Two Large Wooden Tubs Were Firmly Secured In The Ground And Four Set To
Work Puddling, Whilst Frank Busied Himself In Fixing The Cradle.
He
drove two blocks into the ground; they were grooved for the rockers of
the cradle to rest in,
So as to let it rock with ease and regularity.
The ground was lowered so as to give the cradle a slight slant, and
thus enable the water to run off more quickly. If a cradle dips
too much, a little gold may wash off with the light sand. The cradling
machine, though simple in itself, is rather difficult to describe. In
shape and size it resembles an infant's cradle, and over that portion
of it where, if for a baby, a hood would be, is a perforated plate with
wooden sides, a few inches high all round, forming a sort of box with
the perforated plate for a bottom; this box is called the hopper. The
dirt is here placed, and the constant supply of water, after well
washing the stuff, runs out through a hole made at the foot of the
cradle. The gold generally rests on a wooden shelf under the hopper,
though sometimes a good deal will run down with the water and dirt into
one of the compartments at the bottom, and to separate it from the sand
or mud, tin-dish-washing is employed.
As soon as sufficient earth was ready, one began to rock, and another
to fill the hopper with water.
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