24 TIN MINING IN PERAK. 



the gold dust advance like the liue of seaweed on a beaeh 

 towards the Avasher, and the tin -sand recede from him. The 

 same action is rejieated several times, and the gold dust forms in 

 distinct semicircidar ridges on the "dulaug" at the side next 

 to the washer while the tin -sand remains in the centre of 

 the " dulang." The water is then carefully drained off the 

 dish and the now fairly clean gold dust washed with a little 

 water taken up by the hand into a brass basin. 



More tin -sand is added to the residue in the "dulang" 

 and the same process followed until all the ore has been gone 

 through. The gold dust which has been collected in the basins 

 is then placed in the "dulang" and re -washed Avith water and 

 leaf juice as clean as it is possible to make it. It is then 

 returned to the basin or basins and heated over a fire to 

 drive off the water. When dry it is put into a piece of thin 

 fine Chinese writing paper, which has been creased down the 

 middle and then has had one end folded back. The paper 

 forms a V-shaped trough closed at one end by the folding 

 of the paper. The gold dust is placed near the open or 

 lower end and the paper is held up and gently tapped with 

 the fingers of one hand while a stream of air is blown up 

 it from the mouth. The object is to make the lighter parts 

 go up the trough towards the closed end and the heavier 

 parts fall to or remain at the lower end. When this has 

 been effected the now pure gold dust at the lower end of 

 the paper is lifted off with a feather and ])ut by itself, and 

 the remainder blown again as many times as gold can be 

 separated out from it. Should the sample contain fragments 

 of quartz imbedded in the gold it is customary to crush it 

 with a hammer and wash or blow out the powdered quartz. 



The blowing operation is one demanding much practice, but 

 when skilfully done is very effective though the residue always 

 contains a considerable per-centage of finely divided gold. In 

 one sample examined ten per cent of gold Avas recovered. This 

 was sejiarated very easily with, a little mercury ; but the Chinese 

 do not seem to be acquainted with any method of saving it. 

 When the gold dust is taken for sale the buyer puts it through 

 the bloAving process and returns the residue to the seller. This 

 he re -washes and blows, thus extracting a small portion of 

 the contained gold, and the residue is then thrown aAvay. 



Three parcels of blowings from Klian Bliaru mine, near 

 Tapah, when subjected to amalgamation yielded 17'205, 1503, and 

 13'63 per cent of smelted gold. The process in this case is very 

 simple as the tin -sand, "amang" and other imi^urities are very 



