20 GOLD IN SARAWAK, 



alluvial soil, and in the sand and gravel of the 

 rivers : it is found chiefly on the western and southern 

 portions of the island, but is not obtained in any 

 quantities to the northward. In Sarawak, Sambas, 

 Sangow, and Banjar, it appears most to abound. 

 In Sarawak it is found in all parts of the country on 

 the right-hand, or western branch of the river, beyond 

 the influence of the tides : it is found also in the 

 southern branch, but in less considerable quantities. 

 In the crevices of the limestone above mentioned, it 

 is worked by Malays. 



Last year I accompanied Mr. Brooke on a visit to 

 the rocks. The place they were then working was 

 about four miles inland from the river, and about 

 that distance from Seniawan and Tundong. This 

 place was called Battu Kaladi, and was a limestone 

 hill about 200 feet in height, the surface of which 

 was worn, like all the limestone rocks of the country, 

 apparently by water, into ridges so sharp that it 

 would have been exceedingly dangerous to have 

 fallen upon them. Amongst these ridges were holes, 

 very small, continuations of which penetrated into 

 the heart of the mountain, some of them being forty 

 or more feet in depth. The only difficulty appeared 

 to be in the labour of making the aperture sufficiently 

 large to admit the miner ; but, this accomplished, on 

 his descent he found the bottom, which invariably 

 opened to a cave, covered with earth of a loamy 

 nature. This, on being brought to the surface in 

 baskets, was washed, and we were told produced a 



