oken up by heavy iron hammers falling upon it; and a stream of
water constantly running down into the box in which the stampers work,
the soluble dirt is washed away, while the particles of quartz and
gold are carried forward over boards, in which, at intervals, are
small ripples containing quicksilver. The quicksilver clings to the
gold and forms an amalgam with it. This is collected, taken out, and
squeezed in bags of chamois leather,--by which the greater part of the
quicksilver is pressed out and saved for a repetition of the process.
The residue is placed in a retort, and exposed to heat, by which the
remainder of the quicksilver is driven off by evaporation, leaving the
gold in a solid lump. There are, however, various other processes by
which the gold is separated from the quartz.

Sometimes the gold is offered for sale in a very imperfectly separated
state, and then considerable judgment is required in deciding as to
its value. In alluvial gold there is always a certain proportion of
chips of iron, which have flown from the picks used in striking and
turning up the gravel. These pieces of iron are carefully extracted by
means of a magnet. The larger bits of gold, if there be any, are then
taken out and put to one side. The remainder is put into a shallow tin
dish, which is shaken with a peculiar turn of the wrist, and all the
sand and dirt thus turned to the point of the dish. This is blown off;
then up goes the gold again, and you blow and blow until all the sand
is blown off. If there remain any gold with quartz still adhering to
it, the particles are put into a big iron mortar and well beaten, and
the process above described is repeated. The gold is then ready for
weighing and buying, and there is usually no difficulty in settling
the price with English diggers, the price varying according to the
assay of the gold.[12]

Our great difficulty is with the Chinamen, who are very close-fisted
fellows. They mostly work at sludge, which Englishmen have already
washed; and they are found hanging on to the tailings of old workings,
washing the refuse in order to extract the gold that had been missed.
Old tailings are often thus washed several times over, and never
without finding gold to a greater or less amount. When a party of
Chinamen think they can do better elsewhere, they may be seen moving
off, carrying their whole mining apparatus on their backs, consisting
of tubs, blankets, tin scoops, and a small washing-c