SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 15 



There are also fragments of white quartz intermixed with 

 those of limestone. The breccia appears to form partial 

 deposits in the coves or valley basins of that vicinity. 



In the neighbourhood of this town there are numerous 

 indications of the existence of large deposits of copper. The 

 ores of this metal have been found in many places, and 

 excavations were commenced as far back as the year 1798. 

 Some of the ore obtained at this place was sent to England, 

 where it is said to have been worked to advantage. An 

 attempt was made last year to resume the operations, but 

 with no great success. The want of a person qualified to 

 determine as to the best spots at which to commence the 

 excavations, may be considered as the principal obstacle 

 existing at present to the success of these works. The ore 

 hitherto extracted is not sufficiently rich to warrant works to 

 any great extent, but some specimens which were analysed 

 last year in Mr. Keating's laboratory in the University of 

 Pennsylvania, yielded as much as thirty per cent. That the 

 smelting of this ore could be made profitable, if a sufficiency 

 of it were obtained, appears from the circumstance, that a 

 ton of the ore which was sent to Centre county, to be re- 

 duced at one of the iron works, yielded about three hun- 

 dred weight of metal. 



The ore discovered in this vicinity varies, but is for the 

 most part a mixture of the oxidule, (red oxide,) with the 

 green carbonate, the hydrate, the copper pyrites, the sul- 

 phuret of copper, and gray copper ore. The whole of it 

 appears very much intermixed with siliceous matter. 

 These masses of copper ore are in a talcose slate — they are to 

 be observed every where. Doubts exist as to the manner 

 in which they lie, the sides of the excavations had sunk in, 

 so much, at the time the party passed through, that it was 

 not in their power to determine that question ; from the in- 



