GOLD-DIGGINGS AT HOME.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 258, 7 September 1867, Page 3

GOLD-DIGGINGS AT HOME.

FINDING OP GOLD IN GHEAT BRITAIN. (From CatsdVs Family Paper.) j Few persons, perhaps, ever think of the possibility of the discovery of profitable mines of gold very much, nearer home than the diggings of Australia and California. Yet England undoubtedly produces gold, and as yet no systematic search has been made for the precious ore in the likeliest spots in this country. By accident, however, a good deal of gold has from time to time been discovered. In the last of our great exhibitions there were exhibited a couple of ingots — the one ■weighing thirty-five, the other sixty ounces, which were composed of gold found v at Dolgelly in North Wales. Roman writers speak of Britain as known in their days for producing gold and silver ; and there is abundant evidence that the ancient Britons obtained large quantities of the precious metals by their rude processes. • Englishmen in general, not scientifically acquainted with geology, consider the existence of gold in latitude fiftythree degrees north to be a mere chimera. Yet Huinboldt has declared that the precious metals are constant in all mountains running meridianally from north to south with very slight deflections ; that, iron excepted, gold is the most universally diffused of all metals; and that the British Islands especially contain almost every geological deposit, from the oldest up to the most recent formations. The description we are about to give of the gold places in Ireland and Wales, will go far to establish the correctness of this assertion. Ancient historians assert that the reputation of mines of gold and silver existing in Britain, first induced the Romans to attempt the subjugation of t our island. Caesar says one especial reason of his invasion was because the natives assisted the Gauls with their treasures, which consisted in washing the sand and gravel lying in the beds of water courses, pretty much as the Californian aud Australian diggers do in these days. The old British kings must have been extravagant in gold ornaments. A gentleman shooting over Cader Iclris Mountain in North Wales, about thirtyfour years ago, stumbled in picking his way down a rocky steep, and feeling that he was making a descent more rapid than safe, since an almost unfathomable lake, called the "Pool of Dogs," lay directly before him, he attempted to bring himself up, by planting one foot against a stone half buried in the turf. The stone was loosened, and he fell ; but whilst on the ground, he caught sight of what resembled a glittering snake coiled up, and partially embedded in mould. It proved to be one of the ancient British collars of twisted gold wire. Ignorant, however, both of its intrinsic value and its interest as a specimen of British antiquity, he jocularly offered it to a companion for five shillings, which offer being declined, he presented it to one of the clerks of the House of Commons, who quickly ascertained of what metal it was composed. The length from point to point was thirty-six inches; its value, as old gold, thirtysix pounds. The fine specimen of this British regal ornament preserved at Eaton Hall, Cheshire,' and valued at one hundred guineas, came tumbling clown with a heap of rubbish from the

crevice of a stone quarry, near Wrexham, on the accidental insertion of the point of a crow-bar. A similar collar, worth as old gold merely, one hundred and eighty pounds, fell also with a mass of soil loosened by continuous rain, at Bryushon, near Holywell. Such instances have been numerous. Some very valuable specimens are in the cabinet of the proprietor of an estate in Carmarthenshire, 'South Wales, whereon ai'e to be traced some ex-tensi-e ancient Roman gold-diggings called the " Gogo van. mines.;" and near them is a stupendous Roman aqueduct for conveying the whole water of the adjacent river. to these hill-side excavations, for washing away the detritus accumulated there. About a score of these golden collars, or "torques," as they are called, have been turning up from similar deposits in various Roman remains. Many have been gathered in Cornwall and Devonshire. The laborers engaged streaming for tin near Grampound, observing particles of a bring yellow color in the gravel on whic'i they were at work, picked out a quantity of the larger sort, and carried it, mingled with the tin ore, to a melt-ing-h.ouse situated near Truro. The uewly-found mineral appeared, so abundant that the melfcer, Mr. Roswarue, mistook it for mundic or ■ copper, and scolded the men for bringing him tiu for sale, without first burning this foreign matter out. Upon an assay, however, he found it to be gold, and of the purest. The miners, on learning this unexpected and most joyful intelligence, produced from their pockets several lumps of similar metal, which they had long carried about them, as they might have done anything beside of attractive appearance, but of no presumed valie. Cornish gold is usually found in a sandy state, and the miners report that it is found in greater or less quantity amongst all stream tin in the county. In Devonshire, it has been found in the old crystalline rocks. It has been stated that at Coombe Martin, in that county, Sir William de la Beche " found nuggets as large as a pigeou's egg; but that he knew better than to allow the scientific corps under his guidance to disorganise themselves by the pursuit of any such game," judging, probably, that in the long run, the game — as the French say — might not be worth the candle. It is certain that gold must have been obtained in very considerable quantities by the ancient Irish. The peasant's spade is continually bringing to light some precious relic of old times — crowns, corslets, bridles, rings, chains, torques, bracelets of pure unalloyed gold. There is scarcely a private museum in Ireland which does not contain many specimens, some of them of considerable weight. Sir William Beecher refers to one of thirty-six ounces, and Mr Petrie had an ancient collar weighing more than twenty-seven ounces, procured from a bog by the turf-cutters ; but all that has been thus preserved bears no proportion to the quantity consigned privately to the melting-pot by the lucky discoverers. The Irish Wicklow mountains are built up of those very rocks which Sir Roderick Murchison has pronounced to be invariably gold-bearing to a greater or less degree. The celebrated Croughan Kin shelly mines are situated about seven miles west of Arklow. The story of their discovery is curious. About the year 1784, a peasant wading, as he fished for white trout, in one of the many i streams that descend from those mountains, had his notice attracted by a substance of ' unusual- brilliancy, and of different appearance from the partycolored pebbles lying in the clear waters all around. Stooping down, he possessed himself of it, when its color and weight convinced him that it was metallic. A I watchmaker in Arklow speedily confirmed his suspicions, by offering to purchase his prize at the current price of gold. Of course, the peasant's visits to the same spot, ostensibly for the purpose of angling, became more and more assiduous, and during twelve years, his i search was rewarded by gold more or ' less, which he disposed of to the same individual who bought the first nugget. The proceeds he hoai'ded up until he I had sufficient to enable him to rent and stock a farm, which unlooked-for change in his condition exciting the curiosity and suspicion of his neighbors, he was no longer able to conceal the source of his comparative wealth. Crowds of men, women; and children, at once flocked to the spot, and a regular diggings, with all its usually attendant recklessness and discomfort, was created there. An English traveller passing the road whilst the furore was at its height, calculated that he sa«- many thousand persons of all ages and both ] sexes, scratching and delving amongst the day and gravel of that once solitary water-course. Researches were made for gold amongst the sand ,and gravel along the run of the brook for nearly half a mile in length; but it is only about one hundred and fifty yards above and about two hundred yards below the ford that the trials have been attended with much success. From the slovenly rude manner in which the peasantry worked, much gold probably escaped their search ; and that indeed actually appears to have been the case, for when the rains had washed the clay and gravel thrown up, gold was found lying on the surface. Yet, notwithstanding this imperfect mode of operation, it is a wellestablished fact, that in the short space of six weeks fully LI O,OOO woi'th of the metal was obtained and privately disposed of in Dublin and elsewhere. As may be guessed, great was the excite- j ment and'absurd the anticipations which

this remarkable discovery gave rise 10. The place received the name of Ireland's Peru, and the public journals, asserted that oppressed Ireland'had now achieved the means of a magnanimous revenge upon its Saxon oppressors. But soon a change came over the spirit of their dream, for the Viceregal G6verument, apprehending that local famine and its attendant, pestilence, must be the result of a total neglect of all agricultural and garden operations, sent thither a company of soldiers. to camp on the ground and dismiss to their homes the intruders on his Majesty's legal claim to all mines of precious metals found upon or beneath the soil of his dominions. The poor people quietly retired homewards upon the reading of the royal proclamation, and then the authorities took measures for having the mine properly worked out, for which end a liberal grant of public money was made. The breaking out of the rebellion 'soon afterwards brought the experiment to an abrupttermination. The Irish gold is of a bright yellow color, perfectly malleable. The weight of the largest nugget found was a little over 20ozs. It had fallen to the lot of a company of eight poor men, from whom it was purchased at the price of L 4 an ounce, and sent as a presetit to King George the Third. It is now preserved amongst the rarities at Windsor Castle. These Irish gold mines are still worked/but. in a very poor inefficient manner, no attempt being made to trace the gold up to its original home. The only British gold fields at present in active and profitable working are those whence were obtained the specimens alluded to at the commencement of this article ; they lie adjacent to the town Dolgelly, at the foot of Cader Idris Mountain. They are distinguished as the Cloga and St. David mines, the latter being worked bya company having a capital of LI 00,000.