﻿326 Mr. D. Forbes' s Researches in 



Kildonan. It was only, however, towards the close of last year 

 that the localities which now are being somewhat extensively 

 explored were discovered by a Mr. Gilchrist, a native of Suther- 

 landshire, who had but recently returned from Australia, where 

 he had been engaged in the gold-diggings for a number of years. 

 The consequent rush of adventurers to these auriferous deposits 

 has led to finding gold in the beds of many of the neighbouring 

 streams ; but as yet no authentic information has been received 

 as to the occurrence of gold in situ in the rocks of this district. 



The first find was made in the Kildonan Strath, about ten 

 miles inland from Helmsdale, and a little later at Siesgill Burn, 

 about two miles above Kildonan. At the commencement of this 

 year a further discovery of gold was made in the Strath of Dun- 

 beath in Caithness-shire , about the end of January, in two dif- 

 ferent burns between Ben Smesral and Gordonbush, and subse- 

 quently in Auldtoun Burn and at Kilcomkill (about six miles from 

 Brora), in a tributary of the river Brora. 



Mr. James Haswell of Edinburgh kindly put me in communi- 

 cation with Mr. P. G. Wilson* of Inverness, who has furnished 

 me with specimens of the gold produced from the Kildonan 

 washings, and thus enabled me to submit them to a chemical 

 examination. 



The gold from the Kildonan diggings, as they are called, which 

 I received from Mr. Wilson, was in the form of minute grains 

 more or less flattened, and varying in size from the smallest 

 speck up to that of a split pea, the largest of them weighing 

 about 5 grains. I understand, however, that lumps of much 

 greater size have been occasionally met with, and^ amongst others, 

 that the original discoverer (Mr. Gilchrist) had in his possession 

 five nuggets varying in weight from one quarter of an ounce up 

 to one ounce troy. 



The colour was an extremely beautiful pure golden yellow, very 

 much resembling that of the South American alluvial gold ; and 

 from its appearance it would be judged much richer in gold than 

 it actually proved to be upon assay. 



The specific gravity of the gold was determined upon 39*97 

 grains, carefully selected so as to be free from any visible mineral 

 impurity, and was found to be 15*799 at the temperature of 

 60° Fahr. 



The analysis was conducted in precisely the same manner as 

 described in the first part of these researches when treating of 

 the Welsh gold; but it was found, owing to the large amount of 

 silver present, that considerable difficulty was experienced in 

 getting the whole of the gold into solution ; even when the gold 



* In a letter from Mr. Wilson, dated the 8th of April, he informs me 

 that he has already purchased gold from the diggers to the amount of c£431. 



