Visionary Projects. 69 



that are thrown out, to buoy up his hopes, until his purse is well nigh 

 drained. 



It was probably in some such way, that the excavations were made 

 in Worcester and Sterling, at the mines of arsenical iron and carbon- 

 ate of iron ; although, in these cases, there would be sufficient ground 

 for obtaining some of these ores, since they do sometimes contain 

 silver. But I cannot conceive why such extensive excavations were 

 made, when a chemist might have easily settled the question as to 

 their nature, by analyzing 100 grains of the ore, unless it was on the 

 erroneous supposition, which I find to be common, that metallic veins 

 generally become much richer and larger, and even change their 

 contents, as they descend into the earth. 



The decomposition of iron pyrites, producing heat and sometimes 

 explosion, is supposed by some to be a strong indication of mineral 

 riches in the earth beneath. The man of the witch hazel rod is cal- 

 led, and if he confirms the suspicion, as he usually will, the excava- 

 tion is commenced ; nor is it suspended until a heavy draft has been 

 made upon the man's pecuniary resources. An extensive excavation 

 was made, many years ago, I am told, in Hubbardston, and from the 

 character of the rock there, I suspect that iron pyrites gave the first 

 impulse to the undertaking. In Pepperell, an individual has been , 

 engaged for several years, in pushing a drift into the rocks, which he 

 has penetrated eight or ten rods ; although individuals who have vis- 

 ited the spot, (I have not,) can discover nothing but iron pyrites, 



In the year 1815, an individual succeeded in getting a company 

 formed and incorporated, with a capital of eighty thousand dollars, 

 called the Easton lead and silver mining company. The fruits of 

 their labor may be seen in an excavation, in red granite, nearly one 

 hundred feet deep, at present nearly filled with water. I could not 

 find a particle of ore, of any kind, in the fragments blasted out. A 

 final stop was put to the work, by the killing of two men in blasting. 



Forty years since, a shaft was sunk in Mendon, in search of the 

 precious metals. A little specular oxide of iron occurs at the place. 



Not many months since, an individual called upon me, with speci- 

 mens of black blende or sulphuret of zinc, found in a neighboring 

 town, and which he strongly suspected to be silver. I informed him 

 of its true nature, and seeing that the vision had got strong hold 

 upon his mind, I did all in my power to persuade him not to engage 

 in searching for the ore. But the only effect was to stimulate him to 

 commence an exploration with more ardor. The zinc was found in 



