GOLD. 
4 SI 
West Indies; in a vegetable shape, like branches 
or twigs of plants ; composed of thin plates cover- 
ing other bodies, as in Siberia; or in octaedral or 
eight-sided crystals, as in some mines in Hungary. 
The name of native gold is given to this mineral 
when it appears in the mines under a metallic form 
so as to be readily known. The largest specimen 
of native gold which has been as yet found in 
Europe, was discovered some years ago in the 
county of Wicklow in- Ireland: it is said to have 
weighed twenty-two ounces. Several other pieces 
exceeding an ounce were found at the same place, 
in sand covered with turf, near a rivulet. 
Native gold is scarcely ever found in a state of 
perfect purity. That which approaches nearest to 
perfection is of a fine yellow colour, but in general 
it is more or less alloyed with silver, copper, iron, 
or platina ; in consequence of which it becomes 
either of a brassy colour, or of a greenish- or gray- 
yellow. It frequently happens, however, that gold 
is not apparent in its native state, but concealed in 
small quantities in other minerals, from whence it 
is extracted by art whenever the quantity is sup- 
posed to be sufficient to pay for the trouble and ex- 
pense of obtaining it. 
The sulphureous metals and other minerals which 
contain gold, scarcely exhibit a single character that 
indicates its presence. It has been remarked that 
the sulphures of iron which contain the most are of 
a bright yellow colour; but this character is not to 
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