O'Eeilly — Milesian Colonization relatice to Gold-mining. 63 



Leon from that of Zamora. Tliis second portion is di'ained by the 

 rivers Duema and Eria, both of "which are highly anriferous. 

 Throughout the whole of these various districts, there are vast 

 remains of an enormous activity in ancient times ; these consist of 

 subteiTanean labours, immense deposits of debris, and the tracings of 

 'water leats,' carried over long distances, with here and there 

 immense reservoirs, where water was collected to ' boom ' the beds 

 of alluvion in their vicinity. Great beds of this have been partially 

 worked by the ancients who, from the remains, such as coins, bricks, 

 &c., met with, were undoubtedly the Eomans. They left their mark 

 about the rivers Anclares and Burbia, where there are quarries in 'the 

 quartzite, and some workings in the quartz reefs, all showing more or 

 less gold. Although the Romans, as stated, had already worked a 

 goodly patch of this, an immense area remains to be treated. For 

 many generations gold has been panned out by the country people 

 during the diy season, from the banks of the Sil and its tributaries, 

 the Burbia, Anclares, and Qua." 



The Mining Joui-nal also gives^ : — "A description of portions of 

 the auriferous deposits in the valleys of the Sil, Cabrera, and Duerna, 

 prov. of Orense, and Leon, Spain : by Captain C. C. Longbridge, 



M.I.M.E., &c." 



1. " General description of the Ground." 



'' The deposits of the Rio Sil are first noticeable at Puebla de 

 BroUen, a village between Monforte and San Clodio, and appears to 

 continue with some interruptions to Quereno, on the portion of the 

 Orense province. The bulk of the alluvial deposit therefore lies some 

 50 to 200 feet above the bed of the Sil, and is easily traceable by eye, 

 owing to the Iright red ferruginous tint of the gravel, and the darker 

 tints of the conglomerate (see remarks already given as to the origin 

 of the name Minho or Mino). Thi'oughout the distance of, approxi- 

 mately, 75 miles the river Sil flows roughly east and west, and is fed 

 by some small tributaries or mountains streams, such as the Casallo- 

 Millaroso, Entomas, and Eeciqueno, rtmning downwards from the 

 northern watershed. At Quereno the Sil is joined by the Bio 

 Cabrera ; but the chief alluvial deposit lies some miles on the left or 

 north of the river, around the pueblo or village of Medullas, which 

 can be reached by mule in two hours fi'om San Domingo Flores. The 

 deposit of Medullas is remarkable not only for its magnitude, but also 



1 January 29, 1898, p. 139. 



