EXTRACTS FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 155 



that region, both diamonds and platina were found there. This 

 mineral was itacolcmile ; interlaminated with primary rocks, mica 

 slate, and talc slate. It was 100 feet thick in Hall county, and 

 takes a northeast and southwest course, on the east bank of the 

 ("liattahoochie, through Habersham and Raeburn counties. At one 

 locality in Hall county, they actually I'ound a diamond at one of 

 the gold washing deposits ; it was worth about $35. Another dia- 

 mond was found by a workman, which was unfortunately broken 

 in pieces. Mr. Schreiver examined this mine after it was aban- 

 doned, and w^ashed the sands there carefully for two weeks, but 

 found no more diamonds. But still, said Prof. Shepard, there is 

 not the slightest doubt but that plenty of diamonds will yet be 

 lound in those regions. This place was at Linnville Mountain, 

 llurke county, N. C. : it is a spur which puts out from the Blue 

 Kaiige, near the Black Mountain ; the Linnville River is on the 

 north side of it, and the Katawba River is on the south side of it ; 

 there, and twenty-five miles off, at Broad River, there must be 

 many valuable gold mines. From the course of the rocks. Prof. 

 S. thought he would find it intermediate between Burke and Rae- 

 hiun counties, and on examination he did find it there. By the 

 nport of the geology of South Carolina, page 17, by Dr. Tuomey, 

 this mineral is found in Pickens county, S. C, with conglomerate 

 tdic and oxide ; and at another locality forty miles east, in York 



imty. Thus, this curious formation of elastic sandstone is very 

 . viensive in the south, and is every where connected with the 

 aurilerous or gold region. And from the analogy of this rock 

 with those in Brazil and the Ural Mountains connected with the 

 l:(>K1 region, there is not the least doubt, but that before long we 

 shall find in Georgia and the Carolinas a valuable diamond-bearing 

 rock. This rock is properly of a transition character ; for although 

 there is some difficulty in classifying it, as some portions seem 

 strongly to partake of the character of rocks of the primitive 

 series, yet the diamond-bearing rock is undoubtedly of the transi- 

 tion order ; it is in layers not conformable to the stratification of 

 the country ; and we must search it out, not where it is indubita- 

 bly oi a primary character, but where it partakes somewhat of a 

 secondary character. In Stafford county. Conn., we have also a 

 kind of flexible sandstone called firestone ; a mica slate slightly 

 tlexible ; but the talcose slate, usually found with the gold and 

 diamond-bearing rocks, with us runs out. 



J)r. Jackson asked if any platina has yet been found in the Uni- 

 ted States ] 



Prof. Shepard — None. 



Jackson — I have seen a letter from Alexander Humboldt, in 

 hich he says that from the similarity of our gold region to that 



