Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-30
GOLD IN TIBET.
A Region which the Enterprfstnx Niper
Of the West VIII some Day Invade.

Region which the Enterpristns Miner
Of the West win some Day Invads.
From the New York Sun.
II has been known for centuries that gold ex-
lists In the mountains Of central Asia, bat we
had no definite information until Prejeyalsky
began his series Of explorations. Much OF the
information he obtained Of these auriferous
regions was mere hearsAy derived from natives,
and It has been left for Mr.. Bogdanovitch to
give somewhat detailed account Of them. He
was the geologist Of the Pievtzof scientific mis-
sion, which travelled in central Asia in Isse-so.
In his geological report he describes twelve
regions IN Khotan-Daria aud the Kwen-Loun
and Altyn-Tagh mountains where gold exists
in considerable Quantities. These mountains
are on the northern border Of Tibet. He has
studied nine OF these districts himself and he
gives particularly interesting description Of
the gold-bearing sands sand conglomerates found
In the kwen-Loun ranges. He tells q curious
story Of the native method Of separating gold
from the earth In regions where water is not
obtainabie.
He says the gold disgers, most Of whom are
Chinese, make air do the work Of water. That
Is TO say, they employ the same process by
which farmers used to winnow their grain be-
fore tanning mills were invented. They lift
the baskets containing earth and gold 90 an
elevation, and then slowly empty the contents
TO the ground. In those regions strong winds
prevail a large part OF the time. The gold
being heavier than the sand, falls vertically
while the earth is blown little TO one side or
the other. and in this way the gold Is fairly
well cleaned
On Prejeralsky's last journey he met In
northeastern Tibet party Of thirty men who
were engaged in gold washing. He said that
gold is very plentiful throughout northern
Tibet. AT the diggings he wished the Tangu-
IN sA.
surface and the washing Of the most primi-
tive description. Nevertheless thew exhibited
whole handfuls OF gold in Jumps rs big rs peas
aud often twice or thrice as big. without
doubt, said Prejeyalsky. with more careful
working vast treasures could be found here. I
believe. on the whole. that / am not over bold
In predicting that in the course of time north
ern Tibet will become a second California, per-
haps even richer than the first in precious
metals lying in the soil over the vast surface Of
the desert land"
Mr.. ". Mesny, in 1885. wrote Of the Koko Nor
region in the northeastern Tibet: Il saw men
digging down under a pebble bed over twenty
feet thick; but they did not wash the upper
stun. They only menced TO wash within a
couple OF feet OF the solid rock on which gold
was found in nuggets VARYING from the size Of
a turnip seed to pea, and was told that Jumps
OF several taels' weight were occasionally un-
earthed. On the other hand I have seen mug
gets Of gold in eastern Tibet VARYING from the
size of pea to that Of hazel nut and as In the
first case, the gold was almost pure and per-
fectly maileabie also found traces Of platinum
In the koko Nor region. but the diggers did not
prize II enough to collect it, rs they were unable
to melt it !"
Mr.. Bonvalot, in his journey across Tibet in
lSs9-se. found when he reached Lob Nor that
there was considerable talk among the natives
about the gold that could be had by Compare
lively easy digging among the Atyn-Tagh
mountains. He found that China. TO which all
this immense region belongs as a dependency
is in the habit of collecting its taxes in gold
from the nomads and other natives who are
able to procure the precious metal He was
told at Lob Nor Of one man who had become
so deeply involved in debt that be had given
the services Of his TO his principal creditor,
who was to enjoy the benefits of his labor until
the debt WAS discharged. The father had set
out for the mountains with a native-made pick
and shovel. intending TO dig for gold, and he
said that he should not return until he had suf-
ficient gold dust 10 discharge all his debts and
ransom his son. He made considerable guam
tity of gunpowder himself and borrowed a good
supply of shot in order to kill the game upon
which he expected TO live. So he set out into
the solitude without any expectation Of seeing
n human being for many months, intending to
devote all his time TO digging for gold and kill
ing game. Some time later, while Bonyalot
was ascending the great Tbetan plateau south
OF the mountains, he met q native who had re-
that he had met with fair but not great success
in his hunt for gold.
This auriferous mountain region is now not
very inaccessible, provided the permission Of
China Is secured to travel there. II can be
reached in a few weeks march from Kuidia ON
the frontier between the Russian and Chinese
possessions. Every year It is getting a little
easier to visit thes, formerly inaccessible noun
tains, and the day is not far distant when
prospectors will carefully investigate this coun-
try to ascertain the extent Of its gold bearing
resources. 1t is not at all improbable that these
mountains. of which one range the Altyn-Tagh
was never heard OF until Pre- eyalsky discovered
it. will before many wears be the scene of much
activity and the resort of hundreds of miners
from the western world. They viii, st all events,
not complain that the climate is unhealthtui
The elevation is too high to make the region a
very comfortable place to live in, but there is
no danger of mourning there diseases which are
common in many warmer chimes.