26 TIN MINING IN PERAK. 



sample examined coarse gold to the extent of 10 grains per 

 pikul could be picked out by hand with quite a casual search, 

 this equals 7 dwts. per ton. Besides this there is a considerable 

 amount of very fine gold dust. After repeated careful washings 

 when nothing further can be detected by a close examination 

 with a magnifying glass, there still remains a very appreciable 

 quantity of excessively finely divided gold, whose presence can 

 only be demonstrated by chemical means. 



In one valley in Batang Padang matters are considerably 

 complicated by the jiresence of fine crystalline native copper 

 mixed with the auriferous tin -sand. This is extremely difficult 

 to separate from the gold by any process of washing or blowing, 

 and when finished with a sample on analysis was found to have 

 the following composition : — 



Copper ... 



Tin 



Gold 



Silicious sand ... 

 Oxygen combined with the tin 

 Loss 



The gold was at the rate of 29 ozs. 8 dwts. per ton, or over 1 

 tahil 6 chi per pikul of sand. 



In a sample of the residue of alluvial gold from Jelai, in 

 Pahang, another mineral was present which by reason of its 

 yellow colour and high specific gravity also caused great trouble 

 in separation. This mineral is known as Kampylite. It is an 

 arsenate and chloride of lead, is of a golden yellow colour and 

 has a specific gravity of 7 5. The sample Avas found to contain 

 22' 13 per cent of gold. The Malay chief who brought the 

 sample concluded from its resemblance to the precious metal 

 that it was a species of gold that only required proper treatment 

 to reduce it to its normal form. Mere traces of this mineral 

 remaining in the gold dust render the metal brittle and quite 

 unworkable by the hammer when it comes to be melted. 

 Prolonged fusion in a current of air is required to eliminate 

 the arsenic and make the gold ductile. 



In most cases the residue left after washing out the gold 

 is fine grained tin -sand more or less mixed with "amang." 



