The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-01 00:00:00

GOLD.

Probably many of those adventurous prospectors who
go roaming the world around in quest of "gold," that
cherished emblem of riches from times immemorial, will lend
incredulous ear when told that the coveted metal is widely
diffused throughout nature. Few dominions of the world
there are in which gold has not been extracted from the
ground at some time or other. At home the Cornish tin-
miner amuses himself to this very day by collecting gold
spangles thinlydistributed here and there amidst the less noble
metal. Scotland has produced gold in much larger quantity.
Ireland more generously still, though the mountains and
river courses of Waterford, once so famed for their auriferous
yield, furnish at this time not enough to be remunerative.
As for Wales, the principality has even dared, subsequent to
the gold discoveries of Australia and California, to advance
her gold-yielding pretensions, as many a speculator "down
cityward" would be able to testify with sad countenance and
melancholy shake of the head. France, Sweden, Saxon)",
Hungary, Bohemia, can all lay pretensions to the posses-
sion of native gold. In Spain the auriferous riches of the
Darro and the Tagus in modern times have well-nigh
equalled in repute the olden fame of Pactolus; but Russia
of all dominions hereabout bears away the palm of credit
for being a gold producer.

Thus,without citing further testimony, the distribution of
native gold seems to be very general in European regions.
Directing our attention to countries farther away, the fact
could readily be borne out, that whilst lead and tin and copper
are localised as to their occurrence, gold is discernible far and
wide. But how wide the distribution of gold has yet to be
communicated. Chemists of good repute have asserted, and
the assertion has never been contradicted, that the precious
metal is discoverable i❑ the roots of the violet and the stalks
of the vine. Supposing this to be the case, one of two things
must have happened—vines and violets must have created
gold (which nobody believes), or gold must be distributed
far more widely than any person (some flighty chemist here
and there excepted) ever permitted himself to imagine.
Every now and then the village apothecary is accosted by
some frantically excited old lady, who fancies she has dis-
covered a lump of the precious metal in her coals. He tells
her it is only a vile compound of iron and brimstone, totally
valuelers, though so beautifully gold-like and yellow.
Curiously enough, however, and as if in vindication of the
doctrine of signatures by virtue of which every natural
body was assumed to bear external impress of its qualities
and belongings, much of this iron brimstone compound
(pyrites or sulphuret of iron) actually does contain gold,
though so small in amount that it will not pay for extrac-
tion.

It is only in one geological formation, bewever, that
gold asserts its majesty, and shows itself in quantities grate-
ful to the eye of a miner. It loves to nestle in crevices of
palaozoic or ancient rocks. During the very earliest
history of our planet, whilst yet the animals upon it were
restricted to a few low marine forms, there by some unknown
operation of nature, gold in considerable proportions
began to lay its yellow filigree-work along the crevices
of the rock. Thence disintegrated by the mountain
rills, flowing without ceasing for some thousands of years.
and rolling down into river beds, the accumulated gold
spangles there lie resting until disturbed by the enter-
prise or the cupidity of man. 'Whether in Australia, Cali-
fornia, or Columbia, the beds of rivers and streamlets
are the places of greatest promise for gold. A considerable
time before the auriferous capabilities of Australia were
demonstrated, Sir R. Murchison had expressed his belief
that considerable gold deposits might be found there, be-
cause of the similarity between the geology of Australia and
that of the lira Han range.
The geology of Australia reveals an almost total absence
of secondary rocks. The long and interesting series of
European stratified rocks, amongst which the Wealden
and chalk systems take such a conspicuous part,seem absent
in Australia. Remembering the fact that the rocks thus absent
are, when they exist, the result of aqueous ,deposition)
the probability is suggested that Australia remained above
the ocean whilst all other portions of our planet were
at one time or another submerged, and that the existing
animals of Australia are only types of races which have long
since passed away. Fossil geology lends colour to this view•
Imbedded in certain portions of the British oolitic system, sad
the same system in other parts of the world, are found
animals of the kangaroo type—creatures only now found in
Australia.

Proportionately little of the gold hitherto brought into
commerce has been produced by mining operations properly
so called, and the gold mines known to fame are were
like quarries than mines in the ordinary acceptation of
that term. The reason is twofold. Not only is gold so ca-
priciously distributed that the ordinary intelligence of
miners when seeking it is set at naught ; but auriferous rock,
or ore, does not kindly yield up its treasures, like other rocks
and ores, by the operation of smelting. Something may be
generally described as consisting of the solution by fire and
flux of the stony impurities which envelope the metal. The
result is a glass or slag which floats on the surface,
whilst the metal sinks below, and is collected in the fortis
of ingot or button. Necessarily, in conducting this smelt-
ing operatisn, some particles of metal are lost—a matter of
no importance whatever when ordinary metals are con-
cerned, but which has hitherto almost effectually defeated
all attempts of extracting gold from its ores by smelting.
Amongst the various attempts that way, the general prin-
ciple has been aimed at of combining some ignoble
metal, such as lead or iron, with the gold ; thus adding
to its bulk, and admitting of ready subsequent sePa'
ration. For a combination of reasons, the smelting
operation when applied to gold extraction has seldom
answered; hence, whenever the precious metal is distri-
buted in particles too small for observation by the naked
eye, some chemical process for laying hold of it and sepa-
rating it has always been adopted. Amongst these pro-
cesses amalgamation is generally the most used and most
effective. It depends on the property which quicksilver
has of dissolving gold as water dissolves sugar; funn-
ing a metallic pasty mass, from which the mercury
can be dissipated by heat, and the gold obtained pure.
Immense quantities of quicksilver are used in this way, titid
also for the extraction of silver. Until within late years the
greater quantity of quicksilver employed for these parposee
was obtained from Europe (Spain and Carinthia).
Recently, however, California, so profuse in gold, has
yielded, and still continues to yield, enormous quanti-
ties of quicksilver, so necessary for extracting it. Viewed
under this aspect of easy and cheap quicksilver sapplYl
the auriferous regions of the Pacific coast of North
America present advantages over every other. The con-
ditions desiderated by a gold miner, or rather a gold
prospector, are peculiar. Fuel, the great necessity of all
other metal-producers, he need not heed, except for his
own personal wants, but water is a necessity. Without
water he can only pick out such gold spangles as
he sees—few and far between— amidst much ruh-
Wil. Aided by water and some form of washing apps
rates, oftentimes no more eaborate than a bowl of wood
or tin plate, he can, by manual dexterity, wash away
particles of earth and stony sand, isolating the golden dust,
which remains behind. It' the region be civilised enough to
furnish him with the water also fur making a cradle,
much of the manual dexterity (so requisite with the
simple bowl) is no longer needed. As abundance of
water is indispensable to the gold prospector, so there may
readily be in some cases too much; for example, when the
gold field is situated in the bed of a stream. It is this con-
tinuity of sufficient water which has made California a more
pleasant field of operations than Australia. What the
Fraser River will turn out remains to be seen ; but there is
reason to believe that during several months its flood of
waters will prove embarrassing to the miner.

MR. G. T. F. SMITH'S WEATHER PREDIC-

TIONS FOR SEPTEMBER, 1855.

From the 4th to the 7th or 9th, rainy; from the 9th to
the 14th, generally fine and warm; increasing heat from
the 9th to the 16th, accompanied with thunder and lightning,
and consequently showers ; stormy and rainy from the 16th
to the 231, equinox; from thence to the 27th, showery
weather ; from the 27th to the 30th or 2d October, fine and
warm, for the season.

The warmest weather during September will be from the
LOth to the 18th.

Vittoria Cottage, 101, Hight-street, Cheltenham.

THE NORTH FORELAND LIGHTHOUSE LANTERN.-
The new lantern will be 14 feet wide, and 22 feet from the
floor to the apex of the roof. It will be sixteen-sided, with
diagonal astragals. By this direction of the astragals, the
interception of light is confined to a small oblique space;
were they upright, they would at certain points intercept the
light throughout the whole height of the refracting belt.
Moreover, the greater stiffness and strength which this ar-
rangement gives to the framework of the lantern make it
safe to use more slender bars, and thus, also, absolutely less
light is intercepted. The panes of glass at the same time be-
come triangular, and are stronger than rectangular panes of
equal size,. The lantern is formed for the most part of gun-
metal and copper, so as to render painting unnecessary. The
St. Gobain glass is used, in the belief that it is very much
better than English glass. If it be so our manufacturers
should look to it, and learn the reason why. The cost of the
lantern will be from £1,300 to £1,400; the cost of the light
apparatus about £l,OOO. The new lantern will be completed
and fixed in about six weeks from this time, to speak safety
to the storm-tossed of all cations.—Builder.

HOP INTELLIGENCE.—From the districts in West
Kent we are informed that the hops are presenting a beau-
tiful appearance—bright, clear, and abundant, with few or
no black bills, as was the case last year. In Mid Kent the
hops are stated to be excellent, and, in proportion to the
quantity of bine, rive every promise of a fine crop ; but as
tire hive is generally deficient, the quantity will be consi-
derably smaller than was anticipated some time ago. The
quality, however, is represented as le2ing very much
;levier. In East Kent and the Weald the grounds, we are
old, have not much improved during the last few days
in consequence of the cold nights. The hops, there-
fin e, it is said, though banging very thick, will be
tuas•ly small, especially the Colegates; and from the
neighbourhood of Frittenden we hear that, besides
the injury done by the flea, many plantations
are suffering from red rust and mould ; so much so, indeed,
that one grower has determined not to pick any. Mr.
Springett, el' Goudhurst, commenced hop picking on Satur-
day last, and the hopping is likely to become general this
week and next. It is noticed that this year there is a much
smaller immigration of Irish than for many years past; but
we d ) not hear of any noticeable scarcity of pickers. The
accounts received from the hop-growing districts of Sussex.
and Surrey are somewhat vague. 'Generally they speak of
the prospect of a good crop, though lighter than bad been
expected some time ago. They state, however, that in mans'
of the grounds the bine is slack; and that, as it is now too
late to remedy this, the duty is not likely to be so high as
they still set it in the Borough. Hop picking will be gene-
ral in thi; course of About a week.—sorettir ,Eastern Gazette'