The Shasta courier., 1853-10-22
[ H E SHASTA COURIER.
For the Shasta Courier.
I" Sites, Aole.o

MEssRs EDIToRs In the last number of
your paper you state that it is the intention Of
the proprietors of Sites Hole, ''to go down un-
til the precious ore exhibits itself in chunks"
II the ps,eprietors of this hole have suitable
apparatus for going down 400e miles, OF, in 9th
er words, to the oeatre of the earth, they will
no doubt ind gold III such chunks as will aston
ish the natives; but unless they do get down
this distance, or something near it, it is highly
probable that their only reward will be their
troable for their pains. They have already,
yon say, penetrated to the depth OF more tlan
five hundred feet; and at the present prices of
labor in California, the lead which they woald
strike must be rich indeed, to pay them for ele-
waiting the dirt to the surface and washing it.
Geology and experience should teach them,
that in the external crust of the earth, the only
places where gold, in its natural state. can rea-
sonably be looked for in any degree of album
dance, is eiLher
lst. In Quartz or si.lilar primary rock, OF
else in it immediate vicinity; on,
2d. In places where it has been accumulated
by the washing of water.
How the gold got into Quartz, is a question
upon which Geologists seem disposed to differ;
but the general impression appears to be- that it
was deposited in it when in liquid, or more
probably i'll fluid state-the fuidity having
been oocasioned by intense heat. If we accept
the theory now generally adopted by Geologists,
thai the centre OF the earth is in state Of fil-
sion oocasioned by heat this idea will appear
reasonable enough, as will also the one advanced
in the first part of this comsnunication, namely
that if they could only get TO the centre of the
earth, the chunks of gold which they would find
would as.onish the natives. The specific grav-
lty OF gold being much greater than that of
the mass of materials of which the earth is
formed, it would, when in a liquid state, natu-
rally siIk through them towards the centre. in
the same manner that mercury sinks through
water; and the probability is. that it has only
been by the most violent commissions Of aatt,s,e,
that gold has ever been tlirow4 to the surface
When once upon the surface, or external
crust Of the earth, however, the manner in
which it has been collected together by the
washing on water, IS GO paain aaat ie who suas
may read. 1t has been done upon the same
principle that gold is collected in sluice,
tom, or any other machine for washing it. The
grosser materials have been carried off; while
the gold, having greater specific gravity is less
affected by the action Of the water, and there
fore remains behind. Could the amount of gold
washing which has thus been performed in the
channels Of our mountain streams be accurately
estimated, it would no doubt surprise many
who are uninitiated into the secrets of Geolo-
gy. Where large deposite Of tertiary Oh
washed dirt is found, ii may generally be resar-
ded as the gross materials which have been
washed Away from gold, rather than as affording
an evidence that gold exists beneath it in any
considerable degree Of abundance. Could a hole
be sunk to the bed rock in the ne ghborhood of
Sacramento Marysville, it is very probable
that particles of gold would be found all the
way down; but the Geologist would hardly re-
gard this as afording any evidence of rich de-
posites at the bottom
FroSn what has already been said it is plain
that the Weaverville company in order to find
gold III chunks, must either strike rich quatz
lead, or else the channel of some stream where
it has been collected together in considerable
quantities, and afterwards covered over by an
earthquake some other cause. Either Of
these cases is possible; but neither of them, at
their preseat distance below the surface is by
any means probable; at least so thinks your
correspondent, '49.