On the OcGurrence and Winning of Gold in Ireland. 267 



tiferous galena, iron and copper pyrites, and antimony glance, with 

 a trace of gold." 



M. Charles Coquebert speaks of this as follows : — 



" At Oonnary, very near the high road, m the part of the vein which 

 trends towards the North East, this vein enlarges much towards the 

 surface of the earth, and contains a galena having a steely gram mixed 

 with killas, very difficult to smelt, which produces about 25 per cent. 

 of lead containing one and a half ounces of silver per hundredweight. 

 The top of the vein produces in many places a substance like ochre, 

 which contains about one-half per cent, of silver and a little gold." 



Speaking of Upper Cronebane and Connary, Weaver evidently 

 refers to this ochreous deposit in his description : — 



" A brown indurated oxide of iron in the upper part of a metalliferous 

 bed, in the higher grounds of Cronebane, containing minutely dissem- 

 inated native silver which contained thirty grains of gold to the ounce — 

 that is about six and one-fourth per cent."* 



And a similar deposit was worked at Connary, about 1856, 

 that contained from six to twelve ounces of silver and half an 

 ounce of Sfold in the ton of material. 



&^ 



"Placer" Gold. 



Of " placer " gold there are several records, while it is probable 

 that the sands of many of our rivers, if carefully washed, would 

 yield, if not traces of gold, other metals and minerals equally if 

 not more interesting. 



Gerard Boate, in his " Natural History of Ireland," written 

 A.D. 1652, mentions that gold had been found in the sands of the 

 Moyola river, which rises on the borders of Tyrone and London- 

 derry, and flows into the north-west corner of Lough Neagh. 

 The geological structure of the country about the head-waters 

 appears to be Silurian slate (mica slate), with some igneous rocks. 



Gold is reported to have been found, prior to 1820, in the sands 

 of the streams flowing from Slieve-an-Orra (Antrim, sheet 19) into 



* He mentions that the plate of several of the county families was made of this rich 

 alloy. In the parish church (Castletoacadam) the chalice belonging to the communion 

 plate is stated to have been made of the same. On this piece is the following inscription : — 



" The produce of Cronebane mines and gift of ye gentlemen of ye Company of ye said, 

 mines, to ye parish church of Castle M'Adam, A.D. 1753." 



SciEN. Vkoc. R.D.S., Vol. hi., Ft. v. Y 2 



