it.
. Then the earthy particles are dissolved by the water, and run off',
owing to the slope of the board ; but those containing the gold remain
upon it in consequence of their weight. Eepeating this frequently,
first of all they rub the dust gently with their hands, afterwards they
press it with coarse sponges lightly, taking up in this way the loose
and earthy part, until the gold-dust is left behind unÂmixed. Finally,
other workmen, taking from them the collected dust, according to weight
and measure, place it in earthen crucibles, mixing, in a certain
proportion, lead-ore and lumps of salt, to which they add a little tin
and barley-bran. Then they fit on the cover of the crucible, luting it
down carefully with clay, and bake it in a furnace five days and nights
continuously. Then taking it out, and leaving it to cool, they find
nothing of the other materials left in the crucible, but get the gold
quite pure, although slightly diminished in weight. The discovery of
these mines dates very far back ; probably they were found out by the
ancient kings " (meaning the Pharaohs).
It
may here be remarked that this method of refining the dust was a very
perfect operation, as nothing can exceed the purity of the gold issued
by the Ptolemies, under whom this writer flourished. Yet it is certain
that the native Egyptian metal contained a large alloy of silver, for
the jewelry of the independent dynasty is invariably of electrum, or
little better. Sir G. Wilkinson has observed that wherever the rocks in
any part of Egypt show veins of quartz they exhibit traces of former
exploration by the ancients in search of gold, the quartz lying about
in fragments, broken very small in order to discover the traces of the
precious filaments.
The
Gauls, on the first invasion of their country by the Romans, possessed
enormous quantities of gold made up into torques and armlets. These
were not the spoils of
