Gold Prospecting.

Ion Idriess’s New Book.

We have received a copy of the en larged edition of Ion Idriess’s book, “Prospecting for Gold: Alluvial —Reef ing—Opals.” It should be of greatly added interest to the New Guinea miners, as it comprises reef-mining from the “dolly-pot to the stamper battery.”

As New Guinea looks to be a reefing field as well as alluvial, and as prac tically all the men over there are al luvial, a book which specialises in reef ing as well should be of particular in terest to them. There are chapters on reefing, the erecting of a 5-head stamper battery, amalgamation, treat ment of plates, cleaning up, retorting, right to the smelting of the gold. The chapters on the erection of a stamper battery, should alone be of interest to mining men operating in a country under pioneer conditions. It explains how they can erect their own battery, Svhereas it is generally thought that the erection of a battery is a job only capable of being performed by engin eers. The battery described, by the way, is at present operating in the Coramba district, N.S.W., where it was erected single-handed by “Lige” Hen derson, a well-known identity in the N.S.W. mining world.

In this enlarged edition there are chapters describing opal mining (light and black) from the prospecting, work ing, gouging, classing, facing, valuing, to the selling.