Mills composed of three heavy irregular stones, resembling our flint-mills, would reduce many of the ferruginous aggregates and softer substances which contain gold. The matter thus reduced might be immediately washed by falling or being put into the inclined planes before described, and would, no doubt, prove the means of obtaining considerable quantities of the precious metal, which would be otherwise lost. Stamps might be useful where gold is found in hard and brittle substances: but these would be more effectually pulverized by a heavy stone rolling upon its edge, not unlike a tanner’s bark-mill.
In many instances, hand-sieves might be useful, and would save much time and labor in washing, but perhaps they would be too expensive. Even miners’ tools are much wanted, the only ones in use being the iron bar and the hoe. The common miner’s pick would in many cases be serviceable, and _bucking-irons_[65] would reduce the matrix much more effectually than beating it with stones, which is the only mode now practised. It is a most unfortunate circumstance, and very detrimental to the interests of the miners, that whatever is made of iron is so dear as to be beyond the means of the inhabitants to procure, nor have they any substitute for it.
When the present state of the mining country is considered, and its rich resources are compared with the want of science, which prevents the inhabitants from improving them, how much is it to be wished that Government would establish and encourage economical societies on the plan of our Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, in which inquiries might be made into all subjects relative to the useful arts. Repositories also might be established in all the principal towns of the _capitania_, where models of useful machinery and various implements might be kept for the inspection of the public. Scientific publications should be purchased, and every means employed to promote the cultivation of science among the inhabitants. At the meetings of the societies, every measure tending to increase the commerce of the district should be discussed with particular attention; honorary gifts should be made to those who most promoted its welfare, and premiums should be offered for the encouragement of all attempts to ameliorate the condition of the working class of the negroes.