ISSV.] Western North Carolina. 53 



sandstones, conglomerates, shales, and slates, alternating with each 

 other, and so far altered by heat as to be called Semi-Metamorphic. 

 The strata are tilted up at a high angle, and dip, generally, to the 

 South-east. The upturned edges of the rocks are to be seen rang- 

 ing from North-east to South-west, for hundreds of miles. Veins 

 of Quartz rock, from a few inches to more than ten feet in thickness, 

 are protruded through the fissures in these strata, and in many places 

 give a fair yield of Gold. These Quartz veins are not found to be 

 very numerous, in crossing the Northern side of the mineral belt. 



To the South of this Semi-Metamorphic range, the Metamorphic 

 Rocks occur, and extend to the southern margin of the mineral belt, 

 They consist of Gneiss, Mica Slate, Hornblende Slate, Talcose Slate. 

 Argillaceous Slate, and Chloritic Slate, with their usual variations. 

 These several classes of rocks alternate or intermingle with each 

 other, the separate bands being at times many hundreds of feet in 

 thickness, while at others they measure no more than a few yards. 

 Some ranges of metamorphic limestone, constituting, in places, a 

 very good marble, are included in this portion of this mineral belt. 

 This limestone often includes some lead ore, known to be argentifer- 

 ous, or silver -hearing. The richest gold placers in Western North 

 Carolina were found on Valley River, Cherokee county, along one 

 of these ranges of limestone. Quartz veins, some of which are bar- 

 ren and others rich in gold, occur in these rocks also; and all the 

 workable copper mines have been found within their range. But 

 the copper mines, mostly, have been found in what are called the 

 Iron Gossan leads, and but seldom in the Quartz leads. 



The Metalic Veins of the region under review, occur among the 

 strata of the rocks just described, as engraved plates in a book among 

 the printed leaves They have not been produced by the causes 

 which formed the rocks, but have been forced into their present po- 

 sition, between the strata, by volcanic action. As the engraving 

 between the printed pages, so the metalic veins lie between the strata, 

 ' dipping as they dip, and appearing in outcropping lines along the 

 surface as they do.' The origin of these veins having been volcanic, 

 the fissures into which they were injected, would be produced in the 

 weaker rocks, or those whose layers would have the least adhesion, 

 and separate most easily. Thus the greater portion of the discover- 

 ed mines are in Mica slate, or Talcose slate, which, of all the classes 

 of rocks existing here, would be the most easily fissured by volcanic 

 agencies. Some of the copper mines opened, however, are in the 

 Gneissoid rocks. 



