1865.] On the BoJcsas of Bijnour, 161 



upper end can be tilted. Water is then poured on the sand from the 

 mouth and lateral hole of a handled tumri (pumpkin), the operator 

 stirring the sand with his left hand while he sits alongside the cradle, 

 which is raised a foot or two from the ground. 



The sand having been washed through, the gravel left on the screen 

 is tossed off, hut the screen itself is left on, so as to soften and equalize 

 the fall of the water from the pumpkin passing through it on to the 

 sand, which the left hand keeps stirring about, and raking backwards 

 toward the upper end of the cradle. After all the lightest of the sand 

 has thus been washed out, small quantities of the remainder are placed 

 on a round, slightly hollowed plate of toon (pliaru) which is dexterously 

 twirled and made to oscillate on the fingers of the left hand, while 

 the washing is veiy gently continued. When as little as possible, and 

 that consisting mostly of dark particles apparently of hornblende, — • 

 except gold, is left, mercury is rubbed with it by hand, to take up 

 the gold, and the mercury is afterwards dissipated from the amalgam by 

 heat. This finishes the process, which agrees almost entirely with that 

 followed on the Bias, as described by Col. Abbott (J. A. S. March, 

 1847), the chief difference being, the trough used by the Boksas is consi- 

 derably smaller. 



The mercury is supplied to the Boksas at two annas a mansuri 

 paisa weight by the same bunyas who purchase the gold from them, 

 sometimes giving them advances on the possible future production, at 

 sixteen rupees a tola. Several of the tribe, who could have had no 

 possible collusion, stated that a gang of three or four people will 

 average two annas worth of gold a clay, and one man, of fair intelli- 

 gence, said that into his village of under one hundred people, old and 

 young, from one to two hundred rupees a year might come from gold- 

 washing. 



The gold is here invariably in minute particles, and the Boksas 

 cannot conceive of the metal as ever being found in huge pieces or 

 imbedded in solid rocks ; and a theory I have heard of the manner 

 of its production has the quality of being as simple as are the peo- 

 ple who credit it. Thus, it is said that the sdl leaves which are 

 burned by the forest-fires, act on any iron or copper which the 

 soil or sand contains, so as to turn it into gold ! 

 22 



