1854.] 



ON THE POSITION OF FIRE-PLACES.— ON THE DECOMPOSITION OF ROCKS, &c. 



39 



As would be anticipatad by a person understanding tlie snbject 

 aright, low fires make cold feet very common, unless to tliose who sit 

 near the fire with their feet on the fender ; but, deceived by theii- 

 fallacious reasoning, the advocates are disposed to blame the state of 

 their health or the weather at the cause, and they rejoice at having 

 the low fire, which can quickly warm their fjet when placed near it. 

 A company of such persons seen sitting close around tlieir fire with 

 thankfaluess for its warmth near their feet, might suggest tie case of 

 a party of good-natured people duped out of their property by a swin- 

 dler, and afterwards gratefully accepting as charity from him a part 

 of their own property. 



Many persons have been prevented from detecting the truths con- 

 nected with lowfirc's by the fact, that where the chimney breast or 

 opening is also made low, the mass or stratum of comparatively stag- 

 nant warm air in i he room is deeper or descends lower than where the 

 chimney opening is high, and the room thus arranged may be, except 

 near the floor, warmer than before. But advantages from ihis ar- 

 i-angement is often missed by the cliimney throat being left too wide, 

 causing strong cold draughts below ; and where there are many per- 

 sons in the room, the possible good is more than counterbalanced by 

 the ventilation above being rendered in proportion more faulty. ill 

 the new smokeless grate, there is the advantage of a low chimney 

 opening, although with a high fire, and yet the ventilation is main- 

 tained perfect for any amount of crowd by the ventilating valve, placed 

 near the ceiling of the room. 



It may be observed here, that the smoke-consuming gi'ate exhibited 

 in the Hall of the Society of Arts is of small size, fitted for a room of 

 moderate dimensions, and was originally intended to be placed for in- 

 spection on the table, merely to show the principle; but the Secre- 

 tary, judging that it would be more interesting if seen in action, 

 desired it, although so disproportionate, to be fixed for the time in the 

 fire-place of the large Hall. That grate was constructed by Jlessrs. 

 Bailey, of Holborn ; but the deviser hopes, as the whole arrangement 

 is so simple, that intelligent manufactui'ers everywhere will be able to 

 make it perfectly. He deems himself bound to publish, soon, any fur- 

 ther instruction wi th regard to it which further and more varied ex- 

 perience may suggest. — Journal of the Socieii/ of Arts. 



On tlie Dscoiuposltion of R-ocks; aiifl tUe rceompositiou of 

 tlicix metallic coustitucuts> 



By Jons Calvert, Esq. 



The large quantity of gold found in the detritus of Australia, 

 California, and other acknowledged gold regions, has called forth 

 much speculation from many scientific minds as to the origin of so 

 much alluvial gold, when the source from which it appeared to eman- 

 ate (viz., the quartz veins) have so generally failed to produce it on 

 being entered into or worked below the surface, thereby causing so 

 much disappointment to gold mining speculations, the promoters 

 thinking they had only to rip open the goose to ensure to themselves 

 a plentiful liarvest of golden eggs. The delusions and failures of 

 gold quartz companies are such acknowledged facts, that it will be 

 unnecessary for nie to enter upon that part of the subject here. The 

 origin or development of gold may be thus classified, — viz.: 



1. When~precipitatiou takes place simultaneously with the intrusion 

 and upheaval of the p.alseozoic formations. 



2. An after-precipitation, through the electric and atmospheric 

 decomposition of the various rocks and metalliferous formations. 



But a small portion of the gold we use owes its origin to the first 

 circumstances ; and gold having a surface determination, it will 

 always percipitate itself there, and therefore would long ago have 

 been an extinct metal in inhabited countries, were it not for the fact 

 of the afler-prccipitation and development which is always going on 

 wherever the matrix containing it is thrown under circumstances 

 sutRciently kin 1 to render the decomposition of the matrix favourable 

 to the re-composition of the gold it may contain. 



' By far the greater portion of the gold wo obtain at the various 

 diggings and mines Owes its realisation and development to this after- 

 precipitation. The vast granite ranges in .Vuslralia and other places, 

 the flanks of which are go constantly undergoing decomposition, and 



keeping up the supply of detritus and sands in the river and creeks 

 which flow from them, are not found to contain any gold at the head 

 of the creek, or in the granite detritus, uutil it has been washed into 

 hollows, and beds of creeks and rivers, in company \\'ith an accumu- 

 lation of organic matter : then, with sufficient moisture, the battery- 

 power is active enough to precipitate the gold in nodules of various 

 sizes, just in the same way that flint forms in chalk, or iron in bogs, 

 an atmospheric decomposition of granite, containing a very small 

 quantity of any other metal, is not sufficient to dcvelope the gold 

 it contains; but in the case of many of the vai-ious metallic ores, 

 when in their combination exists sufficient of the opposing metal to 

 create a self-acting battery, they will, after being exposed to a suc- 

 cession of winters' rain and summers' heat, be decomposed, and the 

 gold and other metals they contain will lie found to have re-composed 

 themselves in other chemical states. But in many cases of rapid 

 decomposition the waste ol such a tender electric metal as gold will 

 be very great, and more especially when decomposed by heat. 



Nature's workings are beautiful, but in many instances very slow. 

 Now, with regard to the gold in England, 1 have shown in my book, 

 by many facts of history and tradition, that large quantities have been 

 obtained at various periods. The English gold-fields, therefore, cannot 

 be put upon a par with the -virgin gi-ound of Australia and other places, 

 where Nature has been undisturbed and quietly producing it for many 

 centuries, perhaps ever since that continent existed ; still there are a 

 few patches of ground here which have escaped the craving thirst of 

 the ancient gold-diggers, and may yet be worked in England with a 

 profit. Of those few isolated veins and spots that contain sufiicient 

 precipitated gold to pay for working, but two or three have been dis- 

 covered and made known, and none properly worked. 



If we would work gold in England on a large scale, we must seek it 

 in other forms than its precipitated or metallic state; or the altenia- 

 tive will be to vigilantly search for the comparatively small quantity 

 precipitated, and having worked that, wait patiently for some centuries 

 whilst Nature accumulates more. I have watched the decomposition 

 of rocks in many countries, have studied this subject the greater part 

 of my lifetime, and have long since fallen into all the blunders and 

 errors that so singularly characterise the gold-seeker's career, and 

 wMch seem to so engross the public mind at present. 



Whilst on my geological researches in Australia, in 1 846, 1 discovered 

 a boulder of granite, partially embedded in rich black soil, at the side 

 of a river ; it seemed as though it had been undisturbed for many years • 

 it was in a state of discomposition. On the under side it was "almost 

 decomposed, and tinged with the oxide of iron ; I could pick that part 

 to pieces with my fingers ; there were visible nodules of gold in all that 

 portion that yielded to my fingers ; there was no gold visible in tlie 

 upper portion. This was a problem set me by Nature, which I toiled 

 for many weeks and months to solve ; many were the experiments and 

 methods I fruitlessly tried. I could decompose the upper portion of 

 that block of granite, but the gold was wanting. After som» time I 

 travelled back to the spot from which I had "obtained it, carefully 

 watched the chemical and electric conditions under whicli it had there 

 been acted upon. I returned, tried fresh experiments, and succeeded 

 in decomposing a piece of the upper portion of the granite block: the 

 only difference was, that the grains of gold I obtained were smaller 

 than those formed by the natural process. Ever since that time I have 

 been able to perform the same experiments successfully upon rocks and 

 ores, providing they contained any. 



Now, as the great and Almighty Providence has so generously seen 

 fit to invest man with the power to assist and force so many of Nature's 

 productions, may it not likewise be within his scope to forestall Nature's 

 decomposition of the vast musses she so slowly attacks, and by artificial 

 means to perform that in a week or a month which otherwise would take 

 years or centuries? — Mininr/ Journal. 



Materials for Paiicr-niaklng>* 



The question is frequently asked, " Why do not tlio Amerienns col- 

 lect their own rags?" I apprehend the answer to be twofold: First 



happily the sources of employment open arc so numerous and profitable 

 that most persons can earn more at some other occupation than colloct- 



* By ALFiieu Colem.vx. — Journal of the Society of .Vrts. 



