GOLD 695 



cross-course bearing 30 N.W. and dipping slightly S.W. The lode traverses beds 

 of indurated Silurian clay-slate, which are interstratified with thick beds of green- 

 stone. There is also a large greenstone dyke, which is traversed by a portion of 

 the lode for a length of about 60 fathoms, until they are intersected by a great cross- 

 course. Behind this cross-course the lode is extremely rich in gold. It should be 

 stated that the lode is composed almost entirely of quartz, with here and there some 

 carbonate of lime. Throughout the quartz, yellow copper-ore is in small quantities, 

 disseminated, as well as gold. Where the gold is most abundant, telluric bismuth 

 in fine silvery-white grains is generally present, and an opinion prevails that 

 whenever that mineral is met with, gold is near at hand. It was commonly 

 supposed that gold is only to be found near the surface. Mr. Dean has favoured 

 us with some notes on this point, which are exceedingly important if all the con- 

 ditions have been correctly observed. Without comment Mr. Dean's own words are 

 given : 



' The opaque white quartz floors, which are comparatively poor in gold, alternate 

 with others of a greenish white colour, very dense, and of a shining conchoida} 

 fracture ; the latter are the rich gold-bearing floors : we have, therefore, alternate 

 rich and poor floors. From, the dip of the floors the deposits of gold appear indi- 

 vidually to dip eastward, but, as the bands of clay-slate forming the walls of the lode 

 below the greenstone dip westward down to the cross-course, the succession of bunches 

 of gold in the alternate floors of greenish quartz follow the dip of the clay-slate. 

 This is an important point in the relation to the recurrence of rich deposits of gold 

 in depth below the present bottom. This quotation sufficiently indicates the hypo- 

 thesis that, with a recurrence of the same conditions in depth, rich, or perhaps richer, 

 deposits of gold may be met with. There is a very close analogy between gold and 

 tin. It was an opinion, held with much obstinacy for a long period, that tin would 

 never be found deep in the earth. Experience has now proved the fallacy of this, for 

 the most abundant deposits of tin are now worked at depths of between 200 and 300 

 fathoms.' l 



The most remarkable item in Welsh gold statistics is the fact of 9,363 ounces of 

 gold having been obtained from less than 40 tons of quartz. It was here that the 

 ' poor copper-ore ' referred to was found, from which some 20 tons had been picked, 

 sampled, and sold as ' copper-ore,' and probably several thousand ounces of gold 

 were contained in it. The St. Helen smelters made no report, but offered an 

 advance of 5s. a ton for as much more of it as could be raised. A discovery of 

 rich gold in another lode has been made of a similar character to the St. David's 

 lode. 



The gold obtained from this mine to May 30, 1866, was 11,663 ounces from 

 5,063 tons of quartz, averaging about 42 dwts. to the ton. At Garthgell the 

 St. David's lode having been thrown, could not be re-traced ; at Tynycomel this lode 

 has not been opened on ; and at Hendreforian and Maesclawdd, the lode-stuff is 

 auriferous, but few explorations were made. At West Clogau (Llachfraith), 1 ton of 

 lode-stuff gave 17 dwts. of gold. Some profitless work has been done here. Mr. 

 Eeadwin found visible gold here at nearly 150 fathoms lower than the upper level 

 at St. David's lode. 



The Vigra Section includes Vigra, Tyddyndu, North Vigra, Nanteoch, Wellington, 

 Fachynys, and Llanaber mines. At all these mines the lode-stuff is auriferous, but it 

 has not been found of commercial value. 



Bala district. The gold discovery here was chiefly confined to Castell Cam Dochan 

 mine, near the beautiful lake of Bala (Llyn Tegid) on land belonging to Sir Watkin 

 W. Wynn, Bart. 



This mine is situated about five miles from Bala, on the N.W. side of the turnpike- 

 road leading to Dolgelley, and about two miles from the village of Llanuwchllyn. 

 There is one auriferous lode very remarkable. It runs nearly N.E. and S.W. and 

 has a dip to the S. This lode is exposed to view for about twelve fathoms, showing 

 specks of gold nearly the whole distance. The lode-stuff is generally free from 

 sulphides. The quartz, unlike Merioneth quartz, resembles that at Clunes, in 

 Australia, and some boulders have been broken up and found to contain specks of 

 visible gold throughout. The upper portion of the lode appears to have slipped over 

 the lower, and down the face of the hill, leaving behind it a record of where it had 

 been, in characters of gold. Large loose masses of greenstone have been found, 

 having incrustations of quartz spangled with gold. The debris yielded gold of 

 equal value with the lode-stuff. This mine has been properly opened, improved 

 reduction machinery erected, and has made regular monthly returns of gold. The 



1 < British Gold, with especial reference to the Gold Mines of Merionethshire,' By Robert Hunt, 

 F.E.S. Quarterly Journal of Science, 1 1865. 



