1859.] atkinson bronze belics. 241 



November 30, 1859. 



Sir Walter James, Betshanger Park, Kent ; George Dawes, Esq., 

 Milton Iron-works, near Barnsley, Yorkshire ; The Rev. Julian 

 Edmund "Woods, Penola, South Australia ; Eassett Smith, Esq., 

 1 Elm Court, Temple ; Captain AV.Hichens, Bengal Engineers ; Lionel 

 Brough, Esq., one of IOI. Inspectors of Coal-mines, Clifton ; John 

 Studdy Leigh, Esq., St. Stephen's Terrace, Bayswater; and John 

 Pope Hennessy, Esq., M.P., were elected Fellows. 



The following communications were read: — 



1. On some Broxze Relics found in an Auriferous Sand in Siberia. 

 By T. W. Atkinson, Esq., F.G.S., F.R.G.S. 



The accompanying fragments of worked metal* were discovered 

 in Siberia, at a gold-mine on the River Sharganf, in about lat. 59° 

 30' N. and long. 96° 10' E. They were found at a depth of 14 feet 

 8 inches beneath the surface, near the middle of a bed of gold- 

 bearing sand %, which was 20 inches thick, and composed of yellow 

 sand, pebbles, small fragments of quartz, with other pulverized or 

 decomposed rocks. Imbedded in it were pieces of gold, varying in 

 size from small grains to nuggets of one to four pounds in weight. 

 This deposit rested on a bed of rock. 



Immediately above the sand there was a stratum, 5 feet in 

 thickness, consisting of coarse gravel, dark-coloured sand, and 

 some earthy matter, containing pieces (but not of large size) of 

 quartz, granite, and porphyritic rocks. Overlying this, there was 

 another stratum, feet in thickness, composed of yellow sand and 

 rough pebbles, in which were imbedded blocks of granite, porphyry, 

 and jasper. Some of these were large, and their angles were worn 

 away by attrition. Over this was a bed of dark-coloured Band, 

 about 10 inches thick ; and above that, 2 feet of good vegetable 

 mould, formed by the decayed trunks of trees and herbage. 



There were no fissures in the strata through which these hronze 

 relics could have fallen, nor did they appear to have ever been dis- 

 turbed by man since the gold w;is deposited. 



The relies were found in the presence of one of the officers of 

 the mine, ami Becured by him, or they would probably have been 

 taken to the gold-washing machines ami Inst. I saw them within 

 half an hour of their discovery, and with some of the matrix (sand 

 and gravel) still adhering to them. The Director and the miners, 

 as also myself, were fully convinced that these pieces of metal hail 

 been carried t<> their resting-place by the stream which hail washed 

 down the gold. 



* Exhibited a) the Ueeting. 



+ Tin' Shargan, which baa often shifted it- nouns, rami into theToongooa a! 

 about 4<» mill- below the -|">t Inn - referred t<> ai the place >>( tin- puld-cli^ninys ; 

 the latter river ultimately joins the V. ojasej . This gold-mine La aoool 160 muea 

 from the town <>t' Feniaaej 



♦ Remains of M'iinm<>! Ii- nr.' - ii>l to o«viir in lhi> Band, ahotit half a mill- off 



i 2 



