6 Gold Region of North Carolina. 
formed from rocks that have undergone decomposition in 
their original beds. er crossing this zone ina nnmber of 
different directions, and watching for the last sand-bank that 
communicates a shading to the soil of the upper country, 
there was the less danger of a mistake in regard to the pres- 
ence or absence of analogous appearances in the counties 
farther west, where they are believed to be altogether want- 
in 
"The non-existence of a foreign stratum, whether diluvial 
or alluvial, may he inferred from such circumstances as the 
followin 
va.) The iuendh of rounded cage and gravel through- 
out the entire surface of the country. 
b.) An intimate agreement and resemblance, every where 
observed, between the underlying rock, the stones scattered 
over the surface, and the gravel, down to its minutest paste 
resolved at 7 te the decay of their exterior crusts into a 
fine powder——a similar agreement between the mass of the 
soil and those half. decks omposed crust, in respect to color and 
other physical qualities. 
d.) Veins, whether of quartz, or of a harder ae of the 
same rock, remaining only partially —— and envel- 
— in soil which has proceeded from the softer portions. 
- Se 6 tei are particularly jemeisieatie and striking 
passes through an ancient forest, or when a 
por is worn in a dlnativity that has never been cultivated. 
The veins are here seen ascending, if not to the very sur- 
face, at least so near, as to saneee ‘ie existence of a diluvial 
stratum a matter of no uncertai 
e.) Without descending to those minutie, if a person mod- 
ceataly acquainted wore h geclogy: will ride across the coun- 
ry,and observe how suddenly and invariably, a change in the 
subjacent rock is mrandad by a change in the character of 
the soil, his doubts, if he had any, will be removed. 
But as these marks and evidences of the absence of dilu- 
vium occur in the gold region as well as in other parts of the 
country, we a that it does not exist there, and of course 
that the gold of North Carolina oa not occur in @ diluvial 
formation. I might urge further, if further argument shall 
be deemed necessary, the improbability that whilst a thin 
