A—TRAY. B—BOWL-LIKE DEPRESSION. C—HANDLES.
Sand mixed with particles of gold is also washed in a tray, or in a trough
or bowl. The tray is open at the further end, is either hewn out of a
squared trunk of a tree or made out of a thick plank to which side-boards
are fixed, and is three feet long, a foot and a half wide, and three digits
deep. The bottom is hollowed out into the shape of an elongated bowl whose
narrow end is turned toward the head, and it has two long handles, by which
it is drawn backward and forward in the river. In this way the fine sand
is washed, whether it contains particles of gold or the little black stones from
which tin is made.
or bowl. The tray is open at the further end, is either hewn out of a
squared trunk of a tree or made out of a thick plank to which side-boards
are fixed, and is three feet long, a foot and a half wide, and three digits
deep. The bottom is hollowed out into the shape of an elongated bowl whose
narrow end is turned toward the head, and it has two long handles, by which
it is drawn backward and forward in the river. In this way the fine sand
is washed, whether it contains particles of gold or the little black stones from
which tin is made.
The Italians who come to the German mountains seeking gold, in order
to wash the river sand which contains gold-dust and garnets,19 use a fairly
long shallow trough hewn out of a tree, rounded within and without, open
at one end and closed at the other, which they turn in the bed of the stream
in such a way that the water does not dash into it, but flows in gently.
They stir the sand, which they throw into it, with a wooden hoe, also
rounded. To prevent the particles of gold or garnets from running out with
the light sand, they close the end with a board similarly rounded, but lower
than the sides of the trough. The concentrates of gold or garnets which,
to wash the river sand which contains gold-dust and garnets,19 use a fairly
long shallow trough hewn out of a tree, rounded within and without, open
at one end and closed at the other, which they turn in the bed of the stream
in such a way that the water does not dash into it, but flows in gently.
They stir the sand, which they throw into it, with a wooden hoe, also
rounded. To prevent the particles of gold or garnets from running out with
the light sand, they close the end with a board similarly rounded, but lower
than the sides of the trough. The concentrates of gold or garnets which,