SOUTH AMERICAN GOLD

Evening Star, Issue 21744, 12 June 1934, Page 7

SOUTH AMERICAN GOLD

THE NEW FIELDS OF VENEZUELA NEW ZEALANDER'S UNIQUE EXPERIENCE Many highly-coloured and vivid stories of life and trade in Trinidad and Venezuela are related by Mr S. C. Anderson, who has returned to New Zealand on completion of a contract on the new goldfields of Venezuela, where he was engaged in metallurgical work. Air Anderson is at present visiting his mother, Airs R. A. Chase, of North Dunedin. In an interview with a ‘ fetar ’ reporter, Mr Anderson explained that Venezuela was situated far up in the hinterland and was very close to .the borders of British Guiana and Brazil. To arrive there it was necessary to go to Trinidad—a. "British possession on the easterly; edge of the British West Indies. Trinidad was remarkable for being the seventh largest world producer of oil. and, furthermore, for possessing a natural lake of asphalt in extent' one,'hundred acres. This natural phenomenon was known over there as the “ pitch lake,” and for fifty’ years pitch or asphalt had been excavated from it. the material dug out with mattocks being replaced with further supplies exuding upwards. This asphalt was at one time ordinary thick, crude oil, but now that the light volatile oils had passed off the crude had been left as a soft, plastic, putty-like substance. This could lie : readily proved by standing out on the lake, which caused one’s body to incline according to the direction one’s .weight was thrown. Strangely enough, the material was not sticky. Before the.depression tramp steamers from all over the world were continuously engaged transporting heavy shipments of asphalt to all parts of the world, even to New Zealand. Dunedin people know, he said, what a great boon the material has been in constructing city streets which were previously quagmires. Considerable revenue, including an export fax of 3s per ton,, was derived by the Trinidad Government from the export of asphalt, while oil, both crude and refined, also produced substantial sums for the Government. ’ ■ -

Regarding Trinidad oil, Mr Anderson said (hat empty oil. tankers were constantly arriving, and after standing high up out, of the water, as empty shells, left the next day heavily laden for destinations in mid-ocean, where they served units of the British Navy before they returned for more oil fuel. Trinidad had a very large. East Indian population, which' was engaged mostly in the cultivation ,of sugar, cocoa, and ■ coffee. The East Indian labourer , was formerly indentured for work: on 1 the plantations, and had been and still was a, decided acquisition to. the population there—his work, though small Tn the unit, was immense in the ag-grek gate. Indian women, in , their cheese, cloth dresses of Haring colours, were to be seen all along the. countryside engaged in planting, while others were carrying upon their heads, with the > greatest of .case, heavy cans;of water, Even the children were learning to carry the water by practising with small tins.' This, method of carrying water gave the women of those countries that graceful and elegant carriage which they all so much admired, he said. After leaving Trinidad it was necessary to tranship from the big ocean-, going steamer to_ a small end-paddle river boat, carrying both cargo and passengers. Eight hours’ steaming ill this craft brought one to one of the mouths of the delta of the Orinoco.; River, up which the, voyage was continued for the nest four days arid nights, '’until Ciudad Bolivar, the terminal port, was reached. The waters of_ the Orinoco were yellow in colour, this being duo to the detritus washed down the slopes by the heavy rainfall. In some places the river was so broad that the hanks on either side could not be seen. The. river contained many crocodiles, which could be seen on the little islets laying at length, basking in the sun. Overhead were birds of gay-coloured plumage, and many forest trees .with yellow, white, and blue blooms lined the river’s banks, and, in some parts, formed a blaze of colour. Different varieties of orchids were also to be seen on the trunks of the trees: '‘ From Ciudad Bolivar to El Callao, where, the mines are located, is,” he explained, “ a journey Of 200 kilometres by car through virgin bush and oyer a, trail requiring the best brains and sinew at. the wheel. . Heavy, tropicalrains sometimes make the journey impossible, and this is a very serious factor to be contended with in the con r tinnons operation of a mine for which spare parts and other materials are sometimes urgently required. In the days of Queen Elizabeth, Spain was a world power, and her galleons used to carry many shipments of gold from. South and Central America, the district' of Venezuela being one of the sources of supply. Tt is recorded in.history how; Drake, Raleigh, Frobisher, and Gren-j ville used to lie in wait, for. these returning argosies and just simply thieve, the gold from '■ the' -Spaniard.*—and no nonsense about if.”

An explanation of the treatment of the ore in Venezuela was then given by Mr Anderson. The gold in the ore, : he said, existed in a very finely divided 1 state, and consequently it was necessary for the ore to be ground to an almost impalpable fineness to make 1 the gohT “ get-at-able.” To bring about such a condition it had beeu found that a brill mill or. a tube mill gave admirable results.’ The crushing effect consisted of two parts. One was,effected through the, impact obtained by the revolving mill, 28 to 30 r.p.m. creating a cascade of falling steel balls which, at the , point of' impact,; ball against ball, produced sand which, iu the case of grain of such, Would be splintered up into many grains. The other method uas by abrasion, in which case the weight of the steel balls, , chafing and rolling against one another, very, rapidly reduced the spicular grains, to the required fineness, which was something like 40,000 grams to the square inch. In order to remove the gold from the .crushed ore, cyanide Solution was added .to , dissolve the gold, much after the style of sugar in tea or coffee. This gold ; solution was then led off,; ’leached or clarified, and the addition of zinc, dust caught of precipitated the dissolved gold, which was then smelted in the usual fashion. The labour employed to do that work was. of a very, - poor class, requiring constant supervision,’ and. was expensive and destructive in the handling of gear and machinery. The workers were fond of, dancing and fiestas (holidays), which' caused .numerous absences from work. Mr Anderson claimed that one ■ of-the' best methods of combating the habit was to stand off, the delinquents for an equal number of days. This • treatment acted as aiT excellent prophylactic against parochialism—“ no work, no pay.” But it was the food question which concerned, Mr Anderson most in Venezuela., The food was cooked in Spanish style and Was served with large quantities of melted animal fat which nearly killed him before his contract time was up. In the case of a stew, melted fat or lard was Used instead of water. The gravy for the roast was composed very largely .of fat,' and mashed potatoes would be ainalgamated with the same mixture. Mr Anderson claimed that he became quite expert in dealing-with thefat. A .length of paper, about a yard long, would be unrolled arid placed in his pocket.. Upon sitting down at the table a few squares would- be tern offi and each drawn across the top of the soup to pick tip the grease. The same material was used in .the treatment 6E the meat before it ■ was _ consumed. ( a!. acount’ of the heat, neither sheep nor cattle could live there, and for meat 1 they had to depend on an animal which. 1 was a cross • between the Indian gmi‘ and New Zealand cattle. Dried codfish from Newfoundland was also an article of' diet amongst the native population. Mr Anderson enjoyed living in Venezuela' because he found the people there kind and sociable,’’ and fond of singing and dancing,-but he was glad to sea the last of the grease. _ •>■ “■My stay there convinced me that we do not get everything tye want*in (his world,” he added.