114 Remarks on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 
and sifted. Of this, six pounds were taken and washed in the usual 
way ; the gold which now appeared in decisive quantity, where none 
was before visible, being amalgamated, and the amalgam strained 
and decomposed by fire, amounted to twelve grains for the six 
pounds of ore; this, being in the proportion of two hundred grains 
to one hundred pounds, equals $8 16 for that amount of ore. 
This trial would appear to be as fair a one for the ore-heap as could 
well be made with the same weight of the materials. 
It may be important to observe, that in a visit to this mine two 
weeks before, although not then authorized to examine it responsi- 
bly, 1 was desired by Dr. Benjamin Coleman, agent for the Rich- 
mond Mining Company, and at that time with me, to pay some at- 
tention to this mine, that I might be the better able to judge of the 
mines in Goochland county, which I was soon to visit, and of which 
an account is contained in the preceding pages. I did, accordingly, 
then examine the condition of the ore of the Walton Mine, so far as 
to cause portions to be pulverized and washed from various parts, 
inside and outside of this ore-heap, and there was, in every instance, 
a yield of gold so striking to the eye, that had the amalgamation and 
extraction been finished in the way above described, I cannot doubt 
that the result would have been substantially the same with that now 
obtained. These facts, taken in connexion, leave then no doubt as 
to the average richness of this pile of ore, and of course of the vein 
from which it is derived. 
3. The third trial was made upon pieces of solid quartz, taken at 
random from the heap of ore; no gold was observed upon them, but 
on being pulverized and washed, the powder showed gold richly, for 
when the usual process by amalgamation and evaporation was finish- 
ed, six pounds of the material yielded thirty grains of gold, answer- 
ing to five hundred grains, and equivalent to $20 41 for one hun- 
dred pounds, or one bushel. 
4. The fourth and last trial was made upon pieces of the quartz, 
selected on account of their showing gold to the naked eye: no pie- 
ces were admitted which did not exhibit one point or more of gold; 
few showed more than two points, and generally they were not lar- 
ger than the head of a common pin. Of this lot of ore when pul- 
verized, four pounds were taken and washed and amalgamated ; the 
product of gold was one hundred and thirty-one grains, in the ratio 
of thirteen hundred and ten — for one hundred pounds, and 
equivalent in value to $133 
