It may not be uninteresting in this place to give the process of goldwashing, in the words of those who, as mineralogists, have superintended the work. The account communicated by the Councellor von Kotzian, concerning the goldwashing in the Banat, is as follows: “The operation consists in, first, providing a board of lime-wood, about one fathom long, and half a fathom broad; being hollowed at the upper end, in the form of a dish, from which are cut ten or twelve channels, in an oblique direction. This board is fixed in an inclined position so as to form an angle of forty-five degrees with the horizon. The sand containing the gold, being laid in the hollow at the top of the board, a quantity of water is then poured upon it, which carries off the lighter parts; such as are more heavy they shove down by hand: what remains in the channels, or furrows, is discharged into an oblong tray, carried to the straining-trough, and the gold which remains picked clean out. The whole of this work is performed in so careless a manner, that much pure gold is lost: it is, moreover, to be lamented, that the Gipseys get only the gold which is perfectly separated from the sand, but by no means any that sticks to the ore, which they throw away, though there is gold in it.” As it seems evident, from the foregoing statement, that this method is very inadequate to the purpose, and that consequently much gold must be wasted, we are the more surprised when another author, in the following words, assures us of the contrary:—“So negligent and careless as the work of the Gipseys appears at first sight, just as effectual it is proved when put to the test. Daily practice gives to these people a degree of discernment, without which another person would think they must lose a great deal. I convinced myself in the following manner: When they had finished their washing on the board—for which they commonly used from fifteen to twenty troughs of coarse stuff—I divided the washed stuff into three parcels; the ten or fifteen uppermost furrows always contained the most gold, the second division not more than an eighth part as much, but the last fifteen to twenty furrows scarcely three grains. I have also narrowly examined the refuse, and very seldom found any traces of gold in it.”