Lyspurn—Prospecting for Gold in Oo. Wicklow. 423 
Messrs. Weaver, Mills, & King were appointed directors of the 
operations. Stream works were established on several rivulets 
which descended from the mountains, and from this time till May, 
1798, when the works were destroyed in the insurrection of that dis- 
turbed period, the total quantity of gold found was 944 oz. 4 dwts. 
and 15 grains, which was sold for £3675 8s. In 1801, the mining 
operations were resumed, and, on the representation of the directors, 
Government was induced to extend the search upon a more 
systematic principle ; the stream works were continued to the heads 
of the several streams, and the solid mass of the mountain was 
more minutely examined, by cutting trenches in every direction 
down to the firmrock. ‘The veins already known, and such as were 
aiterwards discovered by the process of trenching, were more exten- 
sively explored, and their depth minutely ascertained by means of a 
gallery or level, driven into the mountain at right angles to the 
general range of their direction. The mineral substances thus 
obtained were subjected to a rigid chemical analysis, but in no 
instance, was a single particle of gold discovered. The result of 
these operations convinced Government that no gold existed as an 
inherent ingredient in any of the veins which traversed the 
mountain, and the works were consequently abandoned.” 
Again, Calvert writes—“ The extent of these diggings have 
never been ascertained, nor is the amount of the produce well 
known. About £10,000 was obtained previous to the rebellion, 
and probably £100,000 since. The produce seems to be about 
£2000 yearly.” I do not place much confidence in this statement, 
but, undoubtedly, at the present time, panning for gold is secretly 
carried onin Wicklow, and is apparently lucrative to those interested. 
The object of this communication is to afford information, 
gathered from six months’ prospecting in Wicklow, during which 
time about seventy samples of quartz, &c., were taken and sub- 
jected to fire assay in duplicate. In addition to these samples, 
thirty were supplied me by Her Majesty’s Geological Survey, 
which were supposed to be more or less auriferous. In April, 
1899, a report was published in the Independent newspaper of gold 
being found near Killaloe. I proceeded to that town with the 
object of reporting on the supposed discovery. Seven samples of 
grit were taken, assayed, and found to be barren in gold; the 
eighth sample, galena, contained 12 grains of gold per ton, and 
212 
