On the Occurrence and Distribution of Gold in India. 529 
The History of Tippoo Sultan further gives definite accounts 
of vast hordes of gold.* 
To my mind, as an occasional visitor to the Madras Presidency, 
there is a noteworthy and remarkable fact which seems to have 
been overlooked by writers on this subject, and that is that the 
total amount of gold in the possession of the poorer classes of 
the inhabitants of Southern India must be enormous, and pro- 
portionally much greater than in other parts of the country. 
Men, women, and children even of the coolie class are commonly 
to be seen wearing ornaments of pure gold. The nose ornaments 
are worn almost universally by the women and children. In the 
northern parts of India the ornaments which are worn are gene- 
rally made of the baser metals or of glass, &e. In times of famine 
or distress in Southern India these golden ornaments are disposed 
of in order to procure food. Throughout India the use of jewel- 
lery by the higher classes is sufficiently notorious not to require 
special comment ; but the use of pure gold by the lower orders is 
in a great measure, I believe, peculiar to Madras. 
In the year 1831, the Government appointed a Commission to 
make inquiries into the gold-yielding district of the Wynaad, but 
the matter was for a time allowed to drop. During the last 
decade, however, largely in consequence of the number of 
Europeans attracted to the Coffee Plantations, interest in the 
subject was again aroused, and several Pioneer Companies were 
formed, but although favourable per-centages were obtained by 
assays the practical results of quartz crushing were counted only 
in pennyweights per ton, and owing to defective management 
and imperfect machinery, the time expended, and consequently 
the cost of production proved greater than the receipts. 
Mr. Brough Smyth has clearly demonstrated that if proper care 
be taken under skilled management the working of gold in 
Southern India must become a most profitable undertaking :— 
“The average yield out of 137 samples assayed was 2 oz. 13 dwts. 
and 2 grains per ton, or if one exceptional sample, which yielded 204} oz., 
and another which gave 25} oz. to the ton be left out the average yield 
was 1 oz. 8 dwts. 22 grains per ton.” 
* It may be well to point out that gold working in these early times was in all proba- 
bility carried on by slave labour, or what amounted very much to the same thing, and 
that peculation met with pretty summary treatment. In these modern days peculation 
will not be restrained by any such deterrents, and that it will be rampant must be ex- 
pected by those who empley natives. 
ScriEN. Proc., R.D.S. Vou, I1., Pt. vi. 2N 
