BRITISH COLUMBIA.
New
finds of platinum-bearing gravels have been reported from British
Columbia. The newly discovered deposits are in the Cariboo District,
and extend from Ques-nelle Lake westward to the Fraeser River. The
gravels, which are of great thickness, lie in ancient river beds, and
are of low grades, running only about 15 cents to the cubic yard. A
large area of these gravels along the south fork of the Quesnelle River
is being worked according to the latest methods. Undercurrents and
other appliances are used in connection with sluicing, in order to
save the heavy sands and metals which will not amalgamate. Material
obtained in this way consists of magnetite, chromite, pyrite, and
galena, and carries considerable gold, copper, platinum, palladium, and
iridosmine. The gold which is saved in this product has refused to
amalgamate, and seems to be coated with oxides of iron and manganese.
The platinum metals occur both as free metallic grains and inclosed in
the iron minerals, especially in the chromite.
Another
discovery of platinum in British Columbia is reported by Mr. R. W.
Brock in an article on "Platinum in British Columbia."" The metal is
found in close association with small quantities of sulphides (pyrite,
chalcopyrite, galena, and blende), in a gold-quartz vein at Burnt
Basin, 3 miles west of Coryell, in the Grand Forks mining division,
Yale district. This occurrence is of an unusual nature and the exact
form in which the platinum occurs has not been determined, but it is
probably associated with the copper ore. The vein in which it occurs is
situated in a greenstone area between two large porphyry dikes, and
runs about S3 in gold to the ton.
The
occurrence of the platinum metals in the placers of the Similkameen and
Tulameen rivers and several of their tributary creeks has been known
for many years. These deposits, together with occurrences of the metal
in peridotite and serpentines and in an associated granite in the same
district, have been thoroughly described by Professor Kemp in his work
already referred to.
As
to the probability of further discoveries of platinum in British
Columbia, it may be said that the basic igneous rocks, such as those
which seem to be the source of the platinum in the Similkameen and
Tulameen rivers, are widely distributed, not only in the southern part
of the province, but as far north as the Atlin district. Areas winch
seem especially rich in favorable associations for the occurrence of
the metal are in the West Kootenai and Boundary Creek districts, which
lie some distance to the east of the Similkameen, and discoveries of
platinum in these regions would create no surprise.
COLOMBIA.
In Colombia, which
ranks second to Russia in the production of platinum, no new
discoveries of importance have been made. The platinum-bearing gravels
of the one district, El Choco, which embraces the headwaters of the San
Juan River, are mined by the natives in a desultory manner, most of the
platinum being washed out by hand in bateas. Sluicing is also practiced
to some extent. Attempts at dredging on the part of foreign capital
have not met with marked success, due principally to the low grade of
the gravels dredged.
RUSSIA.
THE URALS.
In
Russia the platinum-producing areas have not been materially increased
during the last few years, and remain practically as described by
Professor Kemp. Active mining is confined to the gravels of the Iss,
the Veeya, and the upper Tura, in the Goroblagodat and Bisersk
districts, and to the valleys of the Sisim, Visim, Martian,
a Eng. and Min. Jour., Feb. 18, 1904.
