GOLD AND ITS PRECIPITATION.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 120, 27 February 1872, Page 5

GOLD AND ITS PRECIPITATION.

The permanent aspect which lias of late years boon assumed by the industry of goldproduction seems to iiavo bad the ellcct of causing various scicutiiic men to turn their I attention to the subject, and, by research into Dame Nature's laboratory, to endeavour I to add to the very imperfect knowledge we have of the agencies which have contributed ■ i to such a lavish and universal distribution of I I the precious metal. A clever writer in a late issue of the Town • | a.il Comdf-i uil (a ij/dney paper), who ■ has evidently given tree subject great alien- ; tioii, characterises many of the theories rc- ) spooling the origin of gold in quartz and its -1 deposition in the earth, as very “ ingenious.” s i Well, to a certain extent tlioy partake of that ; | character, —and, with deference to his ability, -1 bis own theory must be added to the same r; class, as unless practice supplements theory b | in such investigations, I am afraid ingenuity r 1 alone will be taxed for our enlightenment to j the cud of the chapter. The author of t.ie j article referred to tells us that the most c | favourite theory of the origin of gold in e j quartz veins is the “ igneous one, or tins I | upheaval of the gold and quartz whilst both II were in a molten state, and that therefore 5 the gold must have existed in a metallic form < in the interior of the earth,'’ Ac. This he s | thinks unsatisfactory, as being opposed te c 1 the well-known laws of gravity : the auperioi ■- gravity oi the gold—even supposing it e> 1 have been forced up with the liquid score; - | would have caused it, during iiie period <■ •s the cooling of the vit’Wous mars, vo be preci k ■ pi bated again to the bottom. A agree wit: a his deduction, but bevy bringing pr,u I wa l-1 knowledge to bear, will endeavour to shm y! how tiro iuolnl was arrested in its preoipila Jr! tion and retained in the congealed silica, d In nor-vlv all the quartz reefs 1 have lm« I an opportunity of inspecting during the ] as ! seventeen yer.r.i, I liave noticed that i lie |o 1c n j do not preserve regularity or an even wuii u ! in their course, the “ walls’ enclosing in it j qnarU continually coming together \ ei ;.i nil and horizontally, presenting somewhat th shape of a ilsh known as the perch. Tiles is ! are wliat ere known in the mining vernacuhi •J J jis “ doors"’ and “ makes,” amt are of give c-1 variety in depth and length, very puzzling t I thou::: ' r- A ;• .‘guv; jnr i

lias run out, but further search onward or downward reveals its continuation in another inako or pocket. The fact of the fissures being found to be of this shape, and having no outlet, shows plainly how gravitation lias been arrested, and the gold stopped and fixed in its descent. j have also noticed that the richest deposits are generally found on a level extending along the lode, at about the place where the diameter of the vein commences to decrease downwards. It is easy to suppose that Nature, after her gigantic and awful effort in rending the earth into chasms and forcing up and tilling them to overflowing with the boiling lava, has made many after convulsive but lesser throes, causing the fissures to close in many places, thus producing the pocket formations I have described. The correspondent of the ToU'n and Cmmtnj Jirwii'd is also opposed to that part of the “ popular” theory relating to the possi* bility of metallic gold existing in the interior of the earth, but believes it to exist as a “ sulphide of gold,” which gradually loses its sulphur as it approaches the surface. Such may or may not be the case, but Idee that “ undiscovered bourne whence no traveller returns,” it is a problem unlikely to be solved in our generation. However, practical experience re reals a fact which gives a colour of probability to iho .sucua’s speculation, and tliat is—as greater depths are reached in quartz mines, the gold becomes more diliicult of extraction by the processes suiiicieut for higher levels ; so the chemist's aid has to lie called in to disengage the auriferous ore from tlie sulphides, phospides, 0.-ades, or chlorides with which it is found to bo incorporated. A warning tells mo that 1 am exceeding the limits of correspondence, and I will therefore adjourn nine die; but must remind your readers, that, iu most matters pertaining to the subject I have Selected as an infliction on them, we are but blindly groping in the dark, it therefore behoves everyone in this gold-digging age to lose sight of no fact, however trivial it may seem, which may tend to throw light on the question ; and (quoting from the gentleman 1 have before referred to), by great study and scientific research, discover for ourselves Nature’s hidden mysteries, so that wo may contribute our mites towards the consummation of the happiness i of poor humanity. Ilondigo, I'cb. 21, loi2. N lAToli.