the Department of Le Loire, 285 



have mentioned above, or from one of them only ? I first 

 examined the brick earth (that of the upper stratum) in 

 different places and at various depths : I also examined con- 

 siderable depositions of this earth accumulated in the shallow 

 valleys : but f never discovered the smallest particle of gold 

 in it. The searchers for gold know this so well by long ex- 

 perience and a great number of fruitless trials, that they 

 never pay any regard to this stratum. It is the stratum be- 

 neath the argillaceous composed of gravel, sand, micaceous 

 and calcareous stones, in which the particles of gold arc 

 found. 



Of this I have convinced myself by several trials : and 

 though in general, if equal quantities of earth be taken from 

 this stratum, and from the bed of the torrent or rivulets 

 flowing into it, the latter will yield most gold, it seldom or 

 ever happens that no gold is found in the former upon trial. 

 The particles of gold obtained from the auriferous stratum 

 itself, which have not yet been rolled along with the sand 

 by the rains, have a duller and deeper yellow colour thau 

 those collected in the bed of the torrent or of the rivulets, 

 which arc of a more shining yellow, no doubt in conse- 

 quence of the attrition. They are generally found amid a 

 sand that is more or less fine and blackish, and apparently 

 of a siliceous and ferruginous nature. The earth of the same 

 nature, which reaches to some distance, equally contains 

 gold. Thus a brook that runs on the east of the commune 

 of Aglie, between ihe mansion and the park, and receives 

 the rain water that washes down an earth composed of dif- 

 ferent strata of the same nature as those of the auriferous 

 hills of St. George, equally rolls along particles of gold 

 disseminated beneath the argillaceous stratum, which in 

 some places is of very considerable thickness. 



between fifteen and twenty years ago several persons in 

 the commune of St. George made it their principal em- 

 ployment to search for gold in the sand of, the torrents and 

 rivulets that I have mentioned. This they did particularly 

 after or during heavy rains, and after storms. 



The quantity of gold they collected in a day was very va- 

 riable. Sometimes each of them would gain eight or ten 



shillings 



