HUNTINGTON. — SMITHVILLE METEORIC IRON. 257 



mass to Knoxville, until I learned that Dr. Troost, Geologist of the 

 State, had obtained the refusal of it. He has conveyed it since to 

 Nashville."* 



Later on, Shepard quotes two letters describing the original Cocke 

 County mass : " The large mass of meteoric iron found some years ago 

 in Cocke County (on a creek called Cosby's) fell into the hands of 

 some persons who tried to break it with sledge-hammers; but not 

 succeeding, they placed it upon what is here called a 'log-heap,' 

 where, after roasting for some time, it developed certain natural joints, 

 of which advantage was taken with cold chisels and spikes for its 

 separation into fragments. These were put into a mountain wagon, 

 and transported thirty or forty miles to a sort of forge, and there 

 hammered into ' gun-scalps,'! and other articles of more common use. 

 Some remnants of the mass fell into the hands of Dr. Troost. The 

 original mass was one of rare character, and ought to have been pre- 

 served entire. Much of it was composed of large and perfect octa- 

 hedral crystals. Its weight was about a ton. Another mass weighing 

 one hundred and twelve pounds was found near the locality of the 

 larger one. This also was malleable, very white, and easily cut with 

 a sharp instrument. It was picked up by a mountaineer, who, suppos- 

 ing it to be silver, asked fifteen hundred dollars for it. After retain- 

 ing it for some years, he finally sold it to a friend of mine for a small 

 sum, who transferred it to Dr. Troost." 



Second letter : " The weight of the mass has been variously esti- 

 mated; but I am certain it was never weighed prior to its being 

 broken up. It was probably about two thousand pounds. In figure, 

 it was an oblong square block. I saw several very regular octahedral 

 crystals which had been detached from the exterior angles of the mass. 

 I had formerly supposed that the whole of it had been taken to Lary's 

 forge, in Sevier County, and the greater part of it there wrought into 

 'gun-scalps'; but very recently I have been informed that part of it 

 was taken to the forge of Peter Brown, in Green County, and there 

 forged. I understand that a man by the name of McCoy had a neat 

 bar forged from it for making a gun-barrel, which, to use the expres- 

 sion of Brown's son, " was as bright as silver." In conversation young 

 Brown informed me that he thought a piece of the iron in its natural 

 state still remained. On searching, it was found by a little girl of the 



* American Journal of Science, 1st ser., Vol. XLIII. p. 354, 1842. 

 t The forged iron bar before being bored for a gun barrel is called in Ten- 

 nessee a " gun-scalp." 



vol. xxix. (n. s. xxi.) 17 



