Mines and Mineral Statistics, 
9 
of system in the niodo of working vein stuffs, andtlie consequence 
of neglecting to keep prospecting works well ahead. 
It frequently hj\i)pcns that, where a rein of rich stone is cut, 
miners inexperienced in 'working quartz lodes take out all the 
gold-bearing stone in view, and then abandon the vein as worth- 
less ; whereas, if they had opened out tlieir mine systematically, 
and kept their prospecting works well in advance, they might 
have cut another or other equally rich seams, and then would 
have secured a }}ormanently ]n'ulitable mine. Miiny veins so 
opened and abandoned are left luiwoidced for a very long time, 
being passed by as worthless by miners in search of a claim. 
Sometimes, as it were, by tlie merest chance, a party of miners 
set to work in snch a claim, and reap the revmrd abandoned by 
their predecessors. l\Iany veins in which tbc gold in A^ery fine 
particles is evenly distributed tlirongh the stone are regarded 
as Avorthless becanso the gold is not visible ; such veins will yet 
be profitabl}' worked as our experience increases and our facilities 
become greater. 
