140 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [MAR. 18, 
that are found in the Devonian and also in the coal formations, 
resembling those bituminous schists in the Cumberland moun- 
tains which have caused attempts to find coal there outside of 
the coal measures. Wherever there is a stratum of limestone, a 
line of this shale is found; and the workings of the King’s 
Mountain gold-mine have been to me one of the means for re- 
solving some of the doubts respecting this subject. ‘The mine 
occurs in connection with the eastern bed of limestone. This 
stratum of limestone is found in many places to be altered to 
quartzite, as though the lime had been dissolved and silica had 
been deposited in its place. Whenever such a change has oceur- 
red, the vein or ledge has been found correspondingly rich in 
old. 
: In connection with this limestone stratum are found what 
have been termed by the miners ‘‘ brown ore deposits.” Im- 
bedded in this brown ore are fragments of limestone which have 
the appearance of water-worn boulders; and in some instances 
metallic deposits, such as gray copper, galena, chalcopyrite, and 
iron pyrites, are found associated together, partially coating the 
water-worn fragments of limestone, and reminding one of the 
Bassick mine in Colorado. This fact would indicate that the 
entire deposition of metallic matter is due to the action of 
water. These brown ores do not represent the oxidation of iron 
pyrites proper. In connection with this stratum of limestone is 
a remarkable stream of water, which at this day has probably 
ceased to deposit mineral matter, unless perhaps in a very 
small degree. But in times past, that, or some other streams of 
which it is a representative, must have had much to do with the 
deposition of metallic matter. 
It would appear that after the limestone had assumed its 
present position ,—after it had been tilted, after the great period 
of disturbance, folding, and erosion,—there had been a subsequent 
disturbance. Of course it is difficult to determine this question ; 
but from finding the fragments of limestone, in some places 
very large boulders, in these fissures occupied by this so-called 
brown ore,—which is a mixture, the base being silica and carry- 
ing free gold, very rich in places,—it would seem that the water 
acting as a solvent (perhaps at that period of time the water may 
have been heated, coming from depths below) filled the gashes and 
partial fissures by aqueous deposition after the limestone had 
been tilted ; and again subsequent to that tilting there appears 
to have been further disturbance. I think so, because these 
fissures that are filled with brown ore must have occurred at that 
period subsequent to the tilting of the limestone. This brown 
ore does not stop at water-level. In that particular mine, they 
are now taking it out from 200 feet deep, while the water-level 
