Getting Gold | Page 9

described later on.
CHAPTER II
GOLD PROSPECTING--ALLUVIAL AND GENERAL
It is purposed in this chapter to deal specially with the operation of
searching for valuable mineral by individuals or small working parties.

It is well known that much disappointment and loss accrue through lack
of knowledge by prospectors, who with all their enterprise and energy
are often very ignorant, not only of the probable locality, mode of
occurrence, and widely differing appearance of the various valuable
minerals, but also of the best means of locating and testing the ores
when found. It is for the information of such as these that this chapter is
mainly intended, not for scientists or miners of large experience.
All of us who have had much to do with mining know that the majority
of the best mineral finds have been made by the purest accident; often
by men who had no mining knowledge whatever; and that many
valuable discoveries have been delayed, or, when made, abandoned as
not payable, from the same cause--ignorance of the rudiments of
mineralogy and mining. I have frequently been asked by prospectors,
when inspecting new mineral fields, what rudimentary knowledge will
be most useful to them and how it can be best obtained.
If a man can spare the time a course of lessons at some accredited
school of mines will be, undoubtedly, the best possible training; but if
he asks what books he should read in order to obtain some primary
technical instruction, I reply: First, an introductory text-book of
geology, which will tell him in the simplest and plainest language all he
absolutely requires to know on this important subject. Every prospector
should understand elementary geology so far as general knowledge of
the history of the structure of the earth's crust and of the several actions
that have taken place in the past, or are now in operation, modifying its
conditions. He may with advantage go a few steps further and learn to
classify the various formations into systems, groups, and series: but he
can acquire all that he need absolutely know from this useful little 2s.
6d. book. Next, it is advisable to learn something about the occurrence
and appearance of the valuable minerals and the formations in which
they are found. For all practical purposes I can recommend Cox and
Ratte's "Mines and Minerals," one of the Technical Education series of
New South Wales, which deals largely with the subject from an
Australian standpoint, and is therefore particularly valuable to the
Australian miner, but which will be found applicable to most other
gold-bearing countries. I must not, however, omit to mention an

admirably compiled /multum in parvo/ volume prepared by Mr. G.
Goyder, jun., Government Assayer and Assay Instructor at the School
of Mines, Adelaide. It is called the "Prospectors' Pocketbook," costs
only one shilling, is well bound, and of handy size to carry. In brief,
plain language it describes how a man, having learned a little of
assaying, may cheaply provide himself with a portable assay plant, and
fluxes, and also gives considerable general information on the subject
of minerals, their occurrence and treatment.[*]
[*] Another excellent and really practical book is Prof. Cole's "Practical
Aids in Geology" (second edition), 10s. 6d.
It may here be stated that some twelve years ago I did a large amount of
practical silver assaying on the Barrier (Broken Hill), which was not
then so accessible a place as it is now, and got closely correct results
from a number of different mines, with an extemporised plant almost
amusing in its simplicity. All I took from Adelaide were a small set of
scales capable of determining the weight of a button down to 20 ozs. to
the ton, a piece of cheese cloth to make a screen or sieve, a tin ring 1 l/2
in. diameter, by 1/2 in. high, a small brass door knob to use as a cupel
mould, and some powdered borax, carbonate of soda, and argol for
fluxes; while for reducing lead I had recourse to the lining of a
tea-chest, which lead contains no silver--John Chinaman takes good
care of that. My mortar was a jam tin, without top or bottom, placed on
an anvil; the pestle a short steel drill. The blacksmith at Mundi Mundi
Station made me a small wrought iron crucible, also a pair of bent
tongs from a piece of fencing-wire. The manager gave me a small
common red flower pot for a muffle, and with the smith's forge (the fire
built round with a few blocks of talcose schist) for a furnace, my plant
was complete. I burned and crushed bones to make my bone-dust for
cupelling, and thus provided made nearly forty assays, some of which
were afterwards checked in Adelaide, in each instance coming as close
as check