On Metallic Minerals. 411 



Yadkia river, on Beavcr-dani creek, almost one mile from 

 its mouth. It is on this side we are erecting our steam 

 engines. If tlie mticliiucry tor working answers, we can- 

 not fail to do a good business. The gold is there — all that 

 we want in order to obtain it is labour-saving machinery." 

 — New York Commercial Advertiser. 



" In the United States— in North Carolina, in Cabarras 

 county, on Meadow creek, &c. the gold occurs in grains 

 or small masses in alluvial earths, and chiefly in the gravelly 

 beds of brooks in the dry season. — (Gibbs.) According to 

 Mr. Ayrcs, one mass weighing twenty-eight pounds has 

 been discovered. The gold of Cabarras is alloyed with 

 silver, and a little copper. When ptircst it is twenty-three 

 carats fuie, and is superior in quality to the gold coins of 

 England and the United States. In 1810, upwards of one 

 thousand three hundred and forty-one ounces of this gold 

 equal in value to twenty-four thousand six hundred and 

 eighty-nine dollars, had been received at the mint of the 

 United states. (15iucc's Min Jour. vol. 1.) It is said also to 

 have been found on the upper branches of James' river, and 

 on the Catabaw, in South Carolina. 



" It appears that most of the gold of commerce is o!)tained 

 from auriferous sands. When thus found, it is extracted 

 by the siinj)le process of washing the sand. When envel- 

 oped in other minerals, it is extracted by amalgamation 

 with Mercury." — Cxj;avi;la.\d. 



The geological associations and position of the gold of 

 the Carolinas, has become a subject of controversy in 

 Silliman's Journal. The competitors arc the I'roA ..>;,.rs 

 Olmsted, Mitchell, Katon, and .Mr. Kothe. 



Professor Olmsted considers the gold to occur eutirelv 

 in a deluvial formation. 



