Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1172 Finding Gold
"Is there really gold in this place? It looks no different from an ordinary riverbed..."

"What, I thought this place was really full of gold."

Cao Bianjiao's expedition team landed near the river north of Saramento, looking for gold on the nearby riverbed and shallows.

They learned the lesson of being attacked by the aborigines last time, and found a place with a wide view by the river to build a strong camp with stones.After regaining their supplies, they had more than two hundred rounds of ammunition. Unless they were forced to fight by the natives again, the tragedy of that night would not happen again.

"Do you think that a gold mine is full of gold ingots? Usually, [-] catties of rock gold can be extracted to extract a tael of gold. Gold is free, and the gold originally located inside the rock may gradually move to the rock surface, and then eroded by flowing water. , Scour into the river. Gold is deposited in the river to form gold sand. Because the river often diverts, there will be gold sand on the river beach. If gold sand is found on the nearby river beach, it means that there is gold in the west side of the Sierra Nevada in the east. veins of mines."

"In the initial stage of gold panning, we can use water to wash away lighter sediments and collect gold sand from nearby streams and riversides. In the second stage, we use high-pressure hoses to carry out gold panning operations on the side of the mountain. The river has been dredged, and the gold sand at the bottom of the river can be obtained by dredging the river channel, and then a large number of workers are dispatched to dig underground mines to directly mine gold ore." Mineral experts have already made plans for gold mine development before arriving here from the capital.

"You said a lot and I didn't understand it. You said there is gold sand here, but why didn't I see it?" a sailor complained.

Before they set off, they had heard rumors that gold was everywhere here, but they only found a place that was no different from an ordinary river beach.

"Be patient, I haven't complained yet, what are you all shouting about?" Cao Bianjiao followed two surviving mineral experts to search for gold mines by the river beach, wading from time to time.

"We can almost confirm that this area is rich in gold, but it is not easy to find specific locations, especially riverbeds with gold deposits." Mineral experts said.

They explored nearby tributaries and streams, but found nothing.

"Maybe our exploration is in the wrong direction, we should go to the south tributary river bank." Mineral experts are drawing the nearby topographic map and marking it.

"Southern Tributary? It may take a while to get there." Cao Bianjiao said.

It took some time for their expedition to reach the southern fork of the American River and establish a stronghold there.

But this time they searched for gold sand on the banks of the gravel beds, and they finally found something.

"That's right, there is a lot of placer gold here!" The mineral expert found a small piece of golden yellow and resilient metal fragments on the river beach, and the magnifying glass he carried with him allowed him to identify that these were the gold they were looking for!
The placer gold on the edge of the river bed is only the part of the vein washed out by the river water and rain, and there are many at the bottom of the river bed, and the most part is rock gold in the mountains.

Two mineral experts were very excited. They found a small piece of placer gold here, which is very close to their goal!
Then the two found a lot of fine gold sand on the edge of the river bed, and gathered them together, which was quite impressive.

"Gold sand...!" The sailors gathered together to look at the gold sand found by the mineral experts, with a bit of fanaticism in their eyes.

After gold and silver became currency, owning gold and silver in human society meant having power and status.

"How much gold do you expect to be in the mountains to the east?" asked one mineral expert to another companion.

"I estimate that 1000 million catties of gold can be mined from the large and small gold mines in the entire area, and even if the rivers in this large area are dredged, millions of catties of gold can be obtained." The mineral expert who was questioned replied .

"Hiss... 1000 million catties of gold!" Everyone gasped.

For them, not to mention 1000 million catties of gold, 1000 million copper coins are the wealth of an incomparable country!
"Of course it will take hundreds of years of mining to dig out all the gold here, and it will also require a lot of manpower and material resources." Mineral experts estimated.

"Now that we have found the location, we should go back to Jinshan Town, make a more detailed plan, and then send people over to pan for gold." Cao Bianjiao has no interest in gold either.

This amount of gold has been determined by the military department. They are not gold diggers, but soldiers who came to carry out the order.Possessing gold is a capital crime, and gold can hardly buy anything in Jinshan Town, which implements the planned economic system.

"We will collect more gold sand and go back as samples for research. We also need to look at the distribution of gold sand near here and the source of the river to calculate the scope of the mining area." The two mineral experts still have more ideas.

It took them more than ten days to find the river bed rich in gold. It would be a pity if they didn't do some research.

"How much more time do you need?" Cao Bianjiao asked.

"Two days... no, three days!" The two mineral experts looked at each other and said.

"I really have nothing to do with you, three days is three days." Cao Bianjiao turned his head and said to the others, "No one is allowed to hide gold privately, and a body search will be carried out when returning to the mainland. You will receive the most severe punishment. This gold will go into the treasury, and you should know what it means!"

"We know, Captain, you don't have to always make a bad face after that incident." The expedition members said.

After going through the experience of life and death together, the distance between them and Cao Bianjiao has been shortened, and they don't need to be so polite when speaking.

Li Yizhu washed the furs of two Caucasian giant dogs by the river to wash off the bloody smell on their bodies.Among them, the injured Caucasian dog, Xiao Hui, is able to move freely, but the walking is a little bumpy.

"I didn't expect there to be so much gold here. No wonder the military headquarters sent us to come here to establish Jinshan Town. Is this the real purpose of establishing Jinshan Township?" Li Yizhu also heard the bold decision made by two mineral experts. It is speculated that only at this time did they understand the real purpose of the military department organizing the North American expedition team.

"You know the real intention of the military department, will you feel a little disappointed? Our soldiers need to obey orders to explore, but you are willing to participate in this expedition." Cao Bianjiao walked over and said.

"No...if the government gets this batch of gold, maybe it can bring more benefits to the people, and it's also for the whole country." Li Yizhu said.

(End of this chapter)