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THE THAMES
MINER'S GUIDE,
WITH MAPS
TWO OF WHICH ARE DETACHED FOR CONVENIENCE, BUT WHICH FORM PART OF THE BOOK.
POET. --What's to he thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true that he is so full o Gold?
Timon. --Tell them I have Gold; look, so I have!
APEMANTUS. -- * * * * I'll say Thou hast gold; Thou will be throng'd to shortly. --
Timon of Athens.
COPYRIGHT RESERVED.
AUCKLAND
SOLD FOR THE PROPRIETORS BY EDWARD WAYTE, QUEEN STREET.
1868.
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AUCKLAND:
PRINTED BY W. C. WILSON,
WYNDHAM STREET.
[PREFACE]
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PREFACE.
IN presenting to the public "The Thames Miner's Guide," with Maps of the Gold Field, the authors have endeavoured to supply a want that has for some time been felt both by the visitors and claim-holders; and the difficulties of the task they have undertaken will, they hope, in some measure excuse the numerous errors which the first edition of a work of this kind must almost necessarily contain. They can only add that all communications on the subject, addressed to the care of the publisher, will meet with attention, should another edition be called for. The articles on Gold Mining, Metallurgy of Gold, and on the Assay of Minerals containing Gold, are, for the most part, condensed from "The Mining and Metallurgy of Gold and Silver," by J. A. Phillips, London, 1867, and much of the miscellaneous matter is derived from the same source. No publication, however, which the authors could obtain has been neglected in order to make "The Guide" as complete as possible; the object not being to describe, in detail, the various processes to which the various metals are subjected, but to give a general notion of how gold is extracted from the earth.
The authors regret that the description of claims is not more complete, some of the best claims have been accidentally omitted; but will see that they are described in a future edition.
The authors also regret that the historical portion is not more complete. Much difficulty was experienced in obtaining authentic information on the subject. They hope, however, to be able to rectify this in a future edition.
Auckland, August. 1868.
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[CONTENTS]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS.
MAPS IN COVER.
OCCURRENCE OF GOLD IN NATURE............. 1
CHEMISTRY OR GOLD .......... ... ... 8
DISTINGUISHING GOLD FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES ... ... 10
GOLD MINING............ ... ... 12
METALLURGY OF GOLD......... ... ... 16
ASSAY OF MINERALS CONTAINING GOLD... ... ... 23
GEOLOGY OF THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA... ... ... 27
SODIUM AMALGAM........... ... ... 35
SEYMOUR HUGHES' MACHINE...... ... ... 37
THE STELEFELDT FURNACE......... ... 37
SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY THE PORT PHILIP COMPANY ... 38
ATTWOOD'S SYSTEM......... ... 39
VAN BUREN RYERSON'S GOLD-SAVING PROCESS ... 40
SMELTING GOLD QUARTZ......... 41
WATERWORKS IN CALIFORNIA......41
DEEP MINES IN CALIFORNIA..........42
ASSAY OF TAILINGS......44
STATISTICS...........46
QUANTITY OF GOLD IN QUARTZ........50
DEFINITION OF TERMS............52
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT.............57
COMPANIES AT THE THAMES...........72
THE PIONEER CLAIM..........77
DESCRIPTION OF CLAIMS...........82
MACHINERY........93
ESTABLISHMENTS......98
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ERRATA.
In page 26, line 14, for "attached." read "attacked."
In page 28, line 88, for "decomposed" read "undecomposed."
