Excerpt from The Gold Region of Nova Scotia Report, 1868

The pulverized mineral, from which the gold has been extracted by the process just described, is known by the name of waste or tailings, and still contains a portion of gold, which is often considerable in amount. This gold is, in part, in small particles adherent to, or imbedded in the grains of quartz; but, in part, also inclosed in the metallic sulpha rets generally present, which, as already mentioned, are often rich in gold. Regular and careful assays of the tailings from the N ova Scotia mines are as yet wanting; but, according to Professor Silliman, in the case of quartz from the Belt lode of Montague, treated in a mill at Waverley, the tailings contained, on an average, 16 pennyweights of gold to the ton. Assays of the waste from the barrel quartz of Waverley, treated in a stamp mill at that place gave him nearly 15 dwt. Of gold to the ton, while not over 8 dwt. Had been previously extracted, thus showing a loss of nearly two-thirds of the gold present. At the Port Philip and Colonial Company's mines in Victoria, Australia, where careful assays of the tailings are regularly made, they are found, while the mean product of the quartz is about 9 dwt., to contain on an average 2 dwt. Of gold. Of' this, however, a consider able proportion is recovered; the tailings are concentrated in buddies, by which the sul phurets, carrying the greater part of the gold, are separated from the lighter quartz. These concentrated tailings, which contain, according to assays, from three to four ounces of gold to the ton, are roasted, and then ground with mercury in a Chilian mill, by which means eighty-llve per cent. Of the gold present is extracted. The whole cost of this process in Australia, including washing, roasting, and amalgamation, amounts to about the ton.

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