Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 642

The use of quicksilver to gold washing has been introduced in California - A machine in the form of an improved rocker having three or four lateral gutters in its bottom in which the quicksilver is placed takes up the gold so perfectly, that the slightest trace of it can be decerned [discerned] in the refuse earth -
The Machines sell in California at one thousand dollars each, they are patented - The success which has attended the application of quick silver by the aid of this machine will bring it henceforth into general use.
In the use of quicksilver to gold washing, it has been found, that the black sand which was formerly rejected is washed in a bowl containing a little quicksilver in the bottom, & the amalgam formed by the gold yields four dollars to every pound of Sand, a Considerable quantity of this sand has been washed out by a Mr James, he afterwards evaporated the quicksilver in a retort, & produced a Cake of fine gold worth nearly five hundred dollars.
There is no doubt that by means of quicksilver much of the soil which has heretofore been passed by as worthless, will give a rich return.
Panfulls of earth from the very top of the hills, have been found to contain abundance of fine gold.
A heap of refuse earth left by the Common rocker, after ten thousand dollars had been worked out, still yielded
another thousand to this new patented machine.
Quicksilver was enormously high in California, four dollars a pound having been paid for it in Stockton, it was expected however that when the works of Santa Clara were in operation the price would be reduced, & that the use of quicksilver to gold washing would become universal, & the annual golden harvest be thereby greatly increased.
The quicksilver mines of California are believed to be numerous, extensive & very valuable. There is one near San Jose, [grave accent required] which belongs to, or is claimed by Mr Forbes of Tepic, in Mexico. The Cinnabar ore, which produced the quicksilver, lies near the surface, is easily procured, & believed to be remarkably productive [?]. It is undoubtedly a fortunate Circumstance that nature, in bestowing on California such vast Metalic [metallic] treasure, has provided, almost in its immediate neighbourhood, inexhaustable [inexhaustible] stores of quicksilver so essential to gold mining. It is considered proper to offer the quicksilver mines for sale, & to Commit their development to the hands of private enterprise -

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 642

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 642

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