“The subject is one which has long had a special attraction for the writer, who has published several articles thereon, wherein it was contended that not only was gold deposited in the lodes from aqueous solution, but that some gold found in form of nuggets had not been derived from lodes but was nascent in its alluvial bed; and for this proof was afforded by the fact that certain nuggets have been unearthed having the shape of an adjacent pebble or angular fragment of stone indented in them.  Moreover, no true nugget of any great size has ever been found in a lode such as the Welcome, 2159 oz., or the Welcome Stranger, 2280 oz.; while it was accidentally discovered some years ago that gold could be induced to deposit itself from its mineral salt to the metallic state on any suitable base, such as iron sulphide.

“Following out this fact, I have experimented with various salts of gold, and have obtained some very remarkable results.  I have found it practicable to produce most natural looking specimens of auriferous quartz from stone which previously, as proved by assay, contained no gold whatever.  Moreover, the gold, which penetrates the stone in a thorough manner, assumes some of the more natural forms.  It is always more or less mammillary, but at times, owing to causes which I have not yet quite satisfied myself upon, is decidedly dendroidal, as may be seen in one of the specimens which I have submitted to members.  Moreover, I find it possible to moderate the colour and to produce a specimen in which the gold shall be as ruddy yellow as in the ferro-oxide gangue of Mount Morgan, or to tone it to the pale primrose hue of the product of the Croydon mines.

“I note that the action of the bath in which the stone is treated has a particularly disintegrating effect on many of the specimens.  Some, which before immersion were of a particularly flinty texture, became in a few weeks so friable that they could be broken up by the fingers.  So far as my experiments have extended they have proved this, that it was not essential that the silica and gold should have been deposited at the one time in auriferous lodes.  A non-auriferous siliceous solution may have filled a fissure, and, after solidifying, some volcanic disturbance may have forced water impregnated with a gold salt through the interstices of the lode formation, when, if the conditions were favourable, the gold would be deposited in metallic forms.  I prefer, for reasons which will probably be understood, not to say exactly by what process my results are obtained, but submit specimens for examination.

“(1) Piece of previously non-gold bearing stone.  Locality near Adelaide, now showing gold freely in mammillary and dendroidal form.

“(2) Stone from New South Wales, showing gold artificially introduced in interstices and on face.

“(3) Stone from West Australia, very glassy looking, now thoroughly impregnated with gold; the mammillary formation being particularly noticeable.