38 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



In America there is no sovereign right over forests 

 and game, no forest service. Whoever holds new land, 

 in whatever way, controls it as his exclusive possession, 

 with everything on it, above it, and under it. It will 

 not easily come about therefore that, as a strict statu- 

 tory matter, farmers and landowners will be taught 

 how to manage their forests so as to leave for their 

 grandchildren a bit of wood over which to hang the 

 tea-kettle. Experience and necessity must here take the 

 place of magisterial provision. So far there is indeed 

 no lack of wood, except in particular localities or for 

 particular purposes. Only in towns is the price high, 

 and for the reason that the charge for cutting and 

 hauling is four or five times the value of the wood on 

 the stump. 



Since I am in the mining region, I shall ask permis- 

 sion to bring together a few additional mineralogical 

 items. On the Hudson, in many places, there are found 

 surface indications of ore, about which in its weathered 

 state nothing certain can be determined, for the heat 

 test would not be trustworthy in the case of minerals 

 decomposed by the action of sun, rain, and frost. At 

 Haverstraw, province of New York, it is claimed that 

 traces of tin have been discovered, near the former 

 country-seat of Mr. Noyelle. Twenty odd miles from 

 New York, at Phillips' Manor, silver was enthusias- 

 tically worked at in the years 1772-73. Solid silver 

 was found scattered in fluorspar. An amalgam-mill 

 was set up, which got out a regulum of silver, some 

 twelve ounces, worth to the operators 1500 Pd. York 

 Current and with that, digging and amalgamating 

 came to an end. The Schuyler family, already men- 

 tioned, long ago worked a silver mine in Jersey, and 



