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XLIX. On the native Gold Dust found in the Hills in the 

 Environs of the Commune of St. George, in the Depart- 

 ment of Le Loire. By Mr. Giuno, Prefect of the De- 

 partment of i lie Sesia*. 



It has long been known that a great number of rivers and 

 rivulets carry with them particles of native gold, of larger or 

 smaller size ; that independently of the places where this 

 metal is found in its matrix, it is disseminated in grains in 

 their sands, as those of the Rhone, the Arriege, and the 

 Ceze in France, and with us in those of the rivers Loire, 

 Balthee, Cervo, Elbo, Mallon, and Orba, and of the rivu- 

 lets Oropa, Oremo, Evancon, Vison, &c. It is equally 

 known that tHere are persons who make it their whole busi- 

 ness to search for this gold, who are called, in the language 

 of the country, arpailleurs, orpaiileurs, or pailloteurs. 



Mineralogists are not agreed respecting the origin of these 

 gold grains : the older mineralogists, and Brochant among the 

 moderns, maintain that this gold is washed by the currents 

 from its native mines, commonly situated in primitive moun- 

 tains. (C Native gold," says Brochant f, < c is found chiefly 

 in primitive mountains, where it is met with in veins, and 

 sometimes disseminated in the rock : it occurs also in allu- 

 vial strata, where it is frequently wrought with advantage. 

 The sand of several rivers is mixed with grains of gold, 

 which are separated from it by washing. It is unquestion- 

 ably evident, that the gold here is met with accidentally ; 

 and that it is deposited by the water that has washed it 

 away from its original situation, which was probably the 

 same as is indicated above." — Others think that these me- 

 tallic particles were originally disseminated in auriferous 

 strata, in the very places where they are exposed to view, by 

 great floods, or overflowings of the rivers, or that they have 

 been washed into the latter by torrents in storms or heavy 

 rains. 



I do not mean to enter into the question at large. This I 

 leave to the learned, whose chief study is the improvement 



♦ From Journal <les Mines, vol. xx. 



f Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy, according to the Principles of 

 Frof. Werner, vol. ii. 



of 



