45 
lx>undary line above specified. For, in the first place,, 
it may be looked for in all the “ drifts” formed of the 
debris of the Highland Silurian slates : which drifts 
are frequently deposited at great distances from the 
original auriferous rocks— e. g ., in the sea»sands at the 
mouths of great rivers—such as the Tay and Forth, 
and in the gravels found on their banks, and on those 
of their tributaries, throughout their course. And, 
in the second place, as already stated, gold occurs in 
rocks of such different ages and mineralogical 
character that there is no* impossibility as to its 
occurrence in any part of the area of Perthshire ! 
There is good ground then for the belief that gold 
is extensively distributed in Perthshire, as regards 
superficial area. 
IX. To WHAT AMOUNT GOLD OCCURS IN PARTICULAR 
LOCALITIES, OR IN THE COUNTY IN GENERAL, 
CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED BY SUCH “ PROS¬ 
PECTING” AS HAS BEEN RECENTLY CARRIED ON 
IN SUTHERLANDSHIRE ; OR AS IS CARRIED ON 
IN ALL AURIFEROUS COUNTRIES AS THE FIRST 
STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOLD FIELDS. 
“Prospecting” ought to be undertaken conjointly 
b^ experienced gold diggers and by professed geolo¬ 
gists. The facts discovered by the one correct the 
theories entertained by the other. By which I do not 
necessarily imply that the scientific man is the 
theorist, fur there is no greater theorist than the true 
gold digger ; and it is his theories, based on his 
experience, that lead him to “ prospect” new areas, 
and thereby to the most brilliant and valuable dis¬ 
coveries—discoveries that are frequently pregnant 
with fate to w'hole countries and peoples. It would 
probably not be diffi.cult to find in Scotland many 
returned diggers from Australia, Xew Zealand, 
California, British Columbia, or Xova Scotia, who 
would even as a mere “ labour of love” act as “pros¬ 
pectors” in their native country’, for there is a fascina¬ 
tion in gold-prospecting for its own sake that proves 
irresistible to many bold and restless spirits. Nor 
should it be difficult to find a geologist or mineralogist 
competent to undertake the supervision of such a 
