360 Analysis of' Scientific Books and Memoirs. 



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has since been a subject of constant litigation, which has retarded the 

 working of the mine. 



Reed's Mine in Cabarrus is the one which was first wrought ; and, at 

 this place, indeed, were obtained the first specimens of gold that were 

 found in the formation. A large piece was found in the bed of a small 

 creek, which attracted attention by its lustre and specific gravity, but it 

 was retained, for a long time after its discovery, in the hands of the pro- 

 prietor, through ignorance whether it were gold or not. This mine occu- 

 pies the bed of Meadow creek, (a branch of Rocky river,) and exhibits a 

 level between two hillocks, which rise on either side of the creek, afford- 

 ing a space between from fifty to one hundred yards in breadth. This 

 space has been nearly all dug over, and exhibits at present numerous 

 small pits for the distance of one-fourth of a mile on both sides of the 

 stream. The surface of the ground and the bed of the creek are occupied 

 by quartz and by sharp angular rocks of the greenstone family. The first 

 glance is sufficient to convince the spectator that the business of searching 

 for gold is conducted under numerous disadvantages, without the least re- 

 gard to system, and with very little aid from mechanical contrivances. 

 The process is as follows. During the dry season, when the greatest part 

 of the level above described is left bare, and the creek shrinks to a small 

 rivulet, the workman selects a spot at rondom and commences digging a 

 pit with a spade and mattock. At first he penetrates through three or 

 four feet of dark coloured mud, full of stones in angular fragments. At 

 this depth he meets with that peculiar stratum of gravel and clay, which 

 he recognizes as the matrix of the gold. If the mud be very dense and 

 tenacious he accounts it a good sign ; and if stains or streaks of yellow oc- 

 casionally appear on the blue mud, it is a fortunate symptom. Some- 

 times he penetrates through a stratum of the ferruginous oxide of manga- 

 nese, in a rotten friable state. This he denominates " cinders," and re- 

 gards it also as a favourable omen. Having arrived at the proper stratum, 

 which is only a few inches thick, he removes it with a spade into the 

 " cradle." This is a semi-cylinder laid on its side, (like a barrel bisected 

 longitudinally and laid flat-wire,) and made to rock like a cradle on two 

 parallel poles of wood. The cradle being half filled with the rubbish, 

 water is there laded in, so as nearly to fill the vessel. The cradle is now 

 set to reeking, thegravel being occasionally stirred with an iron rake, un- 

 til the coarse stones are entirely freed from the blue mud, — a part of the 

 process which is the more difficult, on account of the dense adhesive qua- 

 lity of the mud. By rocking the cradle rapidly, the water is thrown over 

 board, loaded with as much mud as it is capable of suspending. The 

 coarser stones are then picked out by hand, more water is added, and the 

 same process is repeated. On pouring out the water a second time, (which 

 is done by inclining the cradle on one side,) a layer of coarse gravel ap- 

 pears on the top, which is scraped off by hand. At the close of each 

 washing, a similar layer of gravel appears on the top, which appears more 

 and more comminuted until it graduates into fine sand, covering the bot- 

 tom of the cradle. At length this residuum is transferred to an iron dish, 



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