The rock when hoisted out of the mine is first assorted, the waste rock
being thrown on one side and the gold-bearing ore broken into lumps by a
stone-breaker. The lumps of ore now pass by gravitation and feeders
through a battery (or stamp mill), each stamp of which weighs about 1150
pounds, every stamp being lifted and dropped separately by the cam shaft
at a speed of about 95 drops a minute. A stream of water is introduced,
the ore is crushed into fine sand, and is carried by the water over a
series of inclined copper plates, which are coated with quicksilver. The
free gold in the sand at once amalgamates with the quicksilver on the
plates, and the sand-laden stream continues on its course.
The sand, having now passed over the plates, is carried by launders on
to the concentrators, or frue vanners. These concentrators separate and
retain the heavy sand (or concentrates), whilst the lighter sand is
carried by gravitation through a trough (or launder) to the cyanide
vats.
The stream of water carrying the lighter sand empties itself into the
cyanide vats, and as each successive vat is filled up, the water is
allowed to drain through the sand. A solution of cyanide of potassium is
then pumped up and evenly distributed (by distributors) over the sand,
and dissolves the gold in its progress, leaving pure sand alone in the
vat. The gold-containing liquid (or solution) having left the vat, is
led into a series of boxes filled with zinc shavings, the gold separates
from the liquid, and settles on the zinc shavings in the shape of a
small black powder. The cyanide solution now freed from the gold runs
into the solution vats, and is restrengthened and ready for further use.
_Gold Recovery._--In the mill or battery the copper plates are scraped
daily, and the amalgams (that is, quicksilver and gold) are weighed and
placed in the safe in charge of the battery manager. This amalgam is
generally retorted once a week, that is to say, the quicksilver is
evaporated (but not lost) and the gold is left in the retort. This
retorted gold is then smelted into bars.
The concentrates recovered by the frue vanners are generally treated by
chlorination (roasted). This process is gone through so that the iron
can be separated from the gold. Concentrates are sometimes treated by
cyanide, but the process, if cheaper, is slow and less effective.
Chlorinated gold is also smelted into bars.
_Cyanide._--The gold from the zinc shavings is recovered by retorting.
It is afterwards melted into bars and called 'cyanide gold.'
Slimes (or float gold) are generally conserved in a dam, and when the
quantity is sufficient they are treated by chlorination, or by a
solution of cyanide of potassium.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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