﻿THE 

 LONDON, EDINBURGH, and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 



M A Y 1869. 



XLIV. Researches in Bi'itish Mineralogy. 

 By David Forbes, F.R.S. tyc* 



III. 



Native Gold. 



IN the first part of these researches, which appeared in 1867 

 in the November Number of this Magazine, I communi- 

 cated the results of my investigations into the chemical composi- 

 tion and geological occurrence of the native gold which is met 

 with in the quartz lodes and alluvial river-deposits of North 

 Wales. Since that time the recent discoveries of gold in the 

 north of Scotland have attracted much attention, and rendered 

 the subject of the occurrence and distribution of the noble metal 

 in the British Isles one of somewhat more than ordinary inter- 

 est — a circumstance which has induced me to extend this in- 

 quiry into an examination of the native gold from all the British 

 localities whence I am able to procure authentic specimens. 



Although it will be found that, even from the most ancient 

 periods in English history, statements of discoveries of gold have 

 been from time to time recorded as having been made in nume- 

 rous places throughout England from north to south, none of 

 them seem to have at any time led to a practical or successful 

 result ; and certainly the majority of such accounts do not upon 

 scrutiny appear to be entitled to any confidence being placed 

 either in their correctness or veracity; in fact the only districts 

 in England where unquestionable evidence of the presence of 

 native gold can be obtained are Devonshire and Cornwall. 



* Communicated by the Author. 

 Phil Mag. S. 4. Vol. 37. No. 250. May 1869. Y 



