On the Occurrence and Winning of Gold in Ireland. 283 



more, as these places in the three principal streams are nearly in a 

 straight line, the direction of which is at an angle of about 70*^ 

 across the general direction of the beds, we might expect here- 

 abouts the presence of a " caunter lode " that is not conformable 

 to the strike of the strata,* or it may be that the auriferous 

 veins are conformable to the main lodes (and to the strata), and 

 are cut off by a fault on the line of the supposed caunter lode. 



Most of the gold is apparently rolled as though it had 

 been drifted. But some of the smaller grains or " eyesills," 

 especially in the upper portions of the streams, are frosted or 

 crystallized ; and Weaver found some specimens " crystallized 

 in octahedrons, and also in elongated garnet dodecahedrons," 

 which would suggest either that the gold has not been carried 

 far from its vein or lode, but was freed from its matrix near 

 where it is now found, probably by the disintegration of an 

 enclosing pyrites quartz. Or that it grew, or rather crystallized 

 out, where it is now found. 



If the latter supposition can be entertained it seems necessary 

 that the gold should have been carried in solution and deposited 

 in the drift. But to obtain a natural solution of gold presents 

 many difficulties. In the first place the obtaining of a solvent, 

 and secondly, the keeping of the gold in solution ; especially if it 

 be derived from a pyrites lode undergoing decomposition; the first 

 stage in the oxidation of such being the formation of protosalts 

 (especially of iron), in the presence of which it would be impos- 

 sible that the gold could remain in solution ; but if there were 

 such a solution percolating the rocks, when it issued from under 

 ground and mingled with waters containing easily oxidizable 

 substances the gold, becoming reduced, would be precipitated. 

 In a paper read before the Chemical Society in 1879, Mr. George 

 Attwood, F.G.S., from his experiences in South America, states 

 that nuggets do gradually increase in size owing to the accumu- 

 lation of finely precipitated gold.t It has been advanced that 



* Most of the exploration works carried out seem to have beeu projected on the 

 supposition that the auriferous lode ran in the same direction as the principal lodes of the 

 district, -which is about N. 40* E. to N. 45" E. ; there is another small system of lodes 

 nearly at right angles to this, as Ballintemple, Clonwilliam, and some of the Moneyteige 

 lodes. 



t On the growth of gold, see Phillips, Proceedings Royal Society, Vol. XYI., page 

 294, and Skey, Chemical News, Vol. XXX., page 172. 



SciEN. Froc, R,D.S., Vol. m„ Ft. v. Z 2 



