1058 On washing for gold dust and diamonds, fyc. [Dec. 



taken on mechanical principles, which would, by reducing the manual 

 labour, make the speculation highly profitable in gold dust alone, set- 

 ting aside the diamonds. 



The season for washing is after the river subsides, on the rains 

 ceasing ; but they occasionally continue until the rains again interrupt 

 their labours. I have fancied that a graduated wire-sieve washing 

 machine might be made, larger at the top, and smaller as the sieves 

 approach the bottom, which would in the passage of the debris, flung 

 in at the top one, to the bottom (a wooden tray) keep the more mi- 

 nute particles in suspension, or permit of the sieves retaining in suc- 

 cession the pebbles of gravelly matter; all earthy particles being 

 carried away, if the machine were placed in a gentle stream, the 

 gold dust would be found in the tray. Each sieve should be carefully 

 examined for diamonds, on the machine being full; the machine might 

 be six feet long, two wide, and six or eight high. The sieves being 

 a foot or 18 inches apart, it would be necessary only to take up the top 

 and second sieves often, the lower ones would take longer to fill; 

 the machine should be made so as to admit of its being shaken con- 

 stantly, and hung up in water six or seven feet deep, where the 

 current would be gentle. 



J. R. Ouseley. 



Camp, Sumbulpoor, 

 Feb. Uth, 1840. 



P.S. — Their is also gold dust, in the Brahminee river, about six 

 marches east of this, but no diamonds. 



The women sit along the edge of the river, facing inwards, and 

 gradually form little mountains of pebbles. The number employ- 

 ed is very great, but the speculation is not very profitable now. 



