. The Philippine Islands . , the gold of streams comes from tiuartz-veins in the mountains, which have been worn away and washeddown by the rains during the long ages, then carried down stream,with tlie mud and the gravel of the rock debris, and graduallysinking to the bottom. There may be rich rock-veins in the in-terior, at the head of those gold-paved water channels. But I havemade no search for these mother-beds ; neither have the Spanish. Many Chinese enter the gold districts, penetrating into themost distant parts, and exchanging their wares for gold, whicli issent to China in ways known
. The Philippine Islands . , the gold of streams comes from tiuartz-veins in the mountains, which have been worn away and washeddown by the rains during the long ages, then carried down stream,with tlie mud and the gravel of the rock debris, and graduallysinking to the bottom. There may be rich rock-veins in the in-terior, at the head of those gold-paved water channels. But I havemade no search for these mother-beds ; neither have the Spanish. Many Chinese enter the gold districts, penetrating into themost distant parts, and exchanging their wares for gold, whicli issent to China in ways known to themselves alone. Paracale is aprosperous village in the interior of Luzon, and Paracalegold is well known in Manila on account of its shape,—the metalbeing melted in shells, that give it form. Every small shell bearsthe mark of, the Chinese testing-auger; its fineness seldomexceeds sixteen carats. Paracale is near the Mambulao district,already mentioned, and is famous for its abandoned mine and forits Mineral Wealth of the Islands. 267 THE WHOLE COUNTRY A VIRGIN MINE. In fact, the whole country waits in virgin richness to be ex-ploited by a wide-awake people, and now the outcome of theland falls into the hands of the Americans. In my own mind Iam convhiced that gold is to be had in paying quantities for themining, if hunted for by some of that enterprising people thathave recently dug up such wealth in the frozen river-beds ofthe Yukon. Spain held California for centuries, and picked upnot even an ounce of gold from its broad acres. The Americans,on the other hand, found it teeming with gold; and in the Hrstyear of their possession too. The same may be said of Alaska. Russia found it hardly worththe keeping, and sold it at a low price to the United States. To-dayit could not be bought back for a hundred times the price paid for it. Such mav prove to be the case with the Philippines. Theywait to be exploited. Spain has held them for centuries, andknows nex
Size: 1261px × 1980px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectphilippinesdescripti
