The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-24
GOLD IN TIBET.
"A Region Which tho EnterprisinG Miner 81
the West VIII Some Day Invade.


the West VIII Some Day Invade.
It has been known for centuries that gold
exists in the mountains OF central Asia. but
we had no definite Information until Prejeval-
sky began his series OF explorations. Much OF
the information he obtained OF these aurifer~
Gus regions was mere hearsay. derived from
natives, and it has been left for Mr.. Bogdano-
witch to give Il somewhat detailed account OF
them. He was the geologst Of the Pevtzof
scientific mission. which travelled In central
Asia in 18S3-vO.
In his geological report he describes twelve
regions in Khotan- Daria ana the kwen-Loun
and Altyn-Tagh Mountains whore gold exists
In considerable quantities. These mountains
are on tho northern border OF Tibet He has
studied nine OF these districts himself. nnd he
gives particularly interesting description OF
the gold. bearing sands and conglomerates
found In tho Kwen-Loun ranges. He tells .
curious story Of the native method OF separat-
ing gold from the earth in regions where
water Is not obtainabe.
He says the gold di.gors. most OF whom are
Chinese. max air do the work Of water. That
is to say. they employ the same process BY
which farmers used to wnnow their grain be-
fore tanning mills were invented. They lift
the baskets containing earth and gold to an
elevation. anI then slowly empty the contents
| to the ground In those regions strong winds
prevail n large part Of the time. The gold.
being heavier than the sand. falls vertically.
while the Garth is blown littlo to one eide or
the other and in this way the gold is fairly
On Preievalskys last Journey he met in
nor,hesstern T"et PARTY Of thirty mep Thee
ffG Set " f' tie pdfH he visited the Tssa
| from the surface. and the washing WAS Of the
most primitive dGscription. Neyertheiess they
biz as pcas, aud often TWICE or thrice as big.
without doubt" said preieyalsky. With
found here / hcieve. on The whole. that am
not oyer n% in nS4hstn Nm that in the soursSS
srsHon ms,f bs dl.nE in hs soil over the
Nh Mr. region M" s xa0 fS S tn" F :ss
men t.Esng o v p h. ,v Pebble g, he'd oyer
With S,u 2ur o' G TIM se &c oeK On
Ell lie Wa S S%n1 seed s dGsss's DeS Sas syua
was told tAat Jumps Of several tues weight
Sn%a Of sa "a ii the sa ssss
hazel nut and. as IL I'll. lrst case the GOLD
as ound s II" "asna sS thu Nor
IrsElGn Lni the tiiSsers ana not prize It enough
1889 so. louni when ie, reached Lob Nor thai
ano 1t th.g u! TINT could no had by eomEara-
Maintains. liz i"and tint tthins. {" When I'll
inis Immense hI, rssion belongs as dependency,
| from the nomads and othor natives who are
able TO procure the Precious metal. He was
to'd at lo; Mr. OF one man who hal become
| the services Of his son to his principal cred.
IT, r%" the tt ' ai sns sSa ssss. e
| The father had set out for the noun
| thins with Il natlvr-mnde pick and shovel,
Intending tn dig for gold. anu he said that he
should not return until lie had sufficient gold
dust to discharge all his debts and ransom his
| SON lie made n cons siderable quantity of gum
powder imself. and borrowed good sunpIy
oi hhot. in order TO XII :hc game upon which
tude, without any expecta!!on, % seeing n hui
man being for many months, intending to de-
vote all lis tim. to digging ior gold and Killing
ascending tho great Tibetan plateau south Of 81
tho mount In he met n native who had re-
gently seen mis- solitary minor. and reported
eess i in ad b met Win AR but not great sue
This aurii"rous mountain region Ia now not
| very inaccessible, provided tbs permission OF
CHINA y secured to travel there. II can be
the frontier between the Rus ian and Chinese
possessions. Livery year It il getting q little
easier 70 visit these formerly inaccessible
when nrospcctors vii carefully Investigate
thls country to ascertain tn" extent OF its gold
hearing r. sources 1t Is not at allimpro6abie
sky discovered twill before many years ia tha
s srehe 81 much activity and the resort OF hun-
aL ,II o. inlners from the western world, Thsy
mate Is uphealthful. The elevation IL too
place to live In; hut there 10 no danger II i IN.
curing there diseases which are eos n0a Ia
! many warmer cltmoG -