Thanks digger, I have put up another two book links which will help the new chum no ends. The books are old that is true but the information within them never goes out of fashion and a great deal of information can and should be gotten from them by the new chum.
Getting gold : an ABC of prospecting in Australia explaining in simple, non-technical language, the methods of getting gold by means of panning, cradling, puddling, dollying,
CONTENTS. Introduction. Page
Chapter 1. Setting O u t....................................................................... 1
Chapter 2. The Field of Operations................................................ 4
Chapter 3. Tools of the Trade........................................................... 8
Chapter 4. Tools of the Trade (Continued).................................. 12
Chapter 5. Hydraulic Mining........................................................... 15
Chapter 6. How Gold is Formed.................................................... 17
Chapter 7. Some Notes on Victorian Goldfields........................... 20
Chapter 8. State B atteries................................................................ 27
Chapter 9. Miners R ights................................................................. 29
Chapter 10. Some Extracts From the Mining By-law s.................. 30
A Glossary of Some Terms Commonly Used Fossicking.............................
ILLUSTRATIONS. Page
Cradle..................................................................................................................... 2
D olly....................................................................................................................... 6
D ish .............................................................................................................................. 9
Sluices.................................................................................................................... 13
Puddling Machine............................................................................................... 15
The W hip.............................................................................................................. 19
Puddling T u b ....................................................................................................... 22
Windlass................................................................................................................
PDF Book
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/156878
The gold digger's guide, or, Practical mining made easy / by H.V. Rogers.
SLATE BOTTOMS.
Slate is one of the best bottoms for alluvial gold, but when
found to be in flat layers it is not a bottom, and must be gone
through just the same as any other strata, until edge reef is reached.
Most reefs standing edge upwards run north and south ; although
here and there the direction may vary a few points westerly or
easterly. Sometimes an exception to this rule occurs. Slate may
be hard or soft, and is often mixed up with pipe clays. Where gold
is prevalent make sure to examine closely the interstices between
slate slabs joining each other, as gold frequently finds its way along
with greasy clays attached to the sides of such slates. Gold may
be scraped off slabs with a butchers knife. Where bard close slate
exists, the gold is chiefly on the top of the slate ; in which case the
easiest plan is to chip up a few inches of same. Some merely
scrape the reef with a knife, sweeping up carefully such scrapings.
Where light brown and yellowish fine greasy sort of clays and soft
slates are, a deeper deposit of gold takes place. Remember that
only properly defined edge slate reefs constitute,the real bottom.
A ledge or slip of reef shot over, although horizontally placed, is
not a bottom, the wash dirt often being underneath this. As reefs
rise and dip on the surface, so do they likewise underneath the
surface, and at various depths. Frequently parallel with'the slate
reefs sandstone may be found, and good gold may be looked for
at the junction. Much gold has often been obtained where quartz
adjoins slate reefs; the quartz alluded to means quartz reefs and quartz veins.
SANDSTONE.
Where sandstone is the bottom a larger quantity of wash dirt
may be looked for, and the gold does not sink to any great depth,
except the sandstone be very soft. This sort of bottom is often
found in creeks, and may alternate at several yards distance to
slate, or even granite bottoms. In sinking shafts or excavating
paddocks, special attention is called to the fact, that in some parts
where alluvial gold is obtained, sandstone boulders may be
immediately lodged on the top of the wash dirt. In certain parts
where leads of gold exist pipe clay may also have to be gone
through, more especially if no edge reef appears. Some sandstone
boulders are very large, and great care should be taken not to
mistake such for the real bottom.
PDF Book
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/244331
