394 Gold Mines in Russia. 



terprising an officer cannot be employed there without adding 

 to our knowledge of regions which, before modern improve- 

 ments had taught us to master the elements, were inaccessible 

 to the inhabitants of temperate climates. From his perse- 

 verance, however, we may look forward with some confidence 

 to this third voyage accomplishing its object, or making great 

 approaches to its attainment. 



GOLD MINES IN RUSSIA. 



[From the Conservateur Imperial of Oct. 21.] 



The senator, Mr. Soimonoff, and Dr. Fuchs, Professor of 

 Medicine at the University of Cassan, have just made a jour- 

 ney to Mount Oural, which will promote the interests of 

 science ^s well as those of the government. These two gen- 

 tlemen visited the gold mines, which have been discovered 

 within these three years. They have ascertained that the 

 mines which are situated to the east of Mount Oural are 

 much richer than those of the opposite side. The former 

 extend from Verkhoturie as far as the source of the river 

 Oural. But the place where the gold is found most abun- 

 dantly is between Nijne Tajilskoi and Kousehtoumkoi, in a 

 space of about 300 versts, or 200 English miles. These 

 mines are near the surface, and the golden earth is several 

 archines^ each archine is 28 inches in depth. The gold is 

 obtained by washing the earth, and this labour is so easy that 

 it is performed solely by boys. The metal is formed in se- 

 parate grains, sometimes in large pieces or masses weighing- 

 six marcs. But in general five zolotnics, or about 15 penny- 

 weights, are obtained from a hundred ponds of earth, or 5200 

 pounds troy ; — the proportion being 1 in 83.200. A single 

 proprietor, Mr. D. JakowlafF, on whose estates the richest 

 mines have been discovered, will send this year about 30 

 pouds, 1560 pounds troy, of gold to the mint at Petersburgh. 

 The other mines of Oural will furnish altogether about 130 

 pouds, 6760 pounds troy. This is however only the com- 

 mencement of working the mines. 



Dr. Fuchs writes, that the gold appears to have been origi- 

 nally disseminated in the greenstone of Werner, with schistous 

 talc, serpentine, and gray iron ; and that these substances 

 having been decomposed, have left the gold by itself He 

 adds in his letter, addressed to Mr. Magnitzky curator of the 

 University of Cassan, that the mineral products of the mountains 

 which he has visited are both rich and immense. Platina, 

 adamantine spar, and other metals and valuable gems, both 

 of India and America, are found there. Mr. Fuchs has made 

 a discovery amongst the latter, viz. of a stone of the nature of 



the 



