110 PRECIOUS METALS IN THE WEST OF EXGLAXD. 



About tlie middle of the 1 9tla century attention was drawn 

 to gold occurences at North Molton, in Devon, by Mr. S. E. 

 Pattison.^ 



In the year 1853 a large number of amalgamation tests were 

 made on a considerable scale on parcels of ore drawn from the 

 Poltimore (North Molton) and Devon United Mines, in Devon ; 

 and also from Grreat Dowgas, West Polberro, Wheal Jane, West 

 Wheal Jane, Wheal Tremayne (Kea) and other mines in 

 Cornwall, by means of the then newly invented Berdan pan. It 

 was said that no gold was visible in any of the ores treated but 

 very high results were reported from those amalgamation tests, of 

 which the following may be taken as examples — "'^ 



Poltimore 1 oz. 12 dwts. 12 grs. to the ton. 



Devon United . . 1 ,, 5 ,, ,, 



West Polberro . . . . 3 „ 19 „ 8 ,, 



Wheal Jane 2 ,, 1 ,, 7 ,, 



W. Wheal Jane . . 2 ,, 6 ,, 16 ,, 



Wheal Tremayne . . 4 ,, 13 ,, 8 ,,"" 



A specimen of gozzan "from Cornwall" which is said to 

 contain 14 ozs. gold and 2 ozs. silver to the ton, is in the Royal 

 Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. 



In 1854 gold was obtained from a trench on the back of the 

 West Tolgus lode.^ 



25. " But that which has rendered this curious mine [the Poltimore] of great 

 present interest is the gozzan found in the upper portion of the main lodes [the lodes 

 yield copper ore and seem to be of the nature of bedded veins]. On one side of the 

 valley giving 8 dwt. on the other 17 dwt. to the ton - not visible" Pattison, Trans, R. 

 G.S.C. VII p. 225. 



"About three quarters of a mile from the Poltimore occurs the Britannia works ; 

 these are upon a vein of quartzose metalliferous gozzan .. the vein stone is much 

 mineralized and in some places has quite a granitoid appearance in small patches. 

 It is here that gold in grains was obtained on the surface by Mr. Flexham, of South 

 Molton". [ibid. p. 227] 



26. Reported in the Mining Journal of December, 1853. 



27. It is right to say here that doubt was expressed as to the accuracj' of these 

 results at the time, indeed it was freely stated that while the assays themselves were 

 probably correct the samples had been tampered with by parties interested in the sale 

 of the Berdan machines or of the properties concerned. But in view of the previous 

 work of Messrs. Moyle and Johnston there seems to be no ground for such suspicion 

 in these cases. 



28. Hanibly; Rep. R.C.P. Soc, 1897, p. 100. 



