IS GOLD DISTRIBUTED LIKE OTHER METALS ?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4123, 30 January 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

IS GOLD DISTRIBUTED LIKE OTHER METALS ?

fvr.OM T2IE " TIELI :OUKXE ARGUS."]

Science is usually cautious, yet it " not uhvays cautious enough. Practical men, as they love to term themselves, who pooh-po jh theories, are also apt to fall into the speculation!* which they despise. In regard to quartzmining aud the distribution of gold in quartz lodes, both the scientific and practical men have been too positive, and scarcely a year passes but tfliat each finds it necessary to modify his view's, aud make the unpleasant but profitable confession that he was most ignorant of what he was most assured. Some time ago we published a paper upon the distribution of gold in quartz lodes, in which it was pointed out that the balance of the then ascertained facts pointed to the conclusion that the gold had a tendency to run out as great depths were reached. This was the opiuion, aud probably still is, of a large number of shrewd observers, who had noticed the fact that a number of once rich quartz claims had been abailtloued because they did not pay. There were noticeable, too, indications of rich districts becoming poor at comparatively great depths, so that there was, and is, really a large quantity of evidence to bear out the conclusions reached by geologists some 15 or 20 years ago. The conclusion, broadly stated, was that gold is distributed differently from other metals in tho vein-stone which it is found. In the edition of the E>icyclop(Kdia Britannica published in 185S, we find the conclusion set forth with some degree of positiveness, and it is evidently accepted by tho writer of the article, " Mining," as one which can scarcely be said to admit of dispute. It is said that "lodes or veins of copper, argentiferous lead, iron, &c., have been found m numerous instances to become more productive as they have been followed downwards, while, on the contrary, gold lias invariably hitherto proved to be much attenuated in its descent, and in most instances to disappear at considerable depths." Reports from Mr. Selwyn, who is described as Government geologist, Ifcw South Wales, and a Mr. Wilson, a mine: iu California, are quoted to prove that "the richest produce is essentially derived from loose superficial debris piled on mountain sides or slopes, or in ravines, and at various considerable altitudes above the sea."

We have quoted this passage because it may be said to contain uearly all the errors put forth upon this subject by geologists of the old school, ajid also because it quotes ati authority, Mr. Selwyn, whose opinion came to be diametrically opposed to the one with which he is credited. It -vill be remarked, too, that the reader ia not told what is to be understood by "considerable depths," nor what is meant by " various considerable altitudes." It is implied that gold is only found at great heights above the sea. which is cou- . ■ y to tlj facts ascertained at that time, anvi quite opposed to a theory which has found considerable favour in this colony. As a matter of fact, it is true thatie richest quartz miner have been found in V- vtoria in districts at a comparatively sm .11 height above the sea, but there is net a -rticle of eidence to show that the rici. of the lcJcs aud their elevation above sea-lb.el bec.r any ascertainable ratio to each other Then the question naturally arises, whence came th e liws'j superficial debris ?" The geologists who could trace a boulder found in England back to iti home in Norway or Sv.-c-Vn, whence it had been conveyed upon .in iceberg, do not seem, before promulgating a theory about gold, to have endeavoured to trace the stone in which it was found, or which has always been found in connection with the metal, back to its native home. If they had done what they have had done for them by the miner himself, they would have discovered that quartz lodes remained in the hills still intact, and what was found on the mountain slopes was but the broken-up superficial outcrop. And to assume that this outcrop contained all or nearly all the gold, was, had they but known it, to start a theory full of the most startling difficulties. To say that gold was always on the surface or close to it, was, in fact, to say that it was deposited, or formed, in a manner different from all other known metals. It was almost equivalent to saying that it fell "like the gentle dew from heaven," and rolled down with the surface quartz into the valleys, and on to the sides of the hills. Both tin and copper have been found 011 the surface, but no one ventured to conclude that they were found there only. Perhaps in distant days, when the Pho;nicians went to Cornwall for i metals, the theory prevailed amongst the Celtic minors there that tin would only be found in shallow lodes, and, no doubt they had a great deal of experience to back them up. Science professedly followed experience in this matter, but it was of too limited a character to warrant the conclusions deduced from it. To this day no one car. jay whether the gold mines of Mexico have failed at considerable depths because the gold has run out, or whether they have failed for want of further work and that kind of energetic prospecting which has done so much for quartz-mining in this colony, and in Australasia generally. Mining ventures fail from many causes quite apart from the absence of a remunerative quantity of gold in the stone, and even in this colony mines are lying idle which would pay for energetic and economical work, if the ground was only open to the public, or the holders could lind capital to carry on their operations properly. As a proof that " science moves but slowly, slowly," we may mention that even in IS6G a writer in Chambcr/t's Encyclopcsdia naively says that in Victoria, contrary to the received opinion, a gold mine has been found to pay to the depth of no less than 400 ft. If we cannot fairly expect science to follow very closely upon the steps of the actual workers when the question is one of fact merely, we might certainly hope that practical men would not jump at conclusions. Yet, in regard to mining matters they are rather prone to do so. A very large number believe that there is a great deal of evidence I to show that the deep levels of quartz-mines ! will not pay, and, as far as investments go they seem inclined to act upon their faith. No doubt at Clunes and elsewhere there are signs of the lower levels being much poorer than the upper ones ; and this has, to some extent, damped speculation. On the other hand, some recent discoveries go to show that quartz lodes may be very rich at considerable depths, and these discoveries have tended greatly to restore confidence in quartz mining. For instance, the Port Philip Company, at Clunes, which for a long time got but very poor average yields, has struck some very good stone at a depth of about 700. c t. The experience of thiscompany is such as to demonstrate the danger of hasty conclusions, aud serves to show how readily an inquirer, even if he have no bias, may be led to a false conclusion The western lode in the claim of tliis company paid very well to a depth of 444 ft., when it became poor, and continued so to the depth stateil above. . Now, here is an example of how the gold in a quartz lode may practically disappear and make again, and there appears, so far as we yet know, no reason why the same thing should not occur at three or four times the depths already reached. It is, therefore, so far as our experience goes, impossible to Bay positively that the gold has linally run out in any part of the world, and tho Mexican experience, upon which geologists so much relied, must bo taken for what it is worth and no more. Again, at Pleasant Creek recontly, in the claim of the Crown Cross United Company, a new vertical lode, as it is supposed, was struck at a depth of 800 ft., in which there has-been found to be a remunerative quantity of gold. Here, then, is another indication of the fact that even some of our practical men have been somewhat hasty in forming their conclusions, by assuming that what lias happened at some places will happen at all, and tho lodes be found to be unremunerativc at what. wo. call here great djapths. At'Bailarat the facts, as far as they go) seem

to warrant the i — conclusion set forth by the writer in ti . Emyciopcedia Britannici, for the exposed rorfaces of the lodes must have been very : ■ :in order to feed the gutters with the lai b quantity of gold found in them, whilst below the surface, with few exceptions, th have been Tfund to be poor. But the gold . not disappeared. On the contrary, at the greatest depth yet reaohed a proportion of gold is always found, and the theory of many persons is that the metal will be found to make again at some unknown depth, even as it had done in the claim of the Port Phillip Company at Clunea, At Sandhurst too, there ars cheering signs of a wide, almost unlimited, field for deep work. Wry recently the Pandora Company, on the Garden Gully line, have struck the lode at a depth at which it has never been worked be ; fore, thus warranting the belief that this famous line will give employment for years at a very much greater depth than has yet been tried. Of course it remains to be proved whether the lode at this greater depth will be as rich as it was nearer the .surface, but, so far, there appears to bo no reason to doubt that the chances are that it will be true to its good character.

Taking, therefore, all tliat we know as facts into consideration, we must come to the conclusion that there is no warrant for classifying gold as an exceptionally distributed metal. It is found in quartz veins or lodes, even as some other metals are, and it seems to be distributed in like manner. Undoubtedly there have been numerous failures, and districts once famous are now deserted, and no one can say whether they will be worked again. On the other hand, discoveries have recently been made which go to prove that, in some localities at least, profitable mining for gold will be carried on for years at very great depths. At present Sandhurst and Stawell are the shining lights to cheer the weary prospectors elsewhere. Cluues may be added to the list any day ; and we can only hope that Ballarat may some day follow.