246 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Feb. 1, 



20 fathoms. During the process, however, it soon proved to contain 

 more attractive metal. On examining a heap of quartz which lay at 

 the mouth of the shaft, and turning over a few pieces, I readily saw, 

 with the naked eye, gold in small flakes and grains, irregularly disse- 

 minated through the quartz. In a more select heap of quartz, on all 

 the pieces it was distinctly visible to the unassisted eye ; and one 

 mass in particular, heavier than a strong man could lift, was literally 

 spangled all across its surfaces with rich glittering gold. Gold has 

 also been detected by Mr. Byers in the matrix of the copper-bearing 

 lodes about a mile further S., and in the west Dol-y-frwynog lode by 

 the spot marked Turf Copper Mine on the map. All of these occur 

 in the same talcose rock. It was this peculiar character of the rocks 

 that induced me, in 1851, to recommend my friend Mr. Attwood, 

 before he started for California, to go down and examine this very 

 ground for gold. He proposed doing so, but engagements, conse- 

 quent on his speedy departure, prevented its accomphshment. A 

 portion of this rock, taken from the wall of the Dol-y-frwynog lode, 

 has been analysed in Dr. Percy's laboratory by Mr. Richard Smyth. 

 It yielded no gold. 



On the banks of Afon-wen, about a mile above the bridge, " are 

 some ruins of buildings, and below them, close to the river, the 

 remains of charcoal-ashes and bits of bones, mostly covered with 

 herbage. This place has a very singular, and in conjunction with 

 the late discoveries, a very significant name, which it has maintained 

 from time immemorial, expressive of gold ha\dng been melted or 

 worked there. This name, ' Merddyn Coch 'r aur,' signifies ' the 

 ruins of red gold.' The tradition is, that the Romans formerly 

 worked gold there. It may be well to observe, to those unacquainted 

 with Welsh names, that no ancient place has a name but what is 

 generally characteristic of its locality, or of some event that has taken 

 place on or near the spot*." 



I may state, on the authority of ]\Ir. Byers, that in several spots 

 in this neighbourhood where quartz-lodes occur, associated with cop- 

 per, blende, lead, and talc, there gold has been found, instances of 

 which he cites as occurring at Tyn-y-llwyn, near jNIoel Ispri, and 

 other localities, principally, I observe, in the Lingula-flags between 

 Tyn-y-groes and the Mawddach, towards Barmouth, all in the area 

 already cited in the beginning of this paper as containing lead and 

 copper lodes. Though I know the geology of this area well, I have 

 no personal knowledge of the occurrence of gold in its lodes. It 

 is also stated that gold has been detected in several other places N. 

 of Cwm Eisen ; as, for instance, at Penmaen, and at GelU-gain, about 

 three miles S.S.E. of Trawsfynj^dd ; also in the Newborough INIine, 

 in an E. and W. lode, immediately N.E. of j\Ianod, and on the S. 

 side of Moel-wyn, in blende and gossan. I can answer for none of 

 these personally. The whole of these lie either in the Lingula-flags, 

 or in the beds immediately adjoining above or below ; and they lend 

 some additional evidence to the views that have often been promul- 

 gated by Sir Roderick Murchison. 



* Mr. Byers, of Dolgelli, MSS. 



