A very simple plan for getting the gold off an amalgamated copper plate is as follows: Take out the surface dirt for the depth of nine inches over an area a little larger than the plate to be scaled; place six bricks around the excavation as supports for the plate. Make a brick fire, and let it burn down to red hot embers. Lay the plate on three iron bars resting on the bricks, and cover the face with strips of old blanket soaked in a strong solution of borax. Keep the blankets wet with the solution, and when the amalgam is white, remove the plate and scrape.
CALCULATING WEIGHT OF ORE.
Measure the cubic contents of the mass; multiply this by the weight of one cubic foot of the mineral.
For small masses, where no scales are at hand, fill a bucket with water, and stand it in an empty barrel. Fill the bucket brimful; introduce the rock, or ore, and measure the water it displaces. Find the number of cubic inches in the overflow by reference to the following table:
- 1 gallon equals 231 cubic inches.
- 1 quart equals 57.75 cubic inches.
- 1 pint equals 28.87 cubic inches.
- 1 gill equals 7.21 cubic inches.
Multiply the total so found by the specific gravity of the ore, and the result will be the answer sought.
Supposing the bottom of the bin to be wedge-shaped, measure half the height from the bottom to the top and multiply the number of feet by the width and length, both in feet. This will give number of cubic feet in the bin. Multiply the number of cubic feet by the weight of one cubic foot of the ore, and the result will show the number of pounds of ore the bin will hold. Divide by 2,000 to reduce to tons.
MINING REGULATIONS.
The mining regulations of every country differ, and the prospector must learn by heart the provisions of the one he works under. A claim notice written with a hard pencil or surveyor's marking lead on a soft pine board will last for years.