THE ROMANCE OF GOLD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19986, 22 July 1930, Page 12

THE ROMANCE OF GOLD.

fsPXC'IA).L,T WMITJEX JfOK TBS PRS-iS.) [By E. W. Reeves.] 'the history of our Empire from the -Middle Ages is wrapped up with the quest and pursuit of gold. These hardy and adventurous spirits, of whom England has bred not a few, led on by the desire for fame and by tales of fabulous riches in strange countries, [juslied out in their little ships and sailed across the horizon, laying unknowingly the foundation of the greatest Empire the world has ever known. It "as gold that drew the great Morgan to the Spanish Main, to the West Indies, across to the Pacific Ocean, up the coasts of Chile and Peru, sacking and destroying Spain's colonial possessions, ending in the sending of the Spanish Armada and the overthrow of Spain, and leaving to England the West Indian and Central American colonies as the legacies of his life's work. It was the wealth of the Indian Princes that. drew these hardy adventurers to India, which led later, when the potentialities for trade were realised, to the formation of the East India Company and the subsequent addition of India to the Empire. Others edged their way down the African coast, past the Gold Coast, Nigeria, and round the Cape of Good Hope, ever searching for wealth, seeking perhaps the site of the fabulous King Solomon's Mines, the source perhaps of the wealth of the Queen of Sheba, but nevertheless preparing the way for the settlers who are to come afterwards. j Coming down to more modern times, it was the lure of gold that drew men first to Australia, to New Zealand, and j that sent them to endure the hardships j and privations of Xorthern Canada and Alaska. j One asks oneself in this modern civi- j lisation of ours, has gold, as gold in its real and natural state and not as so much paper money, lost the power to lead men to the farthest corners of the world to endure cold, hungo-, and unlimited privations, or has the romance, the adventure, the gambler's spirit that staked not money only, but health and life perhaps, against success or failure, been submerged in the ease and luxury of our present existence. Opportunities perhaps are not what they were, little of the earth's surface remains unexplored, yet even since the war disdiscoveries have been made, and these by British mining engineers, the importance of which are not yet fully realised. Bomantic Discoveries. One of the most interesting and perhaps romantic discoveries of quite recent times has been the location and prospecting of vast gold-bearing areas in the Central American country of Panama. Exclusive mining-rights have been obtained over several hundred square miles of country by a British company, the Panama Corporation, Ltd., having a capital of £2,000,000, and careful prospecting haß proved the existence of large areas of gold-bearing country on which two mines, carrying very rich values, are now in the course of being opened up, and it is known ■ that many other portions of the company's: areas contain gold and silver lodes, but which have not yet . been more than very slightly prospected. What is particularly interesting is the fact that Indians, perhaps hundreds of * years ago. had worked oh the syrface, many of "the reefs in the company's properties, and that these old workings ' greatly assisted their efforts in locating the various gold-bearing reefs that have so far been discovered. It is indeed probable that the gold •of the Incas of Peru, the source of ' which has been searched for and never discovered, did not come from Peru itself, but was acquired by trade or Beized from the early Indian owners ' .and workers of these mines in Panama. This perhaps was the source also of much of the gold extorted by Spain from the Indians in Morgan s time. One "Wonders what were the actual amounts of gold and silver taken by Hpain from her American colonies. From what records are available the . total figures must be amazing. It is stated that about the year 1500, the mines on the island of Hayna alone yielded 450,G0G0z of gold annually, that the percentage retained by Philip . of Spain on the gold that passed throuah the royal mint amounted to over 100.000 ducats per annum, but there is no wav of ascertaining the wealth that was secured by private expeditions, adventurers, and local Governors, who. enriched by reason of their official.position or bv. accidentally falling with some hoard of treasure among the natives, returned home to excite the enw and cupidity of tlieix countrymen. Old manuscrints state that Bernadin de Santa Clara, treasurer of Hispanjola, returned to Spain with 98.0000z of gold.. a fair bonus, . on® would imagine, for the three or four years of his term of office. This . same gentleman it is stated used to serve gold rliist instead of salt at his entertainments. When • considering England's adventurous history in the pursuit of gold, . it is interesting to note in this instance that it was English mining . . engineers who discovered and secured for Eneland, and that almost under ihe noses of numbers of Americans who had been working in the Panama Canal zone -since the Canal whs first started these extremely valuable concessions. For once the American business spirit must have lapsed into temporary nnconscionsnpse. The New Guinea yield. . 'l'he discovery of gold in New Guinea has turned out to be one of the most important and valuable discoveries since Klondyko, but what is of particular interest is the manner in which transportation difficulties have been . solved in what is probably the most . difficult and inaccessible country in the world. The Canadian-Australian Company, which controls large areas iit this district, discovered that owing to the extremely mountainous country which lay between their areas and the sea coast it would cost over £200,000 to build a road (the cost of upkeop of which would be very great), having a length of about ninety miles, suitable for transporting the two large electric dredges of a total weight of some hundreds of tons, with which they had decided to equip one of their areas. After exploring every other avenue, it has been decided to purchase three allmetal tri-motor aeroplanes. The dredges wilj be so constructed that no piece will exceed 70001b, and as the distance as the crow flies is no more than twenty-five miles each trip by aeroplane, will take little more than half an hour. But for the wonderful development and modern perfection of .. the aeroplane, these valuable properties would no doubt have lain un- .. worked and undeveloped for years. No, the lure of gold still Ijokls. Lean, weather-beaten men still struggle into the wilds of Northern Canada, across the barren lands of Australia and South Africa, working their wav up creeks and rivers, ever 'chasing the "colours" to their source. . rarely succeeding, perhaps, but never .giving up; but the romance now lies • perhaps in the application of modem machinery, the overcoming of physical obstacles, and the harnessing of Nature's forces-to man's aid in recovering the wealth that has lain in Mother Earth from the beginning of thing*