Chap. 21.] HOW GOLD IS FOUXD. 99 



Btatc on the appropriate occasion. 19 The most convenient me- 

 thod for gilding copper would be to employ quicksilver, or, at 

 all events, Iwlrargyros ; 20 but with reference to these substances, 

 as we shall have occasion to say when describing the nature 21 of 

 them, methods of adulteration have beon devised. To effect this 

 mode of gilding, the copper is first well hammered, after which 

 it is subjected to the action of lire, and then cooled with a, 

 mixture of salt, vinegar, and alum. 2 - It is then cleansed of all 

 extraneous substances, it being known by its brightness wheu 

 it has been sufficiently purified. This done, it is again 

 heated by fire, in order to enable it, when thus prepared, with 

 the aid of an amalgam of pumice, alum, and quicksilver, to 

 receive the gold leaf when applied. Alum has the same pro- 

 perty of purifying copper, that we have already* 3 mentioned 

 as belonging to lead with reference to gold. 



CRAP. 21. (4.) now GOLD is FOUND. 



Gold is found in our own part of the world ; not to mention 

 the gold extracted from the earth in India by the ants, 2i and 

 in Scythia by the (jriflins.^ Among us it is procured in 

 three different ways; the first of which is, in the shape of 

 dust, found in running streams, the Tagus ;c in Spain, for instance, 

 the Tadus in Italy, the Hebrus in Thracia, the Pactolus in 

 Asia, and the Ganges in India; indeed, there is no gold found 

 in 'a more perfect state than this, thoroughly polished as it is 

 by the continual attrition of the current. 



A second mode of obtaining gold is by sinking shafts or seek- 

 ing it among the debris of mountains; both of which methods 

 it will be as well to describe. The persons in search of gold 

 in the first place remove the " segutilum,"- 7 such being tiio 



ployed for this cement, called ' leueophoron/ one muv readily conceive 

 that il must have been u ferruginous ochre, -or kind of lole, which is s!iii 

 used MS u ground. Gilding of this kind must have suffered from dampiu*ss, 

 though in;n;y specimens of it are still preserved." Heckraann's Hist. luv. 

 Vol. JI* j>. 'i'J-l. Jfa/tn's Edition. ^ l!. xxxv. c. 17. 



20 Literally, " fluid silver." "The first name here seems to signify 

 native qmck.-.ilver, and the second th:it separated from the ore by an ar- 

 tificial process." Ueckmanif s lli.-,t. Inv. Vol. II. p. 72. 



21 lu Chapters 3'J and -11 of tin's Hook. 



' As to the identity of the " alutueil " of Pliny, see I*, xxxv. c. o2. 

 -' In the preceding Chapter. 2I< See H. xi. c. 'H>. 



5 Sec 15. vii. c. ''.' - S.-e H. iv. c. 17. 



27 Ajoasoii remarks, that the Castiliuns ttill call the aurf.ioe onrth of au- 



H 2 



