Geology 



quantity of the quartz sand in the wash basin, which was 

 then filled up with water. By giving to the basin a 

 partly rotatory and partly oscillating motion our in- 

 structor got the water into sufficiently rapid motion to 

 hold some of the quartz grains in suspension, and these 

 he washed out of the bowl by allowing part of the water 

 to spill over and carry the suspended grains with it. 

 By repeating the process with a fresh supply of water 

 more quartz was carried over, and so the magnetite, too 

 heavy to be held in suspension, unless on very violent 

 movement of the water, was gradually concentrated at 

 the bottom of the bowl. It was not possible to get rid 

 of all the quartz in this manner, nor yet to retain the 

 whole of the magnetite, but it was explained that, gold 

 being much heavier than magnetite, its separation was 

 easier and more likely to be complete. 



We thought it would be a good thing to prac- 

 tise this, and so, having procured another basin, 

 two of us set to work under the supervision of 

 the old hand. The fourth man, "the troglodyte," 

 said the afternoon was too fine to be wasted in 

 such frivolity, and so, after a dip in the stream, fell 

 asleep over a pipe. 



Having to some extent acquired the knack of 

 handling the pan, we were determined that the troglo- 

 dyte should have his turn at the work, and so, having set 

 him to work, walked up the river bank to seek the best 

 track up the valley for our next journey. 



We had been away not more than a quarter of an 

 hour when we were startled by hearing a number of 

 pistol shots in rapid succession. We stopped for a 

 moment to examine our automatics, and then rushed off 



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