704 Transactions of the American Institute. 



mortar and pestle. Oftentimes Indian women can be seen rubbing a 

 piece of gold quartz upon a stone, having an artificial groove, where 

 is placed a small globule of quicksilver. Her patient attrition 

 liberates the gold, the quicksilver amalgamates it, and the application 

 of frequent drops of water removes the abraded quartz. The annual 

 production of the mines is about $000,000. 



Looking over the intervening country between the Gold mountains 

 and the Orinoco river, slates and rocks somewhat similar to those of 

 the Yuruary reach to the southern base of the Imitacee mountains. 

 This range of mountains is composed of hornblendic gneiss, and it 

 forms the dividing rim between the river basins of the Orinoco and 

 Essequibo. We cross this divide in the first day's ride from the 

 Orinoco. On the east, also, it forms the divide between the Essequibo 

 and the Atlantic ocean. Looking soutliwards over and beyond the 

 Gold mountains, there stretches a wide plain of tropical verdure, to 

 the sandstone mountains of Parima ; beyond lie the plains and eternal 

 forests of Brazil. Through this intervening country no white man 

 has irone and returned. Lookins; over westward there is a wide stretch, 

 of plains to the Paraguas river, a large confluent of the Caroni, when 

 again occur similar slates to those of the Yuruary, also rich in aurife- 

 rous veins. Beyond there is succession of plain and curve filling up 

 the great central valley of South America, which reaches on to the 

 base of the great Andian chain, the backbone of the continent. Such, 

 Mr. President, is ray brief notice of Guayana and its gold-fields. I 

 am here, in these tropical forests to examine, locate, and survey a 

 grant of eight hundred acres. I am progressing favorably in my 

 work, and confidently hope for satisfactory results. The Polytechnic, 

 over which yon so pleasantly preside, will be duly informed of the 

 fina> results of my labor. 



Aluminiim Medals. 



Dr. Dubois D. Parmelee exhibited some medals struck from pure 

 aluminum manufactured by Parmelee, AYebster & Co., at Hunter's 

 Point, L. L Dr. Parmelee stated that he had only a few weeks since 

 made the first pound of aluminum reduced in America, and had 

 recently cast a single bar weighing five pounds, which is now in the 

 United Sttites mint at Philadelphia, for the purpose of experimenting 

 as' to the adaptability of this metal for coinage. 



