O'Ukilly — Miiesidu Colonization relative to Gold-mining, 61 



"Mining in the Astuiias, north. Spain"!; — " Tlie Auriferous zone 

 and its micient workings.''^ Attention is called to the "large number 

 of ancient workings that exist in the quartzite belt that runs 

 through the province from north to south, and the gold that is 

 found in the clays and gravels of the river beds which run at 

 the foot of these old attle heaps. These ancient workings extend 

 over a district lying between 42° 25', and 44° 32' north latitude, 

 and over 30' of longitude, or over an area of 1110 square miles. 

 The best proof that they were prolific to their ancient workers 

 is the long aqueduct surmounting all difficulties, carried along 

 the mountain sides, and in one instance, from the mountain from, 

 some sm'e source of a never ending supply of water. The district 

 is within thi'ee days by sea and land from England, with excellent 

 climatic advantages, chesnut and oak timber is cheap and plentiful, 

 aud there are abundant supplies of water for all purposes. 



" The deh'is of some of the streams and rivers has for ages occupied 

 a portion of the inhabitants, during summer (the gold gathered each, 

 year by the washers of the Sil and other streams of the district was 

 •estimated by Dr. Jgnacio Gomez Salazar in a pamphlet published by 

 him in 1855 at 35 to 40,000 Duros), when these waters leave the 

 banks dry, they set to work, here and there, on the gravels and clays, 

 washing out with their ungainly wooden pans (' Masoiros '), a penny- 

 weight or more per pan per day, which they sell at the best price 

 they can get to the rich men of their villages. 



"When Guillermo Schultz published in 1858 his ' Descripcion 

 Geologica de Asturias,' he marked on his map that accompanied it, 

 several special places, where washings were carried on at the time. 

 He might have added the whole of the river Orua and Lor, up to 

 where it joins the Navia, a portion of this, and the River Castelo, 

 as the yearly washings were carried on in these two prior to his 

 examination." 



" The Orua, thus named, from its soui'ce in el Palo Mountain, 

 until it changes farther down to the Lor, runs at the foot of the 

 dehris banks, of seven ancient workings, situated at the foot of the 

 Sierra Yalledor. These form a cui've over a distance of about 

 2^ miles, are within the quartzite zone, in the vicinity of masses of 

 diorite, cropping out here and there on the margin of the river, and 

 within a short distance of the Syenite mass, upon which the village of 

 Lago is built. The extensive watersheds of this river, and its abrupt 



i^,.,.,^ij; 1 " Mining Journal," February 8th, 1896, p. 171. 



