The older writers give us ample details about gold-digging and trading two
centuries ago. Bosnian (Letter VI.) shows that the people prospected for
the illustrious metal in three forms of ground. The first was in, or
between, particular hills, where they sank pits; the second was about the
rivers and waterfalls; and the third was on the seashore near the mouths
of rivulets after violent night-rains. He ends his letter with these
sensible words: 'I would refer to any intelligent metallist whether a vast
deal of ore must not of necessity be lost here, from which a great deal of
gold might be separated, from want of skill in the metallic art; and not
only so, but I firmly believe that vast quantities of pure gold are left
behind; for the negroes only ignorantly dig at random, without the least
knowledge of the veins of the mine. [Footnote: The origin of these mineral
veins is still disputed, science being as yet too young for the task of
solving the mystery. Probably, as Mr. Davies remarks, 'the mode of the
origin and means of the deposition are not one only but many,' and we have
the Huttonian (igneous) and Wernerian (aqueous) theories, the sublimation
of Necker, the electricity of Mr.
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