68 Economical Geology. 



shut their eyes upon gold mines ; and therefore I have made these 

 suggestions on the subject, to prevent expenditure upon useless and 

 ill-planned projects, in search of this precious metal. 



Idle search after Gold and Silver. 



Were the history of the wild and ill-directed efforts that have been 

 made, even in Massachusetts, in search of the precious metals, to be 

 written, it would furnish many striking illustrations of the importance 

 of your Excellency's suggestions. Permit me here to state a few 

 facts on the subject. 



The large quantities of the precious metals carried to Europe from 

 South America, soon after its discovery, naturally produced some 

 expectation of finding similar treasures here. But I cannot learn 

 that our forefathers expended large sums in making excavations, 

 where there was no reasonable prospect of rinding any thing valua- 

 ble. It was reserved for their descendants to exhibit a credulity and 

 superstitious ignorance on the subject, that are both lamentable and 

 ridiculous. 



Perhaps, at the present day, a belief in the mysterious virtues of 

 the mineral rod, is the most common of these delusions. Probably 

 many of our intelligent citizens can hardly credit the statement, that 

 there are men in various parts of the state, who profess not a little 

 skill in this enchantment, and are not unfrequently sent for, one or 

 two days' journey, to decide whether there be ore or springs of water 

 in a particular place. In general, but not always, these professors of 

 divination belong to the most ignorant classes in society ; for not long 

 since, a venerable and respectable man of good education, sincerely 

 thought it his duty, occasionally to peregrinate with his divining rod, 

 because it would work in his hands ; and not a few intelligent men 

 have a secret belief that the branches of a witch hazle are attracted 

 downward towards mineral substances, when in the hands of a cer- 

 tain individual. 



The following train of circumstances often takes place. A man, 

 ignorant of mineralogy, finds upon his farm, a specimen of iron py- 

 rites, or yellow mica, or galena, which he mistakes for gold or silver. 

 Even if he shows it to a mineralogist, and is told that he is 'mistaken, 

 he suspects that his informant is deceiving him, in the hope of getting 

 possession of the prize himself. He resolves to begin an excavation. 

 And he sees enough, in the shining particles of mica and feldspar 



