110 The Hartz 



granite of the Hartz does not contain a single metallic deposit, differ- 

 ing in this respect from the primitive formations of Saxony ; all the 

 metallic treasures there existing in the gneiss. 



Argillaceous Schist. 



This is the most interesting and by much the most predominant 

 rock in the Hartz ; it is always found inclined upon the granite, 

 which it covers, and may be considered as the continuation of the 

 great formation seen in the country, lying between the Rhine and 

 Marburg covered in the interval by the secondary beds of the new 

 red sandstone ; muschelkalk, and the variegated marles (marnes iri- 

 sees). It passes often into graywacke and contains the following sub- 

 ordinate rocks : — a kind of transition greenstone, aluminous schist, 

 argillaceous schist worked near Gozlar. Siliceous schist (Kiesel 

 shiefer) near Altenau and a whitish compact sandstone, found upon 

 the western inclination of the Buchberg. A considerable number 

 of the iron ores are found in the transition limestone ; with this ex- 

 ception the rest of the mines of silver, lead, copper, &c. are found 

 in the argillaceous schist* 



Transition limestone. 



This rock is found principally between the two elevated points of 

 granite, from which it is separated by the argillaceous'schist, forming 

 a plain upon which the valleys of Elbingerode and Rubeland are 

 built. This rock becomes interesting in the environs of the latter of 

 these two villages, where a bed of marble capable of receiving 

 a fine polish, is now wrought ; at the same spot powerful beds 

 of greenstone are intercalated having a schistose structure appearing 

 to be talcose and containing small nodules of limestone. It is in this 

 formation and in the vicinity of Rubeland that the celebrated caverns 

 containing fossil bones are found. There are two of considerable 

 celebrity near the termination of the valley of Lauterberg, which 

 however exist in another formation — that of zechstein. The iron 

 mines found in the vicinity of Elbingerode are extremely interesting ', 

 there being more than sixteen in active operation, from which the 



greater part of the furnaces in the Hartz receive a portion of their 

 ores. 



