78 THE PROSPECTORS HANDBOOK. 



in limestone, also between slaty and porphyritic rocks, and 

 traversing igneous and metamorphic formations. In Chili 

 chloride of silver and native silver are found in stratified 

 beds above granitic rocks, the richest belonging, it is sup- 

 posed, to the Cretaceous period. In Peru are silver-bearing 

 beds above porphyry, and with limestone at the sides. In 

 Colorado and other Western States and Territories of Ame- 



rica chloride of silver deposits occur in limestone, sandstone, 

 &c. Andesite, trachyte, rhyolite, are some of the country 

 rocks in which silver lodes occur in South America, while 

 the usual silver-bearing fissure veins are very numerous. 



The silver mines of the Barrier Range, N.S.W., are in 

 metamorphic rocks, chiefly mica schist. Near the surface 

 the ore contains carbonites of lead and copper, chloride of 

 silver, &c., and, deeper down, sulphides, &c. Manganese is 

 sometimes present. 



Of late years, the value of silver having fallen so very 

 much, many mines notably those with galena (sulphide of 

 lead) veins have had to be closed ; and whatever they 

 were in the past, and unless silver rises in value, must be 

 ranked as of too low a grade to be profitable ; but this fact 

 should not in any way make the prospector indifferent to 

 any of the sulphide-bearing lodes. Whenever he notices 

 an outcrop with traces of what would signifiy sulphides 

 deeper in the lode, he should on no account rely on appear- 

 ances, but should most assuredly have pieces of the rock 

 properly assayed by an expert, because, for what he knows 

 to the contrary, they may assay hundreds of ounces of silver 



