100 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOEY. [Book XXXIII. 



name of the earth \vhich gives indication of the presence of 

 gold. This done, a bed is made, the sand of which is washed, 

 and, according to the residue found after washing, a conjecture 

 is formed as to the richness of the vein. Sometimes, indeed, 

 gold is found at once in the surface earth, a success, however, 

 but rarely experienced. .Recently, fur instance, in the reign of 

 Nero, a vein was discovered in Dulmatia, which yielded daily 

 as much as fifty pounds* weight of gold. The gold that is 

 tli us found in the surface crust is known as " talutiuro," 88 in 

 cases where there is auriferous earth beneath. The mountains 

 of Spain, 19 in other respects arid and sterile, and productive of 

 nothing whatever, are thus constrained by man to be fertile, 

 in supplying him with this precious commodity. 



The gold that is extracted from shafts is known by some 

 persons as " canalicium," and by others as "eanaliense;" 3 ? it 

 is found adhering to the gritty crust of marble, 31 and, altogether 

 different from the form in which it sparkles in the sapphirus 32 

 of the East, and in the stone of Thebais 33 and other gems, it 

 is seen interlaced with the molecules of the marble. The 

 channels of these veins are found running in various directions 

 along the sides of the shafts, and hence the name of the gold 

 they yield " canalieium." 34 In these shafts, too, the su- 

 perincumbent earth is kept from falling in by means of wooden 

 pillars. The substance that is extracted is first broken up, 

 and then washed ; after which it is subjected to the action of 

 lire, and ground to a fine powder. This powder is known as 

 " apitascudes," while the silver which becomes disengaged in 

 Our* furnace has the- name of "sudor" 3 * given to it. The im- 



rifcrous deposits by the name of &ry nth. He also doubts the corrcetne. 1 ** of 

 Pliny's assertion us to the produce oi' the mints of Ihilmatia. 



23 *See U. xxxiv. c. 47. 



? W karn from Ajasson that numerous pits or shafts arc still to be 

 seen in Spain, from which the Koniuzis extracted 1<1. At Kiot,-nto, ho 

 says, there are several of them. 30 JJoth meaning "channel irold." 



- l 4i Marmoris glareae." Under this name, he no doubt means quartz and 

 schut 3 - See 15 xxxvii. e, 39. M See 13. xxxvi. e. 13. 



s * "Channel-gold** or "Ucnch-gold." 



85 UeeonsiLg volatilized, aud attaching itself in crystals to the side of 

 the chimney. 



^ Or "bwoat." This ** sweat" or "silver" would in reality W a 

 rencral name f(r all the minerals that were volatilized by the heat of th 

 lurnaee; while under the name of scoria " would be comprised pyrites, 

 quartz, pttrosilcx, and other similar substances. 



