168 GOLD. 
scales, and capillary, or in small branches. -It cannot le dis- 
solved in any acid except that called aqua regia (207), and is 
more than nineteen times heavier than water. 
The countries of hot climates are those chiefly in 
which gold is discovered. It abounds in the sands of 
many African rivers, and is very common in several 
districts both of South America and India. The gold 
. mines of Lima and Peru have had great celebrity ; but, 
since the late commotions in the Spanish colonies, the 
working of them has been much neglected. It is from 
Brazil that the greatest part of the gold which is seen 
in commerce is brought. The annual produce of the 
various gold mines in America has been estimated at 
nearly 9,500,000. sterling. 
The principal gold mines in Europe are those of 
Hungary, and next to them those of Saitsburg. Spain 
is probably very rich in gold. Considerable mines were 
worked there in former times, particularly in the pro- 
vince of .Asturia; but, after the discovery of America, 
these were given up or lost. Gold has been found in 
Sweden and Norway, and also in several parts of Ire- 
land, but particularly in the county of Wicklow. 
Among the sands of a mountain stream in that county, 
and among the sand of the valley on each side, lumps 
of gold are occasionally found. Pieces have been dis- 
covered which weighed twenty-two ounces, but they 
are generally much smaller, from two or three ounces 
to a few grains. It is said that lumps of gold, of large 
size, have been used as weigiits in some of the common 
shops, and that others have been placed to keep open 
the doors of cottages and houses in some parts of Ire- 
land, the owners not knowing what they were. Gold 
is also occasionally found in Cornwall, and some other 
counties of England* Wherever it occurs it is com- 
monly observed in a state of alloy with copper or silver., 
and in the form of grains, plates, or small crystals. 
Gold was formerly obtained in Scotland. It is as- 
serted that, at the marriage of James V. there were co- 
vered dishes filled with coins made of Scottish gold, 
