The Scottish Naturalist. 257 



assertions that no such auriferous quartz exists, no " vaines," or 

 " seames," or " bedds " of gold or gold quartz — no gold in " solid 

 places." 



Whatever, however, has been the nature of the " gold-mynes " 

 of, and gold-mining in, the Crawford-Lindsay district in and since 

 the sixteenth century, there are many curious evidences of the 

 qua7ttity of gold found, and of its value in the current coin of 

 the realm. 



It is impossible to understand or appreciate fully the nature of 

 the evidences as to either the character of the gold-mining, or the 

 amount and value of the produce, without a brief chronology and 

 history of the principal gold-mining operations and operators. 

 In order that those specially interested may consult the various 

 works that contain histories of the discoveries, workings, specula- 

 tions, and speculators of Crawford-Lindsay, showing the nature 

 and amount of public attention they attracted in the reigns, espe- 

 cially, of the three Jameses (IV., V., and VL), I have appended 

 a short Bibliography^ because it would obviously be improper to 

 occupy the space of the ' Scottish Naturalist ' with recapitulations 

 or quotations from accessible published works. 



My main object at present is to point out how it is that histo- 

 rians and archaeologists, as well as mineralogists and geologists, 

 have allowed themselves to be misled by the incessant use of the 

 term " mynes " (instead of " washings " or " diggings ") in all docu- 

 ments, scientific or general, connected with the development of 

 actual or possible gold-fields in Scotland during the last seven 

 centuries. But a preliminary knowledge of at least the follow- 

 ing dates, names, and facts, is either desirable or indispensable 

 to a consideration of the nature and extent of gold-mining in 

 Scotland in the olden time : — 



I. Reign of James IV.: years 15 11 to 15 13. — "The business 

 of gold-seeking under the auspices of the Scottish Government 

 seems to have commenced about 151 1." We hear of a gold- 

 " myne at Crawford Moor," first at Leadhills, and then at Wan- 

 lockhead, in 15 12 (Fittis). 



II. Reign of James V. — In 1524 a medal was struck in Craw- 

 ford Moor gold by the Duke of Albany as Governor of Scotland 

 (Patrick). A Crown lease was granted of the Crawford Moor 

 gold-mines in 1526 to a company qI Dutchmen^ who sent at least 

 a portion of the " ore " procured to Holland " to be refined " 

 (Calvert). " Gold of the mynde " (or mine) was used at the Scot- 

 tish mint in Edinburgh for the coinage of unicorns in 15 17-18 and 



