2^^^ ON THE MINES AND MINERAL 



II. — Metallic Productions. 

 The metallic productions of the mountain provinces, though hitherto 

 inconsiderable, as far at least as regards the quantity of metal raised, 

 might, it is probable, under judicious management, become profitable 

 enough to repay any attention bestowed upon them. No mine of the 

 precious metals has yet, it is true, been found within the limits of the 

 British authority, although the discovery of such beyond tlie frontiers is 

 said to be far from rare. There are, however, circumstances which seem 

 to indicate the existence of gold within the limits of the British tract. 

 Several of the mountain rivers which have their sources within this tract ; 

 are known to furnish gold ; and, though the produce at any particular spot 

 be scanty, yet when we consider the whole extent of surface from which 

 the metal is obtainable, the quantity is far from inconsiderable. At all 

 events, the fact furnishes proof of the actual occurrence of gold in some 

 part of the strata which these rivers traverse. In the case of the Rdm- 

 gangd, the supply is traced to a tributary stream, called the JSeni Ganga, 

 which has its rise in the lower mountains, as it is only below the conflu- 

 ence of the two that the sands are found productive. In that of the Sona 

 Nadi, it is still more limited, as that stream has a very short course 

 wholly within the PatU Dim. And with regard to the Alakanandd, I 

 may mention that I have a specimen of granite, I obtained at Kedarndth, 

 one of the sources of that river, in which occurs a speck of native gold. 

 Considering, indeed, all the circumstances of the case, it is, I think, far 

 from improbable, that gold will yet be found in its native matrix within 

 our mountains.* Of 



* Such a discovery is, however, more likely to be the effect of accident at some distant period, 

 when the progress of population and improvement together shall have left scarcely a spot unexplored. 

 That a systematic search holds out few hopes will be evident from considering the history of gold 

 mines all over the world. How fruitless the most prudently conducted examination of a tract po- 

 sitively known to contain gold, and in some quantity, may turn out, is to be seen in the detail of 

 the proceedings adopted in Ireland, to trace the gold found in diluvial gravel in the County Wick- 

 low, to its parent source. The reason of this, as well as of the inferior productiveness in general 



