Account of the Gold Mines 



[No. S^, 



tre of the valley of that name already described, situated on the Bey- 

 poor river, about thirty miles in a direct line and in a nearly easterly 

 direction fromCalicuf. Having there learnt from Lieutenant Nicolson, 

 that he considered the mines of Capul, in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood, the best specimen of those in Malabar, they resolved to be guided 

 by the result of their examination of them in forming an opinion of 

 the rest ; on the ground, that if they were found to be worth working, 

 they would be the best to commence operations on, and if they were 

 not productive enough to warrant any outlay for machinery, the rea- 

 soning applied to them would, a fortiori, be applicable to every other 

 place where gold is said to be found, 



" The mines at Capul are situated about five miles in a south-west 

 direction from J^elamhoor. The road to them passes through jun- 

 gle, interspersed with patches of paddy fields which are crossed by 

 causeways. The principal mine is on the side of a small hill which 

 rises with a gentle acclivity to the height of about fifty feet, and 

 which has been completely cleared. The soil is a light sandy clay, 

 the laterite protruding through it in many places. The mine is an 

 excavation about forty feet square, and reported to be about 45 feet 

 deep. It is cut through the laterite which has been already described 

 as the overlying rock of the district, and which is here traversed by 

 veins of quartz in fragments varying much in size. The principal 

 shaft was filled with water to the reported depth of thirty feet, but 

 a small one which was kept free by chatties, was open for the inspec- 

 tion of the Committee. From the report of Lieutenant Nicolson, it 

 appears that the Moplays generally pursue the veins of quartz, and 

 wash the portions of rock and earth composing them, from a belief 

 that they are most productive. The Committee had an opportunity 

 of inspecting the process followed by the Natives in washing for gold. 

 The ingredients removed from the mine are put into a small hollow 

 tray or trough of an oval shape, and resembling in form a Turtle's 

 shell called by the Natives a Murriya, submersed in water and agi- 

 tated with the hand until all the earthy particles are removed. The 

 larger stones are thrown aside, and by repeated washing there at last 

 remains but a small portion of sand. The tray is now inclined to 

 one side and water is poured in with the hand, the sand is gradually 

 washed nearly away, leaving a small portion of a black colour, 

 in which are seen a few minute grains of gold. The larger par- 

 ticles of the metal are removed, and those which are too small to be 

 taken up by the hand are obtained by pouring in a drop of mercury 



