Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-09-26
aoLpFIELDs OF GUIANA.
The Romuuce of Frenohmnn's Discovery

Tho Romuuce Of q Frenohmnn's Discovery.
Placer Mining About Oyor.
Thomas Dalgleish, an old Arizona
miner, has written an account of his
own personal adventures among ''The
Goldfelds of Guiana" for The Century.
Mr.. Dalgleish says:
The first fine placer on the Cuyuni
was found in 1898 by Frenchman
named Jacobs. His outfit was furnished
by two Portuguese named Carrara and
Rosa. They took out from 900 to 300
pounds month for two or three years,
the gold being worth $105 pound.
When I reached there, in 1898, tho
placer was in full working order ia
oobs is said to have disposed Of his
gains ut Monte Carlo. Carrara died in
solvent. Rosa left few thousands
That is, in brief, tho history of tho
owners of one of the richest placer
mines in that country. The mine was
sold in 1895 for 81, 500. and Jacobs is
now simply an employee in the placer.
Tho Barnard syndicate has taken out q
great deal of gold from placers situated
on the Potaro river, but 1t is my i'm
preston that placer mining Is about
over unless new territory is opened up.
Quartz mining is still in its infancy.
There are ut present two quartz mines
in operation on the Barima river with
good showing, but they are In the
disputed territory, and, think, have
been obliged to shut down. Quartz on
the Cuyuni is finely defined, although
there is not quartz mine on the river
at present, but in all probability good
quartz mines will yet be worked in
British Guiana.
At present it is impossible for poor
man to prospect to advantage IN that
country. He must purchase all his pro-
visions at Georgetown, buy or hire
boat, pay big wages to his captain and
bowman and give security for the wages
of his men and pay for their food. l
have known only one or two poor men
who have made stake out there.
After prospecting three or four
months, which is ve'y fatiguing and
trying to the consultation of the strong
est, man lray find nothing, bnt he
will have leaned good deal. Then he
may take rc;iou. il 30 las y fcv kun
dreds left. to buy anothcr outat. This
time he RAY find Il creek thHt will pay
him one or two Ounces :; dag i'll tho ton.
When that much is set in tho ton,
sluices arc soon pat IL. which yield two
or three times as mach gold. Ii he has
the good fortune 10 keep his health and
to find gold, he has to carry his yield to
Bnrtaca Grove, where he passes through
the gold station. Hero every man, both
laborer and master, is searched. Some
think this very disagroeablc, but l soc
nothing Objectionable in the law, which
is great protection to the placer owner,
the object being to prevent laborers and
others from stealing gold. AT George
town he must carry his gold to the COM
missioner's Office, where no gets per-
NIT to pay the royalty at another gov
eminent Office, after which he mny sell
it to the banks.
Miners are not allowed to sell gold IN
the bush OF in Georgetown. Each day q
miner must enter his find in his gold
book, and if al inspector should come
along and find gold that was not entered
he might coniscate it This is why o
miner must buy his entire outfit in
Georgetown and have money enough
to see himself through before be starts.
All the British colonial officials, at least
all that came in contact with, are po-
lite and gentlemanly. l have met for
eigners who think their laws are very
stringent, but I would rather be where
there Is some law than on the other side
of the Uruan, where there IS none.