394 
Prof. Milne — Across Europe and Asia. 
my visit these mines have yielded a little more than 609 pouds 
(21,924 lbs.) of gold from the stamping of 47,639,874 pouds of ore. 
This gives an average of 4f-J zol (zol= y^-oz.) of gold for 100 pouds 
of ore (1 poud=361bs.). Some of the veins have yielded as much 
as an ounce to the ton, and some of the alluvium 12oz. to 1£ tons. 
As an average analysis, out of 96 parts of gold, about 90 will be 
pure gold, whilst the remaining six parts will be silver, copper, 
and iron. 
The only excursion which I made in the neighbourhood of 
Ekaterinburg besides that to Beresovsk was to Nijni Tagil, one 
of the great centres of the Ural mining operations. This lies about 
156 versts in a north- west direction from Ekaterinburg. Not- 
withstanding the roughness of the roads, the snow, rain, frost, 
and general hardship of the journey, — which was of necessity per- 
formed “ pereclodnoi,” that is, in post carriages or carts, from which 
you and your baggage change at every Station, — I never regret the 
undertaking, on account of the great interest and information I 
derived. On a greater part of the road, away upon our left, we 
could see the low, blaclt-looking hills of the Urals, which in places 
rose in peaks and hummocks. The outlines were smooth, and there 
was nothing very striking in the scenery. About half way we 
passed a small gold-mine upon the left side of the road, where they 
were winding auriferous gravel from a pit. In some places, instead 
of sinking shafts to the auriferous bed, it has been thought just 
as economical, and more satisfactory, to remove the whole of the 
superincumbent strata. This was carried out to a great extent at 
the Tabalour mine, which lies about seventy versts north from 
Beresovsk, where the overlying strata, seventy feet in thickness, 
were removed in a series of parallel step-like benches. 
By some miners it is said that gold never occurs on the European 
or western side of the Urals. Such a rule, althougli I believe it has 
a few exceptions, at once suggests that it is towards the mountains 
of Central Asia that we must look for the origin of the auriferous 
gravels which cover so many of the Siberian plains and valleys. 
Another miner’s rule, when prospecting for gold upon the flanks 
of the Urals, is to look upon all such slopes as probably auriferous 
excepting those facing the north-east. Although it is difficult to 
give a satisfactory explanation of such phenomena, we should by 
no means be justified in doubting their truth without first thoroughly 
examining the evidence upon which they are based. After leaving 
Ekaterinburg, we had twenty-four hours of continuous travelling 
before we entered Nijni Tagil. The town is situated in a hollow 
along tbe banks of a shallow sharp-running stream. Looking down 
upon this sheltered spot are the round knobbed hills and ridges of 
the Urals. The very life of Tagil is in its mining and metallurgical 
works. The chief of these are iron, copper, and gold. Many 
English travellers have visited this place, including Murchison, 
who, from his researches in this and neighbouring districts, gave 
the first impetus to the study of Bussian geology. Since his time, 
however, many changes have taken place. This is especially 
