XXX INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



indications of gold have hitherto been discovered ; but, as 

 Captain Pritchard mentions the " appearances of a silver ore 

 " found in a soft yellow stone ;" and as the whole of his observ- 

 ations are interesting, and may be of use hereafter, I will here 

 record them in his own words. 



1810, September 11. "I have this moment returned from 

 " Turk's Cap Valley, in which I observe abundance of calcare- 

 " ous spar, and various stones of extreme hardness. Being fully 

 " satisfied with our first attempt to explore this valley, I have 

 " every reason to believe that we shall soon come to ore of per- 

 " haps the most valuable description. September 21. I have 

 " sanguine hopes of the productions of Turk's Cap Valley ; 

 *' having, since my last communication on this subject, collected 

 " some valuable information. Mr. Thomson, who has a con.si- 

 " derable knowledge in mineralogy, has promised to assist in 

 " analysing whatever we may find : he is decidedly of opinion, 

 " from the specimens I have shewn him, that we shall find metal, 

 " of various kinds, in Turk's Cap Valley. 



September 27. " We have not proceeded so fast as could be 

 " wished, by reason a large flake of blue-stone presenting itself, 

 " which we have partly removed. There is a yellow earth, which 

 " I washed, but found nothing deserving remark ; although its 

 " appearance (according to what I read in Chambers' Diction- 

 " ary) is very favourable. I send a piece of opake agate, in which 

 " gold is found in South America. I hope for a true copy of 

 " that original from the pit that is now opened. 



October 21. "I send a collection of stones found at the depth 

 " of 26 feet in our present pit. They are certainly valuable in 

 " themselves; and more so in the indications they ofter of ap- 

 " proaching mineral earth. The dust in which they are found 

 " (for they are all separate as you see them) contains particles of 



