48 TlMEHRI. 
motion the soil is removed from the gravel or quartz. The 
portions which will not pass through the riddle are exam- 
ined for any nuggets or ' cement' that require crushing. 
The " horn spoon," also previously referred to, is men- 
tioned by Mr. ATTWOOD, who considers it too small for 
testing purposes — and it is not recommended for other 
reasons. • 
The batea or battel has been already described, and is 
that devised by Mr. ATTWOOD, who recommends that when 
an accurate test is required, two bateas should be used, 
so as to allow of the " tailings" or refuse of the first 
operation being washed a second time. It is a curious 
fact that the grease, which it seems one always has at 
one's fingers' ends, causes the loss of gold in these 
washing operations. It is, I presume, because the grease 
prevents the adhesion of the water,and the air occupying 
the space thus formed is sufficient to float the 
small particles of gold which are carried away in the 
washing. It is therefore recommended that rubber finger 
stalls should be placed on the right hand fingers, and 
ammonia occasionally used to prevent grease-conta6t. 
When the gold and pyritic matters have been concen- 
trated in the centre of the batea they are covered with 
one or two inches of water, and then by means of a bar 
magnet the magnetic iron removed. This done, the 
gold which lies in the centre of the batea is converted into 
hard amalgam by the addition of mercury, the operation 
being assisted by rubbing the mass with a stall-prote6ted 
finger. 
The amalgam yielded by thus treating the residuum of 
the 4 lb. samples, is put on a piece of charcoal, and the 
mercury driven off by a blow-pipe, when the value per 
