger
may-work independently of others; whereas, in cradling, he must be in
partnership. Mr. Rudder, now in New South Wales, but formerly in
California, gives the following variation on the cradle, but that of
Colonel Mason, above described, is in our opinion preferable:—"The
cradle," says Mr. Rudder, "should be four feet long, twenty inches
wide, and have a slide of two feet under the hopper which leads to the
grating—not mere wire netting, as the use of this is to keep stones out
of the machine." This is a complication of affairs, and gives two feet
less in the inclined plane than Colonel Mason's, which almost anyone is
carpenter enough to make for himself. The inclination of the cradle
should be half an inch to a foot.
Thus
much for the theory of gold washing. We will now inform the intending
emigrant how it is applied in the Australian gold fields. From what has
been previously stated, he will readily comprehend the distinction
between river diggings and dry diggings, the latter being on slopes
where the water has ceased to operate, having left the gold at some
remote period. At the dry diggings, being away from the stream, the
gold is usually found near the surface. We will suppose a party "
prospecting," or in search of new diggings. They provide themselves
with crowbar, pickaxe, shovel, and prospecting pan, the latter being
the high-sounding term for a large, round, flat-bottomed tin dish. As
soon as they perceive the geological indications of gold, they fill
their pan and carry it to the stream, carefully washing the contents
out, all but the gold, which sinks to the bottom. By filling the pan
and washing it out (wo or three times, a few minutes will decide
whether the soil contains gold, and whether it exists in paying
quantity. If the spot promise to be remunerative, to work goes the
cradle, which hr.s been sufficiently described, This is vigorously
rocked, water being poured on so as thoroughly to separate the mud,
clay, and earth from the stones, which are picked out by hand, a glance
being sufficient to determine
|
|||
|
|
|||