MINING MEMORANDA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 222, 2 May 1872, Page 8

MINING MEMORANDA.

At Ingle wood recently a lucky hatter has • found a nugget weighing 1790z5. 14dwts., two feet below the surface of the ground. An expedition is projected at Brisbane for the purpose of thoroughly exploring Cape York Peninsula. It is believed that the district is highly auriferous. A private telegram from Tainbaroora states the richest vein ever known has been struck in Krohmau's mine. The Long .Tunnel Gold Mining Company, Walhalla, has paid £100,000 a-year in dividends for the past tvv,o years. Gold is being constantly found by the men employed in the construction, of the Australian overland telegraph line. . It is stated in Echuca that a company is about to be formed for the purpose-of searching by means of bores, for the ancient beds of the rivers Goulburn. Murray, and Campaspe, which, it is supposed, .would be highly auriferous. We extract the following from the " Scientific American " :-. — " Of all substances known, zinc in a melted state has the greatest affinity for goljd and silver. Instant contact suffices to dissolve even heavy particles of gold by forming an alloy. . Zinc does not combine directly with sulphur, but goldparticles covered with gold sulphurate inert to the action of quicksilver yield instantly to the zinc, as anybody can easily convince himself. The. ore pulverised dry, and passed gradually through a bath of melted zinc, yields on an average 80 to 90 per cent, of its gold, without loss of any float gold. .All the debris, even the iron sulphurets of the ore, are specifically lighter than the zinc, and the ore introduced at the bottom of a deep and narrow trough of melted zinc rises, to the surface to be removed, leaving in its passage the gold behind as an alloy which can be tested at any time, and the amount of gold in. it determined with accuracy. When sufficiently richy the precious metals aie separated from the zinc by retorting, or the known modes of dissolving the zinc by acids. No water is required except for the reducing engine. The zinc should be kept just above the melting point, and the value of the float gold saved is alone sufficient to cover the w^oje cost of extraction; bj? zinc," , . -