91 



jseldom attempt to free it by drawing off or di- 

 verting the water. Some years since an acci- 

 dent of this kind occurred to the celebrated 

 mine of Peldehus, in the neighbourhood of 

 St. Jago. That mine, which produced daily up- 

 wards of fifteen hundred pounds weight of gold, 

 was suddenly inundated, and the workmen were 

 compelled to abandon it, after having in vaia 

 jaiade every exertion to free it from the water. 



The matrix of the gold is very variable, and 

 it may be said that there is no kind of stone or 

 earth but what serves it for that purpose. It is 

 to be seen every where, either in small grains or 

 ]3rilliant spangles, under singular forms, or in 

 irregu^r masses that may be cut by the chissel. 

 The most usual matrix is a very brittle red 

 clay stone. The salbanda, or the exterior co- 

 vering of the veins, called by miners caxas, is 

 as variable as the matrix ; it is sometimes of 

 spar or quartz, at otliers it consists chiefly of 

 flint, marble, or hornbend. The principal veins 

 are frequently ramified into a number of smaller 

 ones that are generally very rich. They some- 

 times descend almost vertically into the earth, 

 and in those instances require great labour and 

 expense to be pursued ; at others they take a 

 circular direction a few feet under ground, and 

 meet, particularly at the foot of mountains. 

 The usual course of the veins, thongh subject 

 lo some variations^ is from south to north. 



