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Mr. Douglas' pamphlet on those mines, will, I expect, be found useful and interesting. The directions for mining, and for the making and manner of using the different tools and machines wanted in raining, are the result of over four ycar«' experience in the gold fields in Australia. I might have increased the pamphlet in volume, by extracts from geological works, but I doubt whether such information would have made it more useful to the gold miner. I have never heard that geological knowledge has enabled any one to find gold. The California gold mines were IV PREFACE. not d,scoveraa bj, a geologist ; „„r was - a geologist hat opened the gold mines in Australia; It wa. a knowledge acquired in California which induced Mr Hargraves to return to Australia, and enabled him to d,scover the gold mines in that country; and it is such information as he acquired that I have tried to give m the following pages. Quebec, April 20, 1864. Jologist i was a ed Mr. him to i it is ried to CONTENTS. lOR. The Route to the Chaudiere Mines ^**1" Tha First Discovery of Gold. . , . Mining for Gold Hydraulic Process Sluicing The SI u ice .........!. The Long Tom The "Jenny Lind" ..*.*.' .'....'**'". Jg Puddlinnf ° 19 How to make a Puddling Machine. . "on TheCradle ^^ DeepSinlmg Quartz Mining "■ 30 THE GOLD DIGGER'S GUIDE. ^ The Boute to the Chaudiere Mines. . Starting from Quebec, a ferry boat takes you across the St. Lawrence to Point Levi. Turning to the right, two or three hundred yards from the land- ing place, you ascend a hiJl, a bend to the left, and again to the right, and you are in Notre Dame de la Victoire. The hill is now straight for the rest of its length. At the top you again turn to the right, and now I may say that you have no more hills before you worth mentioning. Not quite a mile fi;; I.er on, you again turn, this time to the left. The celegrapli has a branch this way from this corner. With the exception of one or two slight turns, the road runs straight into St. Henry's. Opposite the church you cross the bridge over the river "Etchemin." A mile and a half or so further on, you pass a road on your left which goes to Frampton, and other back settle- ments ; still further on there is another turning to the right (which would take you through the Village of St. Isidore), but your Avay is straight on, past the door of a small tavern ; once past this tavern and you cannot easily get off the main road. Farmers' houses 2 THE ROUTE TO THE are on both sides of the road as you go, and any of them will readily prepare you either meals or a bed, such as they are, for which they make very moderate charges. In the hotels and refreshment houses along the road, they seldom charge more than 20 cents for either meals, or bed. Some I'j or 14 miles from the bridge, topping a small hill, you have before you the " Chaudiere River." It is here about 100 yards wide, and starting from this point, a boat drawing not more than 18 inches of water would be able to run up to the " Devil's Rapids" above St.Franc^ois ; but in very dry seasons, the river in some places has not e vcn enougli water to float a boat of that draught. From this point, to I believe 20 miles higher up than St. Fran- (;ois, the road is along the left bank of the river. At the top of this little hill, you have the first indications of a gold country ; to the left of the road, most of the fields (except those which lie very low) have surface indications of gold. Quartz boulders, well water Avorn, lie here and there on the road. The next village you pass through is St. Mary's. After you leave the vil- lage, you will observe that the road is most of its length on low flat ground, and on the other side of the river you will perceive in places the same low ground, which I believe to have been deposited by the river. I think that parties Avould have a ricli return for their labor if they would sink on these flats. The lower parts of the flats, that is, I mean, Adhere the stream has apparently made a turn, will I tliink be found rich. ^ It is probable that they cannot be worked, except in a very dry season, when the river is very low, and even then, it would require parties who had some experience in " slabbing ;" but I am confi- & ' dent that if well tried, large " finds " would' be made. I would here caution parties against travelling this CHAUDIERE MINES. 8 road during the time of the "Spring Flood.s," as I am tohl the river over flows all those flats I have mentioned. Every fall the hahitans take the fences doAvn to save them from ])eing carried away in the spring, and the traveller will perceive that all the houses are built just on the edge of the rising ground. The next parish is St. Joseph's, which is, as I have said, to the left of the road on the high ground. Should the "rush to the diggings" he as great as it is expected, the inhabitants of this village will learn Avhat they have lost by not having the main road run along the edge of the hills, and tlirough the village. Parties who travel " digger" fashion, with their tents, etc., on their backs, or with a cart, camping out every night, will be delighted with this road, Ccxcept in wot Aveather, when I fear it will remind Aiistra- lians of the " winter roads " in that part of ^he world). The scenery is really beautiful, and they need not travel half a mile without finding good camping ground. . About five miles from St. Joseph, a small stream, the river " Des Plantes " is crossed. Some gold has been found on the banks of this stream. St. Fran9ois, the next parish, is about 11 miles from St. Joseph ; it is on the right bank of the river, the croosing being made by a rather primitive sort of a ferry, a strong rope stretched across the river, and a large "scow " drawn backwards or forwards as wanted. This kind of ferry is quite common from St. Isidore up. Some distance higher than the village is the "Devil's Rapids," and at this spot on both sides of the road, are large masses of quartz which it is said contains gold. It mu t be this reef which crops out about the middle of the river, at the top of the rapids, from which a good deal of heavy gold has been taken. In 185G, in Ar.stralia, diggers first mentioned I * THE ROUTE, ETC. that (almost invariablj) wherever there Avas a rich quartz reef, there was a rich gully convenient, and that at the top of rich "gullys" that had been worked, rich reefs would be found, and so it proved in many cases. From rich reefs they traced rich gullys and at the heads of rich gullys they dis- covered rich reefs. ^ The miners also found that the same reefs might run tor a considerable distance across the country cropping out here and there, and again sinking. I traced one for near 50 miles, and it was workid at tour different places, at Maryborough, Bet Bet Reef, feandy Creek, and Kingower, and I have no doubt, experience will prove it to be the same in this country. About a mile above the rapids is the " Touffe de I'lns or River Gilbert. The road to these diggings here turns to the left ; it does not run very near to the ground that has been worked, but should much of the ground be tried next summer, roads would be made m all directions by the miners. Diggers will labour under many disadvantages in Canada ; in the first place, they will have to travel by the made roads, as it would be almost impossible for them to make their vray (even without a load) through the bush. And in commencing to work they will find the density of the bush, the roots, etc., a great drawback. They will have plenty of water for almost any manner in which they wish to work, excepting the ''hydraulic pro- cess, by which method very little will be done, unless water is Fupplied in the same way as in California. 1 would not advise diggers taking any tools with them except a pick and shovel, and even these they will be nnif> tft oppf nt +>i" /ii" f", .,, , J. S^^&i- - - 0-- - ;■ ■ '-K-S^"6'^- J-'hcy will do well to bring a tent With them, unless they determine to I I THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 6 build a bark shanty or log hut. Eor a tent, they will tind strong groy cotton, at least as good (I think bet- ter) than any canvass or American duck used; it is also lighter to carry, I would not advise them to bring much clothing with them ; it will be more troublesome than it is worth. Good strong boots are required, such as farmers use. And last, but most wanted, money enough to stand a run of ill-luck, which the majority will be sure to meet, even though the diggings prove richer than either California or s- tralia. The First Discovery of Gold. Gold was first found in Canada nearly 40 years a_go. From all accounts, the next piece (about the size of a pigeon's egg) was picked up, by a jouncr woman, ma small stream (now called the " Gilbert,") m the parish of St. Fran9ois, county of Beauce. Her father made further search after the precious metal, but, it seems, did not find enough to make the pursuit profitable. Enough was found, however, to induce the seigneur to apply for, and obtain, in 1846, an exclusive privilege to mine ivfith^n tliP Umlfo «f his seignior^,) subject to certain conditions, which conditions, it appears, have not been complied with. o FIRST DISCOVERY In a very interesting paper read before the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, by the Rev. James Douglas, he says (having mentioned the first dis- coveries) : — " Exploration was now carried on vigor- ously on the Chaudi^'re and its tributaries, and it soon appeared that the main river and all its tribu- taries, great and small, from St. Marie's almost up ' to Lake Megantic, were charged with gold. Owing to the sluggishness of the main stream, up to its junc- tion with the Du Loup, that is over at least 20 miles of its auriferous bed, nothing more than prospecting has been done upon it, except at one or two spots where it has laid bare the ledge, as at the * Devil's Rapid.' There a highly remunerative quantity of large gold has been found. But, Avhile all its tri- butaries were distjovered to be auriferous, it was found that, at least below the bend of the river, at the mouth of the Du Loup, the streams which flowed in from the west were poorer than those which drained the ridge on its east bank. These are the Guillaume, the Des Plantes, the Touife de Pins, and the Famine, with a number of insignificant rivulets. "Where the Chaudi^re and the DuLoup join, they are streams of about equal bulk. Hete the Chaudiere takes a bend and runs almost due north and south, while the Du Loup flows in from the south-east. The current of the Chaudiere Lecomes now much more rapid, and at two spots, at the greater and lesser falls, both within two miles of the junction, the ledge is exposed for a considerable distance. At both these spots gold was early found jammed in the crevices of the slate. More recently the stream above this nnint. panpcinllv the S5tafford Brook, on the riffht bank. ^ ^ — jj ^ — , j-j and the Condd, on the left, have been successfully washed for gold ; the same result has attended the > i OP GOLD. exploration of the Du Loup and its. tributaries, up to the boundary lino of the State of Maine. " The Chaudierc Mining Company (having leased the rights of the seigneur,) began operations on the Touffe de Pins, at a point about a mile from its mouth, where the river had gradually receded from its original bed, leaving behind it an extensive flatj covered with eight or ten feet of debris. Here the company worked for several years, but so unskilfully and so lavishly, that the receipts did not cover the expenditure. It is to be regretted that the first attempt should have been made under circumstances so little likely to prove successful, for the signal failure of the company helped to retard the progress of the mines. " The DesPlantes was also worked in several places. At one spot, immediately above the first fall, a rich deposit was struck upon, which yielded for several weeks from three to ten ounces a day. Here also Avas tried the experiment of dry digging. The delu- vial deposit was washed from the hill side, far above the level of the brook, but not Avith such success as to encourage the company to proceed. "It was on this stream, and on the Famine, that the company Avas Avorking Avhen Lord Elgin visited tho mines in 1853. On the latter river but little Avas done, and that on so small a scale as not fairly to test its capabilities ; as, hoAvevcr, it has always been a favorite stream Avith the hahitans, it must have produced a considerable quantity of gold." In 1851 and 1852 the Canada Mining Company carried on extensive operations on the flats at the mouth 01 tiie ajm xjoup. Tuo graved for about ^ qf an acre, Avith an average thickness of tAVO feet, Avas washed and yielded 2.107 dwts. of gold, Avorth $1,826. I 8 PIRBT DISCOVBBY In 1852 about the same extent of ground was washed and gold to the value of $2,496 was obtained. ' Since 1855 the diggings have been abandoned to the habitans, and it is not known whether they obtained much or little, as it was their interest to conceal their success, lest tribute should be demanded of them. Five brothers, of the name of Poulin, seem to have been the most successful, and in the fall of 1862 they struck on some rich ground, on the banks of the " Gilbert." The spot is on the north branch of the river, about four miles from its mouth. Mr. Douglas says : " It was too late in the season when the discovery was made, to do more than ascertain its exceeding richness ; but so soon as the spring freshets had sub- sided, they betook themselves to work, and with such success that the fame of their good fortune spread rapidly through the parish, and the most impassive of the habitans flocked to the locality. The river was explored for about a mile of its length, and two spots selected as the richest. One on the lot of a man called Vielleux, the other about 15 acres lower down, on ground belonging to oneEodrigue. The upper diggings attracted the greatest crowds, and, up to the middle of July, Rodrigue himself and three of the Poulins, his associates, were undisturbed in their possession of the lower diggings. Within the six weeks from the beginning of June till near the middle of July, seve- ral acres of ground on Vielleux's lot were thickly per- forated with holes, and the bod of the river pretty thoroughly washed out, and a great deal of gold must have been obtained. The largest piece found was said to have been picked up by a woman named Parrd, and to have been sold for $88. One party of six, ) OF GOLD. 9 1 ! including the two most noted Poulins, acknowledged finding 15 ounces in three days, and another party, of the same number of hands, found six and a half ounces in two days. The lower diggings seem to have been caused by a bar of hard rock, which, crossing the stream almost at right angles, appears to have inter- cepted the gold in its downward progress, for below the bar nothing of any consequence has been found, while immediately above it the yield seems to have been enormous. The soil became poorer as it receded upwards. It was first above the bar that Eodrigue and his company worked the bed of the river, in the beginning of the season, and- it was here they bought the location which has proved so rich. " Up to the middle of July, no work had been done upon the banks, the crowd being retained at the uppef diggings, and the bed of the stream afibrding occupation enough to the four men who composed Rodrigue's party. They worked 12 full days, and found, with nothing better than tin pans, 10 ibs of gold, and, be it said to their credit, they were honest enough to admit it, and give a quarter in tribute. The location which, after this, Rodriguc and his party bought was one hundred and fiTty feet long by fifty feet wide. They selected a part to work them- selves, and sold the rest, piece meal, at prices which must have brought them in several times what they paid for the whole. Their find, after exhausting the bed of the river, somewhat fell oft*, but while washing the banks they got, for instance, one day one ft)., and the following day ten ounces. But it must be re- membered that this was with a sluice, whereas pre- viously they had used only a tin pan. Their largest 10 fiRST DISCOVERY OP GOLD. piece was sold for $200 ; the next largest weighed almost three ounces. " What they found in all they did not know them- selves, as they frequently sold parcels of gold without keeping accurate account of it ; but the proceeds of the summer did not probably amount to less than 24 ibs., which would give 6 Bbs. (worth $1,296,) to each man, or supposing them to have worked eighty days, that is twenty days a month for four months, which is more than they probably did, their wages were per man over $15 a day. One day Rodrigue, working alone with an old man, found two ounces two penny- weights and eight grains, worth $38. " The conditions under which the alluvial gold is found vary with the diflferent character of the river beds. The Des Plantes, between the lower and upper falls, where alone any mining has been done, is nar- row and precipitous; there is, therefore, but little depth of deposit upon the ledge, and that of a gravelly nature ; hence the gold is found in largest quantity upon the ledge. The bed consists of a hard grauwacko schist, dipping almost perpendicularly, and interstra- tified by large dykes of serpentine. Above the second fall its character totally changes, and it runs slug- gishly over a kind of plateau. This part has not been thoroughly explored. The Touflfe de Pins is also rapid, but the valley through which it runs is seldom so narrow. Betfs of clay alternate with those of gravel to the depth, sometimes, of eight and twelve feet, and a stiff clay, when lying immediately upon the slate, is often as rich throughout as where it rests upon the ledge. This was the case at several spots at the Rodri- gue mine. The bed is composed of dark slate, very MINING FOR GOLD. 11 open in its cleavage. The Famine resembles gene- rally the Touffe de Pins ; but about a mile and a half aboye the falls, that is about five miles from its mouth, there commences an extensive deposit of clay, sand and gravel. Where gold has been most extensively Avorked in the Dd Loup, that is at its mouth, the deposit is composed of loose gravel, averaging not above two feet in thickness." In the explorations for copper mines during the last fall, it is said that gold has been discovered in many localities in the eastern townships ; but as there may be but little truth in any of these reports, perhaps it is as well not to mention the places named. Mining for Gold. — o- Gold is very often found on the surface, in a mix- ture of sand, quartz, iron-stone, slate pebbles, and other stones ; sometimes precious stones are found in this kind of aurfaco earth. Where water can be obtained from 40 to 50 feet above your " surface," and you have a good outlet I. 12 MINING for your " tailings," the " hydraulic process " will be found the most profitable way of working surface. In California, where they have great water power, they wash away the top earth to a considerable depth, to get at the "washing stuff," which contains the gold, and which lays generally on the bed rock. On the Chaudi^re, places may be found where a good "head" of water can be obtained; in such places parties can go to work in the following manner : — It is only hills or higli ground which are worked by the hydraulic process. A ditch or " ground sluice " is dug all round the base of the ground you intend to work ; from its lowest part, this ditch is continued to your sluice (a description of which will be found further on). The sluice should not have a greater inclination than from four to eight inches in 12 feet ; at a greater inclination than eight inches you are liable to lose fine gold. From where you have your head of water, you require a strong hose made of hide or strong canvass, terminating with a pipe and nozzle, such as is used with "fire engines." In most parties, one man can manage the pipe, and with it soon Avear holes and furrows in the earth ; commencing low and working up, in this manner the descending water carries all the loosened earth into the sluice. When you have got well to work, large masses of earth can be loosened ; when this is done, the earth should be broken up either with picks or by the force of the water, and the pjirty can be variously employed, seeing that the earth is conveyed to the sluice, keeping the sluice clear of large stones, roots, etc., which often dam it up, and cause the water to run over the side of the sluice, carrying the gold along with it. FOR GOLD. 13 a Sluicing " as it is generally worked iu Australia, and as it will bo worked in Canada, does not require much water. A very small stream, such as the " Des Plantes" or the "Gilbert," in the driest seasons, will supply enough water for all the sluices that could possibly be worked in the neighbourhood of those streams ; about 12 square inches of water will work a sluice of 14 inches wide. " Surface " will generally be found on hills, and can be worked with a sluice, *' long torn," or cradle. Where you can get a head of water, even a fcAV inches higher than the "sur- face," you can very profitably employ a sluice. — Place the top length of the sluice on the lowest part of the ground you intend to wash, having the .water (about eight or ten inches will bo found sulEcient) conveyed to your sluice by a common canvass hose, or wooden "dal" or spout. Have your sluice at a proper inclination ; if the gold is very fine, about four inches in twelve feet will be found sufficient. One or two men, at each side of the sluice, are kept constantly at work, picking up the surface and shoveling it into the sluice. When the surface has a "slate" bottom you had better pick up the slate to some depth, breaking it up small enough J;o lay in the bottom of the sluice ; and one of the party will be profitably employed using a knife to scrape the pieces of slate, and throw them out of the sluice, when clean. As I have said before, you must prevent the sluice being filled up with roots or stones. Once a week or so, generally on a Saturday, you "cleanup," as it is called. You commence at the lower end of the sluice (a), allowing but very little water to run ; you take out the " rifiie," and carefully wash 14 MININa the sand, gold, etc., into your riddle, which of course, is in your large pan ; having cleaned the first length of your sluice, you clean the next length, and so on. Where the ground presents obstacles to "sluicing," the "long torn " may be used. A " sluice " IS a num- ber of long boxes open at both ends ; the boxes are generally from twelve to fourteen feet long, from fifteen to eighteen inches wide, and the sides (a) about twelve inches high. Common one-inch boards will do to make them ; one end is made as much less' in] width, as to allow of i the boxes fitting into each other. About four inches from the ends, pieces are nailed on the sides to form a groove, in which a|jlpiece of board (the riffle b) three inches high, is fitted, and as the earth is waslied down the sluice, the sand and gold lodges against the riffle. Sluices are worked SLUICE. ^^ different lengths, and where there is but little clay in the stuff to be washed, ten or twelve lengths of boxes will be found enough. In California, when the gold is very fine, they add two or three > <^ ♦ FOR GOLD. 15 lengths of boxes, made as follows : the bottom of the box is covered with a false bot- tom of blocks (a) four inches high, cut off the end of a square log. These blocks must be one inch less in width than the boxes, and when fixed in the box, must have a space of half an inch between each block, and the same between the blocks and the sides of the box. A piece of board wedged between the blocks and the sides, and nailed, keep the blocks from moving. ' The corners of the blocks, about three inches, are cut off", leaving triangular spaces at the sides of the box. These boxes will be found to save the finest gold, and there arc many companies using them, who believe they are as effi- cacious as quicksilver in sav- ing fine gold. In a sluice, most of the gold should be caught in the first three or four rifiles, and when quicksilver is used instead of the boxes, Avith block bottoms, it used as follows : when the sluice has been worked an hour or so, sand, etc., will be found lodged against the liivo. \^oiniiieiiv,iii^ at tiic; luurtii riiiiu, vou lay on the top of the sand, a shallow bed of quicksilver the whole widtL of the box. Three or fourriflSes serveil in IS 19 MINING Is made this rnann*?!- will be found cnouffh VJh^r. i • "P, the qu/cUil,,. must be s rainr!l * '^'T"« chamois leather (n J7>. IZi .L ^^^^^."^^^ throngh a the residue, by beL hol^i ^?\'^ separated from of sheet ironKT^I'rt^^^^^^ '''' ^^^^^ (- piece THE " LON(i lOM" .18 per cut -the bottom board („) abn,.t two feet , vide, a,,,! from foWteen to sixteen feet long, „f one inel stuff the mrtes of the »ame thiekness, ami ban the bottom. From the end of fhe pit at a slight currc. Thick shoof u^onofthesamewidtha^liXttm' and four o,- five feet long, is r": quired for the "Tail *.'-' Com mencmg one foot from the end it i." perforated with holes about a quLer of an inch in diameter (about one h^ every . neb) for two feet in C "fthtswf-''''^'"-''"'""™^-' 7 the sneet iron is sunk its o-im tiuckness in the bottom board the perforated part of the tail beW clear of the bottom board. vlZ. ■ neath, and supporting the end of the rrffl""?, '"'^''^' " " '""' (called a Riffle Box, d) two inches wider than the torn, and three feet long, and abou,-n: inches deep; it is ciided same ■tm ;;: ;,ri the sidos. F » FOR GOLD. IT f The torn must have an inclination of twelve or fifteen inches in the length of it ; the riffle box must have the same inclination. The stuff to be washed is thrown into the ujmo ■ end of the torn, where it is worked aboui »^ith a shovel, until all the earth and clay is w oil sepa'ated from sand, etc. ; o'' this done, the*»vatri ' irries it to the lower end of the torn, where a secona man stands, who passes all he can through the tail of the torn, throwing off the tail all that will not pass, first seeing there arc no nuggets among the stones. The small pebbles, sand, and gold, fall into the upper end of the riffle box, and as there is a constant fall of water into the box, the gold is carried under the sand, and lod'^es against the cross piece ; when the gold is very fine, a shallow box (t?) to contain quicksilver, about three inches wide, is made to fit at the lower end of the riffle box. It should be firmly fixed, at the same height as the end of the riffle box, and present a surface of quicksilver three inches in width, over which all the sand, gravel, etc., has to pass, and it will be found to save most of the fine gold, which would otherwise escape. In the evening, the sand, otc, in the riffle box is *' pannod off." The -i^nicksilver is strained through a stou J piece of chamois skin, care being taken to leave but little quicksilver amalgamated with the gold, as in the ordinary way of separating the gold from quicksilver, the silver is lost. This is generally done by holding the amalgamated gold and silver on a shovel over a fi^e : the quicksilver evaporates, leaving the gold behind. J> 18 (( MINING THE JENNY LIND. A "Jenny Lind " is made in the same manner as a "long torn," but only half the length. The " tail " IS made something wider than in the "long torn " and has the 'J riffle box " to correspond in width, and the only difference is in the working, one man being sufficient to work the "Jenny." He first puddles, or washes the earth at the top, and then passes it throuijh the tail. ° The simplest and most necessary tools the digger must have, are a pick and shovel, a large tin "nan " and "riddle." ' o ^ P^n The pick should be light in make, about 16 inches from point to point, (one end shaped like a chisel), and not more anchor than about three inches in the whole length; it should be pointed with cast steel. With such a pick, a miner will do more work, with much less fatigue, than with the large pick commonly used. In "deep sinking" or "driving," a short pick with only one poin^ called a " driving pick " is used. It has a hammer head with which to drive the pco-s (used in " slabbing ") or wedges or nails, as required. The shovel should be light, with caststecl blade, and round pointed. The large tin " pan " is used in every process of washing earth for gold. It should be about 18 inches wide at the top, about 11 inches at the bottom, and about five or six inches deep. A smaller pan called a riddle is required ; it is about two inches less in size in every way, and has the bot- tom perforated with holes about a quarter of an inch in diameter. The " pan " and " riddle " are used as follows :— The largo pan being full of water, the rid- dle is filled (with the stuff to be panned) and immersed FOR GOLD. 19 4 m the largo pan, where it is shaken until all the sand and fine gravel has passed through. Before throwing out the gravel in the riddle, see that there are no "nuggetts " in it. Having shaken your large pan, pour oft' the water, allowing it to carry away all the top part of the sand and gravel ; again and again fill the pan with water, and shake and pour off" until you have very little left in the pan. You then tilt the pan up on edge, and allow the water to flow into your pan and out again ; do this again and again : each time you do so, some grains of stone and sand are carried away until nothing is left but the gold. Working with the large pan is called " panning," and it matters not what way you may have to wash the earth, you will have to finish the process by "panning." Under surface is generally found a stiff" clay, whicli often contains a considerable quantity of heavy gold. The only advantageous way of washing this clay is with a " puddling machine. ' ' The site for the machine must bo on ground sufficiently high to have a good outlet for your slusli, and yet where you can get a good supply of water, either from a running stream or by pumping. Two horses and three men are required to work a puddling machine ; one to cart clay, the other to work the harrows in the machine, and one man to pick up the clay and assist in loading the cart. Having half-filled the machine with water, as soon as two or three loads of clay have been thrown in, the horse at the machine commences to work the action of the harrows mixing up the clay with the water. Both horses arc kept constantly at work ; but whenever the clay is found to bo dissolved, the top slush is allowed to run off through the outlet in the machine. 20 MINING If there is but little sand or gravel and stone in the clay, the machine can be worked for six or eight days without being cleaned out, but generally the machine is "washed up" once a week — or Saturdays. The horses are stopped, and you pass the stuff remain- ing in the machine through a " long torn." Clay containing but very little gold pays well worked in this mai-ner. Supposing you have to cart your clay half a m)lc, which you have to do in some cases, 15 loads ought to be made every day ; this at two pennyweights of gold to the load of 40 buckets of clay, will give one ounce, ten pennyweights a day ; 7| ounces for the week's work, which, at $18 an ounce, will give $135 a week. As I have said before, three men and two horses can do this : one man and horse to work the machine, one man and horse to cart the clay, and one man to pick up the clay and help to fill the cart. Of course, when the clay Is convenient to the ma- chine, less gold in the clay will pay ; for with plenty of water, 60 loads of clay can be puddled in lO.hours' work. i % HOW TO MAKE A PUDDLING MACHINE. A site being chosen, on an elevated position (so as to have a good escape for your "slush"), where you can get a plentiful supply of water, either from a stream or by pumping, and as near to the clay as possible, you commence as follows: Strike a circle 80 feet in diameter; from the same centre a second circle lines, you excavate to the depth of three feet six inches, which will form a circular drain, the bottom being lOR GOLD. 21 1 Mllr T left about one foot less in width than the top. Pieces of wood, from three to four inches square, arc let into the sides and bottom of the drain, on which to fasten staves of wood ; the side staves- being put on first, care being taken to make the joints good. A block* of wood, 10 or 12 inches in diameter, is firmly fastened in the centre, and into it an iron spindle. A cross is then made of wood, about 6 inches square and 28 feet long, which will give arms of 14 feet ; one of the arms is left about 3 feet longer than the others, to v hich is attached a " Whipple bar." Four harrows are made from limbs of trees, in thjD shape of a V, in which are fixed a number of stout iron teeth, 8 or ten inches long ; these harrows are attached to the arms of the cross. A small drain conducts water into the machine, and in the side of the machine next to the low ground one stave is left out, and the vacant space filled up by short staves six inches in length. These pieces are fixed so that they can bo taken out, to allow the slush to run off. The machine is half-filled with water, and as soon as two or three loads of clay are thrown into different places in the drain, the horse at the machine com- mences to work ; the action of the harrows mixes up the clay with the water ; both horses work away until the clay and water are well mixed. The horse in the machine is stopped occasionally, and one of the small pieces of board being taken out, the top part of the slush runs out. 22 MINING ^ro. what I h.ve seen of the gold fields on the Chaudi^re, " I think the <' cradle" will be as much used by small com- panies as any other plan of washing. Some care must be taken m making a cradle, as, if not made properly, It will lose gold. . ^J« 5^dy of it is made m the form of a child's cradle, 8 feet six inches long, n inches wide at the top, 14 inches wide at the bottom, 14 inches high at the head, 7 inches high at the foot. An opening is made in the foot to allow of the escape of the 'Hail- mgs." 17 inches from the head infh higher ^L'uZiZ'Z h H »rfi"i,:tile'd end beino- ohm,f'*: • t-'"" ," '"^ ''^J ^"" me other oemg about 5 mches lower, and within an inch ■ f FOR GOLD. 23 «* t of the head of the cradle. Pieces of wood (a) ' an in.I, depends fhesavt; ofit^ZV^Pl inclination, rockins? nml ";«"','"»<' gold. ' well mixed up when ,^e '"f ' ?'' *" ^'"ff '« the top is poured off Tl',„ ,?'•'' ''"^'""'■''' *'»'='<. filled ^ith de.",." and th Iff "^'''? '""^ "«'''" poured off, until .To eTaylleft t S,e 1''?'^ Xf'"^ '°P and gravel remaining, fs put into It ' ™" '»"'' three shovels full at n tfJl ] .♦'"e.l'opper, two or as yon shake the erldleT' •™<' P™'-'ng water on it Jedge1.t the*'i;"„dTf t^e "si ^^ wT=""* ,? ?^ has been puddled, it is ,.Z tttgh t"c"ral;t' 24 MINING ,«Hot&tS"4:X-»'/^ -. a piefe and 'ong, ana the two pais alrlV "V"' ^"y 3" feet who ha,l never befoHorkcd 1^ "ontioned. A man m the vieinitvof other holes C"?h^ *?"!'' ''"^ can see which way the T^ZL ^' *''°^'' •'"'es you mclination of the Jp the p obabl^d' 1°''/"'" *>■» you intend to sink. P'^^able depth of the hole fi^^S'^::::i4:i:^]:if ^y, .ou ^^o^xn^s oTa4 r^'r^^^^^^^^^ - on which to p ace The foot ,!:iF'""'f '^"'•"^^ *''«''oIe hoisting the stuff The ' , ""'teriallj assist in Austratia was, l?"there were twT "^ T'"»S '" for each to work alternatdy in S Zl '" '^"^ P"'?' one wou d sink 8 or 10 ;„„i'' 'J^hole and on top • ^J<'<'^'-' depth, and so on, until the ),„i "' ","'''"8 »» equal difficult to throw the cMth UP nf^o^eep thatitlas the hole was cxncotoTtli, P' , " "^ ^ said before they wouhl Vo?rake1hl%^:uuf to" V^^' -^^^P^ but would place a stick aero,, tl T}^ " ^''"^'='^» place their foot ; as soo„ tf ! }"., ^"^^ "" which to of earth, which he had loosened 1''"' "^ '^' '^y' lowered the bucket and hS^;pt~ ^V^^ ~"S l2Z:l::!^jX^^^^^r., colored wash a pan oY it, arj if I? '/ ?' y»" ^""ould p??,^-;T/--'^iiglhjroie''it\»!'i- ■' '? v..t .s called '• wash dirt." Having-pepted rctn ' FOR GOLD. 26 spot for your '< wash dirt," you i?et \f im t« passed all the stuff in the tub thi'm,^. f? ^l ^™ the hopper is taken off and Ife sMk S^outT/d " iddle?" ' M •; "' "■? "^' '^ ^^h^d off ?nt; the )Jf.Jil' *1»»' P"t'cs will cradle 4 or 5 tubs before they pan off, as before described. Most parties have a frame, on which to work tl,n cradle, but a piece of wood, well fixed in tl,I , under each rocker, will an wlr The hoH^.„^7".?'' cradle should be at an in2a ion orabou '" Lcl es in the foot, and when fitting the slide ;„n„i^ allowance should be made soVs tohave both the'^ll^ and bottom of the cradle at a proper i^ctatt. "'" ' oftrn;""::.:r^f.r"[ar^''''^ "'''^■' ""= '™»'' 10 inchei^„;k^eC Im Cs::i: s itLr which ,s made wUh spindles. A heavy piece of wood E 26 MINING is left attached to one of tl,„ ■ „ a crooked l™b to answeV araT^"'^? ' '"S''''""" "- the barrel you have four n!.. "I.'"' ^° ^"Pport length, which are crosse TneS he e^'*""'' "^ "l""' wl "" n" ';'"<' "'^»> together *' """^ t'^s are Hhen all the " wash «»,;«■•.■' , torn of the hole, a " dr ve - js Z'"^? ''"'" "'» I""- encroached o„, ev'et^ 3 o^ 4 Lt': '"'','.''''">'« '« be "pyom- "washdhV' and inf /""''"'"•' y»n take t.^.-a. you dlv;r..frthf^.J^^ feet square of earth driven ouTT •>'»\i''"'e 5 or 6 "'.with a piece about 2 4"™/"'''^ ''""''<' '» P"t wedging It upfirmlv h^,,hL^ '''^ " ean on it • '"t'e risk of t'5te to^^f^'^^t driveTf,'- ^'""■"» '^"t In what is termed "deen .' ?• '^"'"S '" <>" you. experience is required t?I,e "!'"«/• eonsiderib le an' 'n from ne.;, and when yo^gft "th oZ"";''"' T ^""^ "'-" stiatas, you would m-obiwJV„^' ""'' some other -ml and water, w'hieh S^^^Ss" " ^'^ '"'•"' "^ than you can bail it out »^^1 ■ "' '1""^'' "i' f earth vary :o commence fan in from some nian- some other >09e drift of or quicker ses sprino-.s 1 pumn.si fo FOR GOLD. 2T f. X silt Z F^'''^\^' ^""'^'^ ""'''' J^'" t^«'^ther to roo.irpri . a''1 ''""^'"S' f' considerabk) clipital is icquued, and when once they have the hole started 7Mn^f''''T'^r' ""ightandday," "Sunday and Monday, "without stop or stay.'' The nrin- cipal reason for working at it without intermission, 1Z!TI ''^i'' "r^"^ ^" "" *^^^"^' ^^^"ch is often avoided by quick sinking. Before commencing to sink, some time is required to prepare materials, etc. On the ground on which vou have determmed to sink, logs 10 or 12 inches in diameter are dovetailed together, and built up in tiers, the size of the shaft you are going to sink (generally 4 leet BIX inches by 2 feet six inches). I.og.s ari built up in this way, so that the earth whicli is taken ou from the holes has not to be carried any distance, but IS emptied from the bucket over the edge of tTe platform made on the logs. Timber split into slabs, rimmed with an adze to an equal thicknek and then cut in sets of four of an equal width, two pieces ot 30 inches long, and the other two pieces of GO inches long. The short pieces must have the ends exactly square 3 inches from the ends of the long pieces, two or three holes are bored of 1 inch in diame- ter, and pegs of wood made to fit the holes. A number of set,s of these slabs will bo required. In commencing the shaft, if is sunk down 4 or 5 feet and the bottom having been made perfectly level, a set of slabs are put in. Of course each set must be nLmf ^?r T^'^^- , 'P'' ^°"S slabs are put in first, and then the short slabs are put between tlfo Ion., sl^ba and driven towards the ends until the pegs'"Snrbe put into the holes. In this way a box is fo?med, the 28 MINING Sides being kept in their place by the ends, and the eiids kept in their place by the pegs, which prevent the earth from pressing in the ends. You must be very particular putting in the first set of slabs, having them perfectly level, and as square in shape as possible, as the first set put in is the rule or guide for all the rest ; set after set arc put in until they are as high as the first tier of logs, from which strips of hoop iron are fastened down the sides and ends of the shaft which keep the sln])s from sinking as you get down! l;or a deep shaft you require a good windlass; the uprights are morticed into the top logs, and are well braced together and made perfectly solid ; the bar- rel ot about twelve inches in diameter, working on iron spindles, and made to woiJc with as little friction as possible ; iron handles with a good leverage will be required. b t u^. Two thirty-gallon kegs are used for hoisting the a\-u 1 ""^^P® '^ P"^*^ ^" ^^^^ one end of the barrel, and the kegs are put on, so that one is going down as the other comes up, the weight of the bucket e:oinff clown being an assistance in raising the other Two men are required at the windlass and one in the shaft ; the rest prepare the slabs ; at night they work m watches of four, two at the windlasg^ one in the shaft, and one to have slabs, etc., ready. ^ The man m the shaft, having sunk eight or ten inches, signals for a set of slabs of a given width • they are lowered down, and he fits them in, fixing them close to the set above. ^ Where the ground is soft and loose, it requires considerable time to get in a set of slabs. In some ground, a set every six hours is considered good work and m wet ground, it is sometimes impossible to sink' FOR GOLD. 29 T Unless a number of shaft? are sunk at the «amo time in this way, or a number of men continue bailin^r at the same time, the water is (lilficult to be got under. As I have stated before, by having the work .m on quickly, you sometimes escape a great deal of water. A. soon as you sink a sufficient depth for a .et of slabs the water finds its way through the loose earth, and if not quickly stopped by the slabs being ,)ut in hrNn^'r''^f'' ^"•J brings with it the ca?th from l)c»jin(ahe siabr,, and the shaft is lost. I remember worknig at a shaft for two months aii.l lanng .o abandon it; we could not get lower than sixteen feet It was in Spring Hill Gully, at Cres- wick s Creek, twelve miles from Ballarat. The cull v rtfd'tr''k''^^r f ""^'^^ '^ ^^^« than two claims in width. T\ e struck a drift 4" water, about sixteen feet down, and allhough we bailed night and day for ir.'hf?/f'^'''"^^^''.S'* ^^' ''^^'' «nder, and trk f W *i"^i'!^ of square, it was not safe to woik t We took the slabs out, filling up the hole sunkt th^/ '\'^f'^' ''''''' ^'^' ^^ ^ff^^'> twice we sunk in the clay, but as soon as we got through the 'J^^J^f.^^'^' ^ouU master ns; and^s some^of t lie claimg higher up on the lead were bottomed without oU\^^ f ' ^^'^^^"g^ith the others, abandoned our claim. Two years after, the summer bmng a very dry one, diggers again went to work in thit gully, and claims on the lead paid from ^500 to £2 000 a man. ' When the shaft is bottomed, you sink four or five feet deeper mto the rock or slate, formin/a well which drains your drives. «.r,a te»v,' ,!.»- Z-^Z tively dry. (Generally i„ dirty grou^^d the^krhXt is 30 MINING POR OOLD. 1 Sa\7 in thn Vrl' I ''"^ feTlZf't ''-^ "fP"*'"' *« drive and fl preparing nlovXlTj ??™' ""d so o„ r' genera ly b„,.„ ;! 'i '"? crushiag milk ti,: • -"^ inches ap, thfii^f^.S^-" "''<»"/»" „r fi,. ''™^''>^'don.op„,,W;a?S;.,»Pr;rrtt™?VS? . GOLD LICENSE IN AUSTRALIA. 81 ^y from the r. °g requires teen month.s ^anj cases, "onojr, you ^ IS worth - 'or another you hope or ten inches thick is put on the brush, another row of logs on the top of the quartz, and so or ; it is built up in this manner five or six feet in height, and fire put to the bottom. When the wood is burnt, the quartz will be sufliciently burnt for crushing. "X 1803, "s a claim "id whicJi hs' vvoi-Jf, .176-, 000 18 If f'(»r avewhat Jicular), 'S made •owbar.s, lartz is is aJso five or rive is . In niners Gold License used in Australia. Annexed will bo found the .form of License used in Australia : — r five > and eight 32 GOLD LICENSE QO O JZ5 r! o e? a o o +* ^ to O o o ;i5 o S3 O o o o o • p-H a ^■^ r— I -1-3 '-H P-4 ^ o o t>0«4-( c3 ,C1 r3 o • I—* O ■^ .2 CO a Oj to ^ a o o ^ a o c3 o ^ O r--3 P-'^ — t _ __i^io; i^( :i^ ^A ^infiOUJiJ^Ln ?! « O in O) CO O P^ ;-i S3 o, o o u a • r-l a • .-H o CO O H o o ;-> o o ■4-3 O C! o a» • to c o r— I O O o a a o if^J«t»!^^94!>i (5)@^^Svw •^T A r. oTcBTcor.cT.-aTV Pi o Q o C5 Pi o ►J o ^ r P O o o Q O Pi W o ^ P5 W t33 O Eh O •J s E-i O IN AUSTRALIA. a as o 'a a a u t» a> d u •o ,a ,a ■♦-» c 03 »>^ r:) a o (1 o « .2 s .^ c? a o m 03 2 'a o c 03 ►►. o Id Ph a o3 s ;:i R ° a ^^ n 3 o r2 rn o o Ph -a V o O U i: o « g O o3 o * rn D "^ a t) o Ui .^ S .3 ^ a m O S O H 22 .P 9 a 4) 4) O 9 m 13 tn o o « 'a % 4) 13 03 s o:> M III XI o o x> 3 JS O M f -a - 5 05 rt ui • - 03 si '^ a o M flj r3 m O o (-4 Pi 13 a 03 V a n3 rt C .9 *s a m p o ro OS XI a a, .pj S3 3 "* •^ O a 3 r— < CI P5 -r. ^ en H tu CI C/ o o «4« o a cs 3 3 4> M 3 •♦J « -a Eh Cm 9 03 3 ca 00 00 u o C 3 ,o 3 is •♦J O C3 (M ■>* o tS" 3 o 3 «2 3 3 o OJ a a o to x> ,c> a 5 w v 3 o o 0} -s \. ^ o; CI *-* ^ r^ S (^ O 3 O u *^ t-i eJ O 8 O o o Eh Eh la 3 O OI X c3 .2 '£ t~ OO A ;€