OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 107 
state that the indications of the precious metal are not more trust-worthy than those supposed to 
indicate the presence of limestone. 
On the whole, the clay slates of Edgefield are more extensively developed, and have affected 
the surface and soil in a more striking manner than in any other District of the State. Their 
limits are every where sufficiently well defined by the cold gray soils they produce, and which 
contrast, in so marked a manner, with the soils of the other rocks. In the north-eastern corner of 
the District some rich tracts of alluvial occur, but their fertility is derived not from these, but from 
the hornblende rocks that occur higher up the river. 
The most promising mineral deposit that I have found in Edgefield, consists of the bed of pyro- 
lusite, or peroxide of manganese, which I found on Hard-labor Creek. Should future exploration 
prove it to be as extensive as I have represented it, from appearances on the surface, it cannot fail 
to be a valuable addition to the mineral wealth of the State. The ground on which it occurs is 
very favorable, and its vicinity to the river must add greatly to its value. Both here and in other 
parts of Edgefield there are beds of iron ore; but as they have not been at all explored I can say 
but little of their extent. 
Besides the deposit gold mine already known, there are other patches of talcose rocks a few miles 
south of the village, that resemble those of the gold formation. 
Beds of clay, suitable for the manufacture of stone ware of the best quality, are numerous, inde- 
pendent of those found in the Tertiary portion of the District, to be described farther on. The fine, 
thick-bedded gneiss near the village, furnishes an excellent building material; and the fissile 
variety should be examined for flagging stones. r 
Lexineton AND NewsBerry Districts. 
Although there is but a corner of Lexington covered by granite and the metamorphic rocks, it 
furnishes a good illustration of the geology of that portion of the State bordering on the Tertiary 
formation. 
At Twelve-mile Creek, near the Court House, a light-colored crystalline granite is found, near the 
mill, and at other localities in the vicinity of the village. Towards the Saluda, on the road to 
Youngner’s Ferry, gneiss is found reclining against the granite at an angle of 80° towards the N. BE. 
strike N. 6° E, Between the mill, on the creek, and the ferry, clay slates, containing beds of red 
ochre are seen, At Lorick’s these rocks pass into mica slates. 
East of this, and on the right bank of Broad River, a gneissoid rock appears in bold bluffs that 
encroach upon the river. At some points the mica and feldspar are absent; the rock becomes quite 
rough to the touch; it forms a fine, sharp grit, which is used for whetstones, and may have some 
value as a material for grindstones. However, it is only near the surface that the rock presents 
these characters. The slates throughout the region known as the Fork, which is included between 
the Saluda and Broad River, are noted for “whetstone” localities. Between the river and the 
public read white massive quartz is found encumbering the surface, and obstructing the roads that 
lead towards the river. 
About fifteen miles from Columbia a greenish, argillaceous slate appears at the surface, nearly 
vertical. This continues for a distance of two miles, till it meets a fold which changes the dip to 
