NATIVE GOLD DUST. 271 



in different places and at varioas depths: I also examined upper stratum 

 considerable depositions of this earth accumulated in the 

 shallow valleys: but I never discovered the smallest particle 

 of geld in it. The searchers for gold knows this so well 

 by long experience and a great number of fruitless trials, 

 that they never pay any regard to this stratum. It is the ^"^'" the mid- 

 stratum beneath this, that composed of gravel, sand, and 

 broken sfo.ies, in which the particles of gold are found. 



Of this I have convinced myself by repeated trials: and Most in the 

 though in general, iT equal quantities of earth be taken j ^^ ^^^"* 

 from this stratum, an 1 from the bottom of the torrent or ri- , 



vulets flowing into ii, the latter will yield most gold, it 

 scarcely ever happens, that no gold is found in the latter 

 upon trial. The particles of gold obtained from the auri- This distin- 

 ferous stratum itself, which have not yet been rolled along ^j"'^ 1^ ^ '"™ 

 with the sand by the rains, have a duller and deeper yellow 

 colour than those collected in the bed of the torrent, or of 

 the rivulets, which are of a more shining yellow, no doubt 

 in consequence of the attrition. They are generally found 

 amid a sand, that is more or less fine and blackish, and 

 apparently of a siliceous and ferruginous nature. The earth 

 of the same nature, which reaches to some distance, equally 

 contains gold. Thus a brook that runs on the east of the 

 commune of Aglie, between the mansion and the park, and 

 receives the rain water that washes down an earth composed 

 of different strata of the same nature as those of the auri- 

 ferous hills of St. George's, equally rolls along particles of 

 gold disseminated beneath the argillaceous stratum, which 

 in certain places is of very considerable thickness. 



Fifteen or twenty years ago several persons in the com- Formerly col- 

 mune of St. George's made it their principal employment, ^^cted 

 to search for gold m tlie sand of the torrents and rivulets 

 that 1 have mentioned. This they did particularly after or 

 dtiring heavy rains, and after storms. 



The quantity of gold they collected in a day was very va- ^yj,j^ ^^^^ 

 riable. Sometimes each of them would gain eight or ten profit. 

 shillings a day, at other times scarce a fourth or fifth of this 

 sum. The size of the particles too varied much, as from an 

 almost invisible atom to the weight of nine or ten grains or 



more 



