THE VIGRA GOLD MINES, NORTH WALES. [From the Illustrated News.]

Otago Daily Times, Issue 112, 26 March 1862, Page 6

THE VIGRA GOLD MINES, NORTH WALES. [From the Illustrated News.]

■.The Yigra gold mines are situated in a most picturesque and mountainous range in the ■.parish of Llannbar, on the noi-th side of the navigable River Mowddach, about five miles from and midway between Dolgelly and Barmouth, in the county of Merioneth, North Wales. The geological, features of this district are tin? Cambrian rocks, overlaid by the lower silurian lingula flags. The Canibrian rocks are coarse, greenish-grey grits. The liiigula flags are chiefly slaty beds, more or less arenaceous, and interstratified with courses of sandstone. , Both the cambrians and silurian are frequently penetrated by light grey calcareous and ordinary greenstone dykes, some of which are magnetic. In the cambrian sandstone these dykes appear to run in all directions, the general direction being rather across the strike. In the siluiiaM region the direction of the dykes is generally parallel with the Ime3 of bedding." The Vigramine is situated entirely in the lingula flags, and the Clogan mines arc partly in the lingulas and partly in the Cambrians. AYe give an engraving "of the gold-mill," with it's water-wheel, which is about 60 feet in diameter, and "works a powerful Cornish crushing-machine capable of crushing forty tons of ore daily. The wheel is supplied with water from the charming little river called the Hirgwin. At the present time this mine is yielding upwards of fifteen pounds weight of gold per week. •

In a subsequent number of the same journal, appeal's the following:—

The Vigra Gold Mines, North Wales.—(To the Editor.) —My attention lias been attracted by the "interesting and picturesque representation given of the Yigra .and Glogan gold mine in your number of the 4th inst. There is, however, one important point on which you have been misinformed, namely, as to the yield of gold. It is stated to be upwards of 151b. weight per week, whereas the average yield of the past three-months to the end of December has been 32Jlb. weight of gold per month, —Pekcival Clay.