href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@43027@[email protected]#CHAPTER_I" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">INTRODUCTORY. GETTING GOLD

Gold—Poetical and historical references—Its wide distribution—Remains of ancient works—Old appliances—Modern appliances anticipated—Labours of alchemists—Deposition similar to common minerals—How first obtained—The Pactolian annual miracle—Mode of working auriferous sand and lodes—Principal sources of gold supply—Transvaal production—Californian production—Real date of discovery in Australia—State encouragement for new discoveries—Obstacles in early Australian production—Australasian production to date—The world’s wealth—Nuggets—Modern methods—Hydraulicing cheapest—Definition of “lode”—Igneous and aqueous theories contrasted—Difference between reef and alluvial gold—Mining terms explained—Usual exploitation and treatment—Operations—Stamp battery—Its advantages as crusher—Usual milling operations.

pp. 1-12

CHAPTER II

GOLD PROSPECTING

(ALLUVIAL AND GENERAL)

Ignorance of prospectors—Chapter specially addressed to the inexperienced—Valuable finds mostly accidents—Best way to obtain elementary knowledge—An assaying experience—What a prospector should know—Usual geological conditions of most minerals—Unwise to follow theories blindly—Instances of unlikely occurrences of gold—Importance of examining outcrops—Curious matrices for gold—Alluvial and reef gold—Hints to prospectors—Prospecting for alluvial gold—Tin dish—Dry blowing—Size of prospecting shaft—Intricacy of deep leads—How to recognise true bottom—Gold bearing “gutters”—Difference in working shallow and wet ground.

pp. 13-21

CHAPTER III

LODE OR REEF PROSPECTING

Likeliest localities for reefs—Similarity of indications of minerals—Where first prospecting is done—A practical example—Ironstone “blows”—Their true origin—Igneous theory untenable—Usual trend of lodes in Australia—Exceptions to the rule—Instances of rich deposits apart from lodes—Sinuosity of lodes—How to trace lodes demonstrated—Examine all indications—How to recognise gold, silver, copper, tin—How to ascertain their value—Caution in sinking—Where to prospect in case of parallel lodes—Usual underlie in Australia—Size of prospecting shaft—Tip for mullock—How to distinguish gold from pyrites or mica—Estimating value from prospect—How to pan—An amalgamating assay method—Author’s device when antimony present—Battery, best test—Silver and tin indications—Lode tin, stream tin, difficulty of recognising tin—Lode tin always near granite—Minerals often mistaken for tin—How to discriminate—Tin in Westralia.

pp. 22-33

CHAPTER IV

THE GENESIOLOGY OF GOLD

(AURIFEROUS LODES)

Igneous theory formerly strongly upheld—Quotation from Rosales—His arguments combated—Hydro-thermal action—Its evidences in New Zealand—Professor Lobley’s theory—Author’s deposition theory confirmed—Later works—Conclusions of Le Conte—Metamorphic slates and earlier Silurian strata theory—Formation of mineral lodes—What was gold originally?—Metal or metallic salt—Silicate hypothesis preferred—Explanation of sulphides and silicates of gold—Bischof’s interesting experiment—Skey’s and other deposition experiments—How gold took its metallic form—The Comstock lode—Occurrence of gold in shutes explained—Why lode junctions are usually rich—Cox’s theory—Instances of lodes re-forming—Gold as natural sulphide—Newbery’s theory of gold in pyritous lodes—Probable occurrence in pyritous ores as sulphide.

pp. 34-47

CHAPTER V

THE GENESIOLOGY OF GOLD

(AURIFEROUS DRIFTS)

Derivation and occurrence—Old diggers’ “growing” theory—Deposition experiment illustrating nature—Denudation of quartz lodes theory—Examples of its probability—Nuggets require other explanation—Deposition, most rational theory—Usual alluvial theory combated—Daintree’s and Wilkinson’s deposition experiments—Spondulix and Lothair nuggets—Newbery’s deposition experiments—Nugget form explained—Author’s experiments in manufacture of golden quartz—Extract from author’s “Deposition of Gold”—Remarkable nugget—Reason of superiority of alluvial gold.

pp. 48-58

CHAPTER VI

GOLD EXTRACTION

Division of methods of treating ores—Scientific extraction indispensable—Superficial knowledge—German and Australian methods compared—Schools of Mines—Antiquity of gold working—Miner’s equipment—Tub, cradle, long tom—How operated—Hydraulic mining—Extensive Australian drifts—Extraction of reef gold—Amalgamation—Crushing appliances—Preference for stampers—The Lemichel syphon—The Griffin mill—The Huntingdon mill—Dodge crusher—Krupp Grusonwerk Ball Mill—Premature plant erecting—Danger of untried processes—Double faulted lode—Automatic ore feeders—Machinery site—Foundations for battery—Weight of stamps—Power and water required for battery—Selection of screen—Fall of tables—Ancient Egyptian gold washing table—Blanket tables—Successful treatment of refractory ore in Australia—Methods vary with ore—Importance of even crushing—Points re crushing—Best form of stamper box—Cleaning plates—Form of scraper—Retorting