176 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



laminated sand-stone, with mica in varying quantities, 

 and the layers of divers degrees of hardness. At one 

 place in this region, near the river, there comes to the 

 surface a vein of ore thick as a man's leg, blackish, 

 and micaceous, which from its look might be lead- 

 ore.* For a long time this was thought to be silver, 

 until experiments were made at Philadelphia showing 

 that there was no ground for the belief but not deter- 

 mining what the ore was. Beyond the river there are 

 said to be ores at one or two places which have been 

 found on experiment really to contain silver. These 

 spots, I am told, were once pointed out to certain per- 

 sons by the Indians, and are at present known to a few 

 who speak of them mysteriously. It appears also that 

 a long time ago Europeans may have worked there ; 

 at least, the first New Englanders who came hither 

 said that they found remains there of horse-trappings 

 and smelting tools. 



On the rocky banks of the west side, and at other 

 places there is seen after dry weather a deposit of 

 natural copperas and alum, both of which are often 

 collected in pounds by the country-people. According 

 to accounts they use this copperas for dyeing, and in 

 the following strange way : For each pound of the yarn 

 to be dyed, a pound of the purest copperas is taken. 

 The yarn is dipped first in a clear, warm lye, and then 

 into the copperas solution, the dippings repeated 6-8 

 times ; but each time the yarn should be a little while 

 hung up to air ; in this way, it is said, a deep straw 

 color is given the yarn. I saw nothing of this cop- 



* I had specimens of this and other minerals and rocks of 

 the region, but lost them. 



