Washbourn. — On tlie Formation of Gold. 403 



same quality ; the other a more travelled, much water- worn 

 gold. At the Quartz Ranges, again, a similar thing occurs — 

 the rough gold being of the same quality as the gold in the 

 leaders now being prospected ; the other sample showing signs 

 of being more water-worn, and having travelled some distance. 

 Now, if, in either of these cases, the sample to be tested was 

 the travelled one, and it was compared with the reef-gold 

 known in the neighbourhood, it would appear of very different 

 quality. The quality of the gold may vary in reefs even close 

 together ; so that it is not surprising in drifts — which may 

 have, and probably have, derived their gold from several 

 sources— to find that the analysis does not coincide with the 

 gold from the only one source known. 



3. "There is anuggety or mammillated appearance about 

 drift-gold which reef-gold does not present." This is quite 

 correct ; and it is the result of the bruising and wearing action 

 of the gravel, &c., it has come in contact with in the drift. 

 Take Mahakipawa Creek, for instance : examine the gold in the 

 lower part of the creek, and it is a smooth, solid, water-worn 

 gold ; further up it becomes more mammillated and less worn ; 

 and as it gets nearer to the source from whence it was derived 

 the mammillations become rougher and sharper, until it 

 appears the sharp-pointed rough gold nearly as it came from 

 its matrix. This would point to the mammillated appearance 

 being caused by a certain amount of attrition on the rough, 

 pointed, matrix gold. The same thing can be seen in other 

 places, but I mention Mahakipawa because, from the coarse- 

 ness of the gold, it is more easily noticed there. 



4. " That nuggets often contain a core or nucleus of oxide 

 of iron." This is no evidence that nuggets were formed in the 

 drift, as the same thing could occur equally well if the nuggets 

 were formed in the rock according to argument 10. 



5. " Gold has been repeatedly found in solution in mine- 

 waters by analysis. It has also been found as a golden 

 incrustation in iron boilers fed with mine- waters." If this is 

 any evidence at all, it is in favour of nuggets being formed in 

 the rock, as it proves the necessary gold-solution there, but it 

 does not prove the gold-solution in the drift. 



6. " Many fragments of wood lying among the gold-drift 

 debris have been found petrified into iron-pyrites, and such 

 pyrites, when analysed, has always yielded gold, generally at 

 the rate of several ounces to the ton." If it were certain that 

 no mine- water had been in contact with them this would seem 

 to be the best and only argument brought forward, as it would 

 tend to show that drift-water may carry gold, and deposit it 

 under favourable conditions. 



7. Professor Egleston,of New York, points out "that good 

 gold is often found buried to the depth of 8in. or lOin. in the 



