294 MINING IN THE CHAP. X. 



the whole .cost of the labour far exceeded that 

 sum 1 . 



The space whence the gold was collected is of 

 very limited extent, not exceeding 350 yards 

 along the banks of a b*rook not more than six or 

 seven feet wide, which before the operations 

 commenced had formed a channel down to 

 the bed of rock. The banks of this stream 

 are composed of a stratum of sand and gravel 

 about five feet thick, which reposes on a rock 

 of argillaceous schist, and which latter is in- 

 tersected by veins of quartz. It is fiom the 

 sandy stratum that the particles of gold were 

 extracted by washing. 



The ore was so pure, that twenty-four grains 

 contained but one grain and a half of alloy. 

 The greater part was entirely free from stony 

 matter ; but some of it was attached to quartz 

 or a fine grained iron stone, and sometimes dis- 

 seminated in other minerals. One of the masses 

 weighed five ounces, and another twenty-two 

 ounces, the latter of which is said to be the 

 largest specimen of native gold ever discovered 

 in Europe 2 . 



The ancient laws of England were calculated 

 to discourage every branch of mining except 

 that of iron. From the time of the conquest, 



1 William's Mineral History, vol. ii. p. 367- 



2 Eraser's Wicklow, p. 19. 



