302 TRAVELS IN THE 
way of experiment; and in this manner the labourers proceed, 
until they come to a stratum containing gold; or until they 
are obstructed by rocks, or inundated by water. In general, 
when they come to a stratum of fine reddish sand, with small 
black specks therein, they find gold, in some proportion or other, 
and send up large calabashes full of the sand, for the women 
to wash; for though the pit is dug by the men, the gold is 
always washed by the women, who are accustomed from their 
infancy to a similar operation, in separating the husks of corn 
from the meal. ' 
As I never descended into any one of these pits, I cannot 
say in what manner they are worked under ground. Indeed, 
the situation in which I was placed, made it necessary for 
me to be cautious not to incur the suspicion of the natives, 
by examining too far into the riches of their country; but 
the manner of separating the gold from the sand, is very 
simple, and is frequently performed by the women in the 
middle of the town; for when the searchers return from the 
valleys in the evening, they commonly bring with them each a 
calabash or two of sand, to be washed by such of the females 
as remain at home. The operation is simply as follows. 
A portion of sand or clay (for the gold is sometimes found 
in a brown coloured clay), is put into a large calabash, and 
mixed with a sufficient quantity of water. The woman, whose 
otiice it is, then shakes the calabash in such a manner, as to 
mix the sand and water together, and give the whole a rota- 
tory motion; at first gently, but afterwards more quick, until 
a small portion of sand and water, at every revolution, flies over 
