Page 6 - Bulletin 14 2010

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stones out of the earth. These appear to be better than the first and obtainable
in large quantities; we took various samples along (glittering most
extraordinarily) to test their contents. 2

Unfortunately the actual location of the ‘mountain’ is not mentioned.

The following day van Riebeeck’s Journal records that he had “sent our sick-comforter to the
Saldanhas”

… to barter some pots from them in which to attempt smelting the said
mineral which looks as if it contains silver and gold. God grant that it may
come to pass so as to reimburse the Company for the expenses incurred here.
Amen. 3

There is no record as to whether the sick-comforter had been successful in purchasing any

pots or whether the ‘said mineral’ had been successfully smelted. After a delay of a week, on
th
th
the 6 and 7 of February the search was resumed, this time with what appeared to be a
successful outcome:

To-day obtained from one stone, about the size of a child’s head, 1 mace and
5 candareens [c. 5.6 g] weight of fine silver, the value of about 10 stivers, but
once we start digging deeper, we hope to find much better ore, as this was
only a stone above the ground broken off for trial. Seeing that with much
difficulty silver was obtained from it, we intend to take even more trouble
about this matter. In order that crucibles and other requisites can be made
from pottery, we ordered the necessary tools to be made; also that charcoal be
burnt in the forest. … Sent 5 men to the mountain with picks and crowbars to
excavate a hole to see what there was to be found of the mineral under
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ground.

There was clearly some sense of urgency in the matter, for two days later we read that:

Put 3 silversmiths to work again to analyse the new ore we have found, which
is a hard red earth seeming to be full of gold or silver filings. The first ore we
found is as hard as rock, and we could not get deep into the ground to get more
of it; but for this newly found ore we can dig as deep as we wish. If it proves
of value, we shall be able to get more of it in one month than of the other in a
whole year. The Lord grant that we may find something to reimburse the
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company for the expense it has to bear here.

Alas, all was not well, for on the following two days day the Journal reports that:

The silversmiths had the newly found mineral in the fire and did their best, but
found nothing in it. So gave orders that further proofs be taken from the