Gold Pan? Now This is a Gold Pan, Dominican Style

[Jarbacoagold]

I saw the post about what the best pan everyone thought was the best. This is what the locals use. No modern technology here. Modern equipment is very hard to put your hands on unless you bring it in. Beautiful site, My friend from the other side of the Island just went here on Friday and sent these pics. This is also where the 16 pound nugget is rumored to have been found. He said the locals were talking about finding large nuggets, but he didn't find any this day. He was only there a short time. I'm heading over in a couple of weeks to check it out.

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hi: The Spanish speaking populations call those Bateas. They are made out of the cross section of water resistant tree, not necessarily of hard wood.

Believe it or not, they are much more efficient than our metal and plastic pans. For one, the rough wood fibres trap the fines far better. They are also easier to use with a higher volumn. Most of the time the cottin pickin Bateas tend to float.

They also use a cow horn cut in 1/2 length wise, Again the layers of horn materiel collect the fines extremely well, making it a far better prospecting / field checking type of pan.

Don Jose de La Mancha

[Newt]

Hi: The Spanish speaking populations call those Bateas. They are made out of the cross section of water resistant tree, not necessarily of hard wood.

Believe it or not, they are much more efficient than our metal and plastic pans. For one, the rough wood fibres trap the fines far better. They are also easier to use with a higher volumn. Most of the time the cottin pickin Bateas tend to float.

They also use a cow horn cut in 1/2 length wise, Again the layers of horn materiel collect the fines extremely well, making it a far better prospecting / field checking type of pan.

Don Jose de La Mancha

I appreciate your knowledge.
Newt

[Produce Guy]

No gators in that water.

[Jarbacoagold]

No Gaters, a few Crocs around the Cabarete swamps I hear. I've been hear 2 years, haven't seen any yet,and only seen 4 snakes.

[Hoser John]

Tried them in CR--no way jose--I'll take my good old garrett/keene green or black any day for fine gold collection and % of recovery-tons a au 2 u 2 -John

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Yeah Hoser? he he he , one must take into account yer lousy technique.

Seriously Hoser my friend, you have a point. The locals can handle twice as much materiel at a time initially, and after a bit, the batea is self supporting.

When you get to to the final clean up of the Bateas, this is where the Garretts shine. Those same wood fibres that are so efficient, are much harder to clean.

Soo, it all boils down to which do you prefer, faster fines recovery initially, or larger production with the fines recovery at the end of your session. Similar to the sluice clean up at the end of the day.

Do you prefer Blondes, Brunettes, Red, or Ebony colored hair? Big, medium, or Petite Gals - me, I am impartial, love em all.

The same applies to gold recovery equipment and local conditions.

Keep those excellent posts coming Hoser.

Don Jose de La Mancha

p.s. Psssst, Unofficially, I use the Garrett green pan with classifiers, but don't tell that to anyone..

[Hoser John]

I know nuttn'---ain't seen nuttn'----and when my pans get nice and scratched up they provide righteous holding power too. Some of my buds work the larger pans but I eat and live off my mining so a little haste can/will/does make waste. but I'm constantly lookn' for the next wonder to appear in gear-tons a au 2 u 2 -John PS-RTL--I'm of the same mindset--lov'm'all equally--but redheads and tiny oriental/mex/spanish rule-I love brown beer and brown women!!!

[Jarbacoagold]

Since at least the 1400's.....Technology has improved quite as you can tell. They wouldn't us a plastic or metal pan here if you paid them, well, maybe if you paid them.....

Check out this Rainbow, picture was taken from my Balcony.

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hoser, you posted --->when my pans get nice and scratched up they provide righteous holding power too.
************
Sooooo, you confirmed yer a scruffy, beat up, scroungy prospector / Miner.


but you are correct, some that I know of deliberately use abrasive paper to cut fine scratches at right angles to the lip of the pan. circular cuts/scratches.
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Jarb, that stream is too small for crocs or alligators, they eat fish primarily. That probably wouldn't support them.

However your third picture of the original ones, looks almost exactly like the one at Guadalcanal where in 1942 I was filling my canteen and drinking, only to find a 1/2 buried Jap disintegrating about 3 meters above where I was drinking. Long green streamers were drifting off down to me sheesh. It definitely gave me serious thoughts, but I did need that water, desperately, so I kept it down.

Now hoser wouldn't have given it a second thought just guzzled away as any bonefide prospector would do, they are tough. He probably would have sat upon the poor Jap to eat his rations. sigh.

Don Jose de La Mancha

p.s. All of the streams on the island carry Gold, but under the circumstances, I didn't do any panning or prospecting.

[Red_desert]

What land do you have to go to for prospecting (private, city, provincial, or national)?

[Hoser John]

say what?? eat Jap crud?? no no no-this ol'dog is hygenic to a fault but still jus' a sittn' here sweating like a slave with a 102 temp and bloody damn pneumonia--cold water dredging is TOUGH!!-John

[Jarbacoagold]

We pan at all of the above, Private land ( My friend has 1000 acres here) The public streams are no problem, The National Parks are no problem either as long as you fill in any holes,ect.

[Red_desert]

We pan at all of the above, Private land ( My friend has 1000 acres here) The public streams are no problem, The National Parks are no problem either as long as you fill in any holes,ect.

I hate to think what would happen, if I'd get out my gold detector to prospect at a National park. I doubt if you can even gold pan there. National Forests are supposed to let you, but now many have started blocking the use of a gold detector. Private land, can be hard to get permission...BLM public lands are Federal, but still the best place, unless you have access to a mining claim or private property. I don't have any of the above close to me. We don't even see mountains, not in the distance either, it takes a long trip for to get near good gold.

[TerryC]

Hi: The Spanish speaking populations call those Bateas. They are made out of the cross section of water resistant tree, not necessarily of hard wood.

Believe it or not, they are much more efficient than our metal and plastic pans. For one, the rough wood fibres trap the fines far better. They are also easier to use with a higher volumn. Most of the time the cottin pickin Bateas tend to float.

They also use a cow horn cut in 1/2 length wise, Again the layers of horn materiel collect the fines extremely well, making it a far better prospecting / field checking type of pan.

Don Jose de La Mancha

Batea? Hell, that's a BATHTUB! Seriously, that's the best pic of a batea in use that I have ever seen. The secret is in the shallow depth of the bowl. Thanks... TTC

[bedrock bubba]

I have heard before that bateas are real efficient.

But, Mon, they look like serious back breakers, you know?

I have often thought about building a smaller one out of metal. Its just a cone, right? Or is it a cone with a flat bottom?
Maybe a metal "coolie cap" would work?

I know, I'm trying to reinvent the wheel!

[kuger]

Thats what it all began with!Most people dont know that the slanted side metal pans werent used until the 1870's- too.The first metal pans resembled a milking pan,they were made of 5 pieces and had near vertical 6" sides.I have two original Bateas from here in the Mother Lode,one was brought from Chile in 1850