1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



31 



have concluded to advert to a few of the Ibrma- 

 tions that occur near the falls of Roanoke river, 

 near Gaston. The most intorostinir is a deposite 

 of pure white statuary marble, ou the lands of 

 Wn). 31. West, discovered in diirg-ing a well in his 

 yard. The well is 36 feet deep, and the bottom of 

 it is a solid stratum of the marble of which I 

 have a specimen, a part of which has been 

 shown to a lapidary who ac^rees with me in 

 o|)inion as to the kind of marhle. The breadth oi' 

 the stratum we have not been able to decide, or its 

 thickness — its direction, we thiid\, ibr several 

 reasons, is from north-east to south-west, coincid- 

 ing with the general direction of all the dillerent 

 strata of rocks in this section of country, that 1 

 have examined. That these strata are in several 

 places cut across by whinstone dikes, I do not con- 

 sider an exception. This marble occupies the 

 summit ridge between the waters of Roanoke and 

 Tar river. The only other indication we have 

 seen of it, is also ou the summit ridge extending 

 in a south-west coast from Mr. West's. I regret 

 that the discovery of the marble is too recent to 

 enable us to examine it thoroughly. On the same 

 summit ridge, about two miles Irom Gaston, a 

 fetitl limestone and marl, with minute shells em- 

 bedded in both, are found about sixteen leet from 

 the surlace, in a north-east course from INlr. 

 West's. The discovery of this deposite is also re- 

 cent, and no trial has been made of it in agricul- 

 ture. It seems to be about five or six feet thick; 

 and was perforated in digging a well. If the mar- 

 ble exists below it, as is not improbable, it was not 

 reached. 



Next to these two deposites of limestone, which 

 are in a line from north-east to south-west, and not 

 more than a mile higher up the river, is an inter- 

 esting deposite of clay slate on both sides of the 

 Roanoke, and running parallel to the same direc- 

 tion, from north-east to south-west; butonlyshows 

 in the river valley, and dips under the hills oh both 

 sides, before it gets near the summit ridges that di- 

 vide the watercourses. The same stratum of clay 

 slate is exposed a tew miles north of IMeherrin, in 

 the lower part of Brunswick county, and not more 

 than eight miles above Hicksford, and is there 

 called tile '•^Pencil Hill," from the slate being used 

 fbr pencils, and answers the purpose very well. The 

 deposite on the north side ol'Roanoke is much more 

 valuable howev^er, making the finest whetstones I 

 have ever seen, except the oilstones, and are but 

 little, if any, inttirior to them, for carpenter's tools, 

 hones and whetstones of every kind, where a fine 

 edge is required, and expeditious sharpening. 

 Some of it is, however, too soft for that use, but 

 there is an abundance ol' the hard lor whetstones 

 to supply any demand. Both above and below 

 these deposites, for three or lour miles, in almost 

 every stream, gold is found, but as yet to a limit- 

 ed extent. The best indications are on the south 

 side of the river opposite to Gaston. Gold has al- 

 so been found in some streams on the north side 

 of the river, nearly opposite the deposites on the 

 south side. These deposites on both sides of Roan- 

 oke, range north-east and south-west, with the 

 richest deposite mine in North Carolina known 

 here as Portis's mine near the corners of Nash, 

 Warren and Halitax counties. Immediately 

 above the deposite of clay slate, commence the 

 chalybeate springs, of which there is one about 

 two miles from Gaston on the north side of the 



river, and another seven miles higher up the river; 

 and two wells have been dug not far from the first 

 mentioned spring, the wateis of which could not 

 be used fbr domestic; purposes on account of the 

 large quantity of iron in them, producing the well- 

 known eHect of turning black, when arVy vegeta- 

 ble acid is put in them. These springs also range 

 north-east and south-west with the chalybecTle 

 springs near,Warrenton, known as Shocco, Par- 

 son's, and Kearney's springs — and in the interven- 

 ing country are several others. All of these 

 s|)iings, as well as those near Gaston, have been 

 frequently used with advantage by persons in fee- 

 ble health, particularly when recovering from au- 

 tumnal attacks of le\er. 



On the hill out of which the spring nearest to 

 Gaston runs, is a considerable deposite of iron ore; 

 being an oxide of iron, most of the sjiecimens 

 found on the surface consisting of small round 

 pebbles cemented by pure oxide, and sometimes 

 presentingthe appearance of puddingstone or sand- 

 stone, according as- the pebbles are large or very- 

 minute. Some of the specimens at the surface, 

 however, are rich in ore, and no doubt would be 

 richer below the surface, showing plainly the 

 sources of the chalybeate waters. Ascending the 

 Roanoke river, two or three miles from the clay 

 slate strata, we come to very fine quarries of gneiss 

 and granite on both sides of the river — stone on the 

 south side being now workeil fbr the VVeldon 

 bridge, and having Ibrmedy furnished most of tlte 

 stone fbr the locks on the Weldon canal, and beino« 

 to all appearance inexhaustible. This formation 

 constitutes, probably, the bed of the river at Gas- 

 ton as the soundings give rock all the way acros.-, 

 and it is found in the hills on each side. Siill as- 

 cending the river, two or three miles further, we 

 find a stratum of mica slate and large masses of 

 granite. Perhaps it is proper to observe that a 

 narrow whinstone dike crosses the river near Gas- 

 ton, and crosses ail the strata running neariy north 

 and south. While on this subject, I will mention 

 that I understand coal has been found in Granville 

 county about 30 miles higher up the Roanoke than 

 Gaston, but to what extent I am not informed. 



If these few crude observations are worth 3"our 

 attention, you can use them as you think most use- 

 ful. 



EDMUND WILKINS. 



P, S. — 1 have confined my remarks to this dis- 

 trict of country, as I consider it interesting, and it 

 is the only one in our State with which I am suffi- 

 ciently acquainted by observation to speak with 

 accuracy. 



From tlie Daily Advertiser. 

 MAJfUFACTURE OF BEET ROOT SUGAR. 



We are indebted to Mr. Isnard fbr the follow- 

 ing interesting communication, accompanied with 

 a number of documents, which we regret that we 

 have not room to notice at the present time, any 

 further than to say that they fully confirm the 

 statements contained in the letter. 



Boston, 3Iarch2Sth 1836. 



To the Editor of ihs Daily J/dvertiser: 



Sir — If you should judge the present commu- 

 nication worthy of attention, it is at your disposal 



