PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1932, Page 3

PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

AN INTERESTING PUBLICATION. The greatly increased gold yields reported by the Mines Department of Australia, jadd interest to the new edition of “Prospecting for Gold’’ by toil L. Idriess which has just been published. This third edition has been enriched by eight additional chapteis on Erecting a Battery; Amalgamation (two) ; Battery Work ; Cyanide Poisoning and Cure, and Cleaning up Old Battery Sites; Opal Mining (two) ; together with a note on the Cyanide Pro cess. The detailed instructions (illustrated) on how ito build a stamper battery will be found invaluable by prospectors wanting one. Jtie. toook is now complete so far as gold, tin, and opal mining by •the' poor man is concerned. A word or two about" it may mean. many pounds to all, and fortunes to some, of the great j army of amateur miners at present j seeking gold

Prospecting for gold embodies the experience of a prospector who for halt a life jtime had to win his living by prospecting. The easily understandable knowledge contained in it will put the new chum wise to what otherwise it would take him years of toil and bitter disappointment to learn.

The author has roamed every State of Australia, Torres Straits, and the - South Pacific islands, seeking gold, tin, , p'atinum, and osmiridium. He has < been a “gouger" at White Cliffs and 1 Lightning Ridge Opal Fields, always ; dependent on bis own resources and working on his own. For years h made a docent living at the game (with . ’ gold only half the, value it is now) hw not until he had the experience gained j bv years of prospecting and learning J different methods of work under varying conditions on many fields. Little wonder then that this 'book of practice' i instruction /for both experienced and inexperienced men should have nm' , with the heartiest approval of the An? ; ,Indian and New Zealand mining world, j and of American, Canadian, and South African miners as well. _ j : The additional chapters on reef mm- , ing cover reef prospecting, erection n f • a five head stamper battery, crushing, amalgamation, treatment of plates, retorting, right 'to the final smelting of the gold. The extra chapter on cleaning up old battery .sites, is packed with valuable hints in a condensed form that, enlarged, would make a book in irself. The chapter on the erection w ,a stamper battery is unique, nothin" like ;it ha/s appeared in print 'before. From this description, men in bv.sh. 'without engineering tools r engineering experience, will be able to erect their own batteries. The ehere described is the five head stamper , baitterv erected, unaided, by ‘•L'g e ’ Henderson, Upper Bucca, Coramba District New South Wales. This battery iM now crushing. “Tage” Henderson,, well known in New South Wales mining j circles, is an old mate of the author. He also, has made his living at Die -rame. reiving on Ills own experience and initiative these last twenty odd ; years. It is this writing from actual experience where the finding and treating of wash dir 1. and stone has meant a man’s daily bread, that makes this j book so valuable to the new seeker after j gold. . i The chapters on alluvial prospecting I and mining lead by easily understandable instruction right up from the first phase of alluvial prospecting to | ( ;he treatment of large bodies of washdirt by hydraulic sluicing—the modern form of alluvial mining on a huge scale. This method, under conditions, where it can be applied, makes ground ; pay which, under the pick and shovel, , cradle and dish, would not return to-j bacco money. The poor man is taught how /to make his own plant at extreme- j ly low costs ; -thus disproving the fal- | l’iicy that hydraulic work is for the company men alone. In these days the j prospector must know all these things, j f- r the days when a man could go out 1 with a pick and shovel and win rich I g dd. are gone. Except in undiscovered j fields, only -the poor ground is left -<> the modern prospector : and to make t),at ground pay he must understand and be able to apply modern methods of work. He must put through far larger quantities in less time anil at less cost The new chapter on hydraulic elevators will be of interest to many inquirers who read the earlier editions of this book. The author recognising that no man in the world has a monopoly of experience on any subject, has gone to groat trouble to make sure that the readei has the latest and best experience on every phase of mining of which writes. Where he has found that the experience of others exceeded his own. |„. has been given permission to in.ser that oxptrionee. Hence, nearly every Mines Department in Australia lias contributed to some phase of work m this book. To the Mines Department of New Zealand he is indebted for help with the hydraulic elevator 'Section. \ew Zealand is recognised as the home ,',f hydraulic .sluicing and when thv author found that the hydraulic elevethere wen; superior in lifting capacity to those he had operated himself, he immediately wrif.r to the New Zeeland Mines Ilepnrtineii'l for a ih'-srripl - ion. vv J lldi was readily given. The new band miner going mil equipped with tlm third edition of "Prospect ing for Cold" w ill have no! , M | v ||,c author's practical experience but the, condensed experience oi lie • Mims Departments of’ Australasia awell.