GENERAL FIELD OF WORK 



47 



Photo hi/ W. ]{. 

 FIG. 12. OUTCROPPING OF AURIFEROUS QUARTZ NEAR KALACOON 



glistening stone in hopes of a nugget. The paj^ dirts are 

 farther up river, where good gold deposits and diamonds 

 are occasionally found in close proximity. 



The surface soil in the jungle is of course the usual 

 black vegetable mould, but the sub-soils are clayey and sandy 

 in character. It is surprising to see how close together the 

 two may be found. A pit dug in one spot will show red 

 and yellow clay, and be quite water-tight, filling up with 

 the first rain, while ten feet away the spade will throw up 

 almost pure white sand, fine and porous, which proves a 

 veritable sieve. The clays and gravels are quite sedentary, 

 the result of intense leaching of decomposed rocks by the 

 rain and the acid soil waters of these jungles. The origin 

 of the white sand is a moot question, excellent authorities 

 being quite divided in their explanation. One theory and 



