THE 



LONDON and EDINBURGH 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



*, 



[THIRD SERIES.] 



JULY 1835. 



S 



I. On the Gold-workings formerly conducted in the County of 

 Wicklow, Ireland. By Thomas Weaver, Esq., F.R.S. 

 F.G.S. M.R.I.A.8fc.8rc* 



INCE my return to Europe, after an absence of nearly 

 three years, among the scientific publications that have 

 attracted my attention, the Journal of the Geological Society 

 of Dublin claimed particular notice. I rejoiced to perceive a 

 growing spirit of geological inquiry in Ireland, and more espe- 

 cially as that spirit is understood to have been mainly excited 

 and promoted by the Trigonometrical Survey of the island now 

 in progress under the able conduct of Colonel Colby, R.E. 



It was, however, with surprise and regret that I read the 

 following passage in the Address delivered at the First An- 

 nual Meeting of that Society by their President. Speaking of 

 the natural resources of Ireland, the learned author says : 

 " Even native gold was found not many years ago in a neigh- 

 bouring county in large wedges. It was discovered in a 

 limited portion of a stream of about one hundred yards in 

 extent ; and though the stream was repeatedly examined up 

 to the mountain from which it descended, not a trace of the 

 metal could be perceived in any other part; yet, notwith- 

 standing this circumstance, the mountain itself was presumed 

 to be the chief depository: it was accordingly perforated quite 

 through, with great labour and at an enormous expense ; and 

 the search conducted in this way having proved unsuccessful, 



• Communicated by the Author. 

 TJiird Series. Vol. 7. No. 37. July 1835. . B 



