Separation of Gold from Quartz.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 144, 13 August 1872, Page 7

Separation of Gold from Quartz.

From the Qwenslcuvler we clip the follow- ■ ing :—ln a note which it would be a pity to keep from the public, a correspondent says : " Doubtless you ara aware that the separation of gold from its matrix is no further advanced now, in a scientific point of view, than it was many years ago. You are also aware that hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gold are lost annually through imperfect appliances. Is it because we have no scientific men in Australia ? or is it because scientific men will not interest themselves in what they would gain very little from ? lam j of opinion that if the colonies would unite in I offering a premium, open to the world, of a I sum commensurate with the importance of the subject—say, at least, fifty thousand ; pounds—for the best method of separating | gold from its matrix, cheapness of course j being the chief desideratum, a complete re- ! volution in mining matters would result. I I would here remark that I have been goldi mining in Tasmania, where there are hunj dreds of reefs that would enrich the colony if all the gold present in them could be saved, and in South Australia also, but on a much larger scale. In Victoria there is as much | gold lying waste in the tailings as would pay I her national debt. In New South Wales, I in consequence of the great preponderance of | pyrites, as much as 70ozs. of gold per ton of | pyrites in some reefs are left. This is the i assertion of Mr Lusman, an analyst in that I colony. In New Zealand, with such rich i reefs, they actually sell their tailings by pub- ! lie auction. In Queensland the reefs are I richer in proportion than in any of the other | colonies, and as no pyritous gold is saved, a ! greater waste takes place ; and especially aa j Queensland is only on the eve of opening up j her wealth in this direction, she is more i directly, or ought to be, interested in prei venting such an enormous waste of her I wealth. 1 have discovered a reef—or, more properly speaking, a lode—of pyrites that, according to analysis, would return Tozs. of gold per ton, and yet there are no appliances jin Australia that would save it. On Gympie, j the machines are all of the most approved principle, and I can give the names of the j men if you wish it, who did earn £2 per j week out of the tailings unt 1 the machine I holders turned their refuse from them. I am in a position to supply to the uninitiated astounding practical facts as regards the waste |of our wealth. I have not the slightest doubt I that if the matter were once started on a plan j congenial to its future success, great benefit j would result. ! "Mr Joseph, an assayer on Gympie, pro- | duced an equivalent of over 100 oz. per ton j from the tailings that were running into the ! Mary River, where the No. I North California]] Reef was crushing some few months 1 a#o."