Bannatyne Club > Discoverie and historie of the gold mynes in Scotland

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then gold wliich before had bin removed by the force of waves flood,
and that gold was, and is, called siiperficiall gold to this day. For
from the creation of the worlde, unto this .present yeare, are con-
tained of yeares five thousand five hundi'ed, fower score, and odd
yearcs ; and from the creation untill the general! deluge, are contained
sLxtcene hundred and threescore yeares, &c. ; and from Noah's flood
untill this present yeare of our Lord God, called 1619, are contained
3926 yeares. So as in the begining of the worlde gold and silver was
placed in the bowells of the earth, it was created by God the Father in
his strong treasur house, (viz'.) the earth. But when God said unto the
Trinity, (viz'.) " Lett there be dry land," which was long after the
worlde's creation, and immediately it was so, at which time the generall
deluge was ; and then, even att that time, naturall gold and silver
(which now is found to be in combes and vallies) was forced and toorne
from his bedd or vazen, from his dwelling place, viz. God's treasur
house in the earth, &c. And thy ther, even our Scotts gold, which is now
found in sternes or in graines and peices, did discend, or was washed
downe. In which vallies, combes, skirts of hills, or cloughes, even untill
this present day, it hath laid still and not removed, except after a great
splitt of raine, the force whereof doth breake and weare the super-
ficies of the earth, but not the solidd earth ; after which, the Scotts
men, and women, and children, run to seekc for it, and doe find it stiU,
even untill this day : and thereby they find with it alsoe the saxere
stones in great abundance, and alsoe much of the calamineere stones ;
but the salineere stones is as small as the musterd seede, and some like
meale ; and the sappar stone in lumps, and like unto the fowles eyes
or birds eggs. And the most strangest of all is this ; there is found na-
turall gold, Jinked fast unto the sapper stone,>even as vaines of lead ewer
and white sparrs doe growe togeather, &c. But theire usuall manner is,
when they seeke for gold in combes and vallies, to frame or make a
long sowgh, or scowring place, into which they bringe the streame