had been at the gold-diggings
both in California and Australia, happened to engage in a ship bound
for Colombo. Upon arrival, they obtained leave from the Captain for a
stroll on shore, and they took the road towards Kandy, and when about
half-way, it struck them, from the appearance of the rocks in the
uneven bed of a river, called the Maha Oya, ' that gold must exist in
its sands.' They had no geological reason for this opinion; but the
river happened to be very like those in California, in which they had
been accustomed to find gold. They accordingly set to work with a tin
pan to wash ihe sand, and to the astonishment of everyone in Ceylon,
and to the utter confusion of Dr. Davy's opinions, they actually discovered golii .'
The quantity was small; but the men were very sanguine of success, and
were making their preparations for working on a more extensive scale,
when they were all prostrated by jungle fever; a guardian-spirit of the
gold at Ambepusse, which will ever effectually protect it from
Europeans.
They
all returned to Colombo, and, when convalescent, they proceeded to
Nuwara Eliya, naturally concluding that the gold which exited in dust
in Ihe rivers below must be washed down from the richer stores of Ihe
mountains.
Their
first discovery of gold at Nuwara Kliya was on the 141I1 of June, 1854,
on the second day of their search in that locality. This was found in
the ' Vale of Rubies.' I had advised them to make their first search in
that spot for this reason; that, as the precious stones had there
settled in the largest numbers, from their superior gravity, it was
natural to conclude that, if gold should exist, it would, from its
gravity, be somewhere below the precious stones, or in their vicinity.
From
the facility with which it has been discovered, it is impossible to
form an opinion as to the quantity or the extent to which it will
eventually be developed. It is equally impossible to predict the future
discoveries which may be made of other minerals. It is well known that
quicksilver was found at Cotta, six miles from Colombo, in the year
1797. It was in small quantities, and was neglected by the
Covernnient, and no extended search was prosecuted. The present search
for gold may bring to light mineral resources of Ceylon which have
hitherto lain hidden.
The
minerals proved to exist up to the present time are gold, quick-silver,
plumbago, and iron. The two latter are of the finest quality, and in
immense abundance. The rocks of Ceylon are primitive, consisting of
granite, gneiss, and quartz. Of these the two latter predominate.
Dolomite also exists in large quantities up to an elevation of 5,000
feet, but not beyond \liis height.
CAUSKS OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN" MODERN GOI.D-MIMNC,
(From the Ceylon Obseivei; April iSth, 1881.)
The Journal of the. Society of Arts for
21st January contains a paper read by Mr. A. fl. Lock on the above
subject. In opening Mr. Rock stated that the "Stock Exchange Year
Hook'' for 1880, reveals the fact that £2,240,449 of English
share capital was|invested in so-called " gold-mining " enterprises at
the end. of 1879. An analysis of this sum shows it to be composed of :—
,£871,658 which has never paid a dividend. 362,041 which has paid none
for some years past. 110,000 which is paying about 3 per cent. 896,750
which is paying 10-50 per cent.
£2,240,449
In other words, more than half this large amount is utterly unremunerative.
To
this fact, Mr. Lock said, was no doubt due the suspicion with which the
enterprise haj come to be regarded, whereas, if properly conducted,
none was safer or more profitable. The causes that determine the
success or failure of an undertaking were stated 10 be as follows:—-
1. The soundness of the constitution of the undertaking.
