Note on Spedmens of Oold and Gold Dust procured near Shu^-gioeen, 

 in the Province of Martahan, Burmali, by Thomas Oldham, Super- 

 intendant of the Geological Survey of India. 



During the early part of the year 1853, Captain Wyndham, 5th Regi- 

 ment Madras Native Infantry, made an excursion from Shue-gween to 

 the gold-washings in that neighborhood. They are situated about 10 

 miles from Shue-gween in a South-westerly direction, near the junction 

 of the Meaytan Creek with the Shue-gween Creek. Captain Wyndham 

 procured a small quantity of the gold, and subsequently Captain Berd- 

 more. Deputy Commissioner for Martaban Province, obtained some 

 better specimens, and also specimens of the soil or sand, from which the 

 gold is washed. These were submitted to me for examination, and the 

 results are given below. 



Of these specimens, that numbered 1, and said to be the surface-soil, 

 is a gravelly sand, consisting principally of small grains of quartz, 

 minute flakes of bright-colored mica, generally of a rich golden tint, 

 and of pebbles of various kinds of matamorphic and crystalline rocks, 

 (as gneiss, micaceous quartz rock, green-stone, hornblende slate, &c.) 

 A few small crystalline pieces of topaz occurred in the sand, and one or 

 two minute red garnets were also found. Mixed with this sand, in small 

 quantities and in minute grains, is some magnetic iron sand, and a few 

 acicular crystals of schorl (which may also be seen imbedded in one or 

 two of the pebbles of quartz.) 



Of this sand the specimen forwarded did not altogether amount to the 

 fifth part of a cubic foot. The whole of this was carefully washed and 

 examined. By simple washing, there was obtained firom this sand 0-75 

 of a grain of gold in minute flakes. The residue, after washing, was 

 then carefully agitated with mercury, in order to obtain by amalgamation 



