ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 67 



In point of fact (I state this froQi a later personal experience at 

 the locality, in the interest of a New York gentleman, whereby 

 $500 was spent in fruitlessly prospecting for a tin mine) the tin- 

 ore has only been found as yet in small pieces (fourteen ounces the 

 largest), and no regular connected veins have been located. The 

 ore seems to be nodular and sparsely disseminated over a very 

 considerable area in and about King's Mountain village, and 

 paying mines of tin ore in that region have yet to be discovered. 



The ore is very pure, assaying often 68 per cent, of metallic 

 tin, but it is very difficult (or has been) to get any very considera- 

 ble quantity of the pure cassiterite together at one time from 

 any one place. Altogether the total output of the locality might 

 not aggregate over 500 pounds of pure cassiterite. For the 

 present we must be content with the simple knowledge of its 

 existence in our State, and the belief that paying tin mines will 

 yet be discovered somewhere within her borders. I have thus 

 shown how tin was first made known in North Carolina, how 

 mines of it were eagerly looked for and how it all resulted — as 

 I believe — unprojitahly to all parties concerned. Let us hope 

 that the next tin excitement will rest on a larger and more deep- 

 seated foundation and not pounds, but tons, will express the daily 

 output. 



Muscovite (mica). — Marketable mica has been found in small 

 quantities in Alexander county, but the special discovery to be 

 noted is of crystals of mica of rare perfection of form and of 

 their occurrence in the open " pockets" at the gem mine in Alex- 

 ander county. Hundreds of pounds are thrown away because 

 of its small size, though surfaces four inches diameter and larger 

 have been often found. The form is thin hexagonal, with many 

 planes showing on the prismatic edges, but too obscure for 

 identification or careful measurement. The color varies from 

 brown to bright-green. It is with pleasure that I add an analy- 

 sis, by F. W. Clarke* (U. S. Geo). Survey), of this interesting 

 mica : 



^Am. Jour. Sci., August, 1887, p. 131. 



