TIN MINING IN PERAK. 23 



Penang strawberry, and the latter is a small rough leaved fig tree 

 of rather rare occurrence aud is said to be not so effective as the 

 first mentioned plant. It would appear that the action of these 

 leaves in preventing the floating of the gold dust is due to their 

 containing a substance having the property of soap, which 

 counteracts the oil which is always present in the water to an 

 extent sufficient to cause a very large amount of float gold. 



The "dulang" used is about eighteen or twenty inches 

 in diameter and only very slightly concave. From one half 

 to three-quarters of an inch is the amount of concavity 

 generally found to be best. It is important that it has a 

 true figure, a smooth surface and a nearly black colour. The 

 operator sits dowai in front of the tub and grasps the " dulang" 

 in both hands by its opposite edges and, having dipped it into 

 the water, places in the centre of it about half a " kati " of the 

 tin -sand which has been previously wetted if it has been allowed 

 to become dry, this is then shaken up so as to get the gold into 

 the centre, and by alternately dipping it into and raising it 

 out of the vrater the tin -sand is washed off into the tub, 

 always flowing away from the washer. If there is coarse 

 gold in the sample being treated a great deal of this will flow 

 off with the tin to the outer edge of the "dulang." The 

 washer, whenever he sees a grain going away, rests the 

 " dulang " on the edge of the tub and Avith the finger of one 

 hand brings it to the part of the " dulang " next to himself, 

 adroitly separates it from any tin -sand by flowing a few drops 

 of water over it and picks it up with the tip of his finger and 

 places it in a small copper or brass basin partly filled with 

 water which he has by his side for the purpose. 



The shaking and flowing off of the water and tin- sand are 

 continued until the greater part of the ore has gone into the tub, 

 when more is put on to the " dulang" and the process continued. 

 When it is seen that there is a considerable amount of gold in 

 the " dulang," the cleaning is pushed as far as possible in the 

 manner already described. What is left on the dish is then 

 brought into the centre and carefully shaken tip with a little 

 water to which some more fresh leaf juice has been added. The 

 gold having been brought by this process rather to the inner 

 side of the centre of the dish, the tin - sand is then washed 

 as much as possible to the far side and separated from the gold 

 by making the water repeatedly flow over it. The dish is then 

 inclined so that the water flows towards the operator, and just as 

 it passes over the edging of gold tlie inclination of the dish 

 is altered so that it flows back again, and at the same time a 

 sudden jerk is given to the dish which has the effect of making 



