' The i'armer's monthly visitor. 



131 



in Winchester, nlid liescend to the borders of 

 Ashiielot river. Long Wt. is composed of mien, 

 slate i-ocks, tiie strata of which run N. E. and 

 S. W., and di|) to the N. W. Tlie same strata 

 are seen along the banks of (he Ashnelot river, 

 in Winchester. Furtlier to the Nortli we come 

 to granite and gneiss rocks, wliich form the prin- 

 cipal basis of the eastern parts of the towns of 

 Hinsdale and Chesterfield, while on the westi in 

 side we again observe mica slatp strata, wliicii 

 pass insensibly into argillaceous slate, wliich is 

 freqnently charged with iron iiyriles. By the de- 

 coinposil'ioii of this, bi-suliihiiret ol iron, coppe- 

 ras or sulpliale oi' iron, and bog iron ores are 

 formed. The copperas acting npon the argilla- 

 ceons matter of the slate rocks, forms sulphate of 

 alumina; which freqnently is seen on the surface 

 of moist, sheltered ledges, in the form of an in- 

 crustation. Hog iron is ibrmed from the solution 

 of sulphate of iron, wliirii is dissolved from the 

 decomposing rock, .iiid being washed into the 

 lowlands, ii brconns by action of the atmosphere 

 converted iiiin iici- sulphate of iron, wliich is de- 

 composed liy iIm- vegetable matters in tlie soil, 

 and apncn natcil Ihi;^ umi ore is formed and de- 

 posited in low meadows, or on the hill-sides. 



Veins of magnetic iron ore an; said to have 

 been found in Winchester, but we had not time 

 to examine the locality during the measurement 

 of this section. Iron pyrites occurs disseminated 

 in the argillaceous slates of Chesterfield, but I 

 have not learned whether there is a sufficient a- 

 niount of the ore for manufacture of copperas, 

 the specimens having been sent to nie since we 

 left the field. The rocks which most abound in 

 this town are mica slate, the strata of which dip 

 to the S. E. Near Spoflbrd's jiond we observed 

 the junction of this rock with the gneiss, the 

 strata of which dip to the N. W. Near this point 

 is a centre of elevation, as shown by the oppo- 

 site dipping of the strata. 



Westmoreland is underlaid by gneiss, gran- 

 ite, and mica slate, in every part of the town 

 where the rocks were observed to crop out ; but 

 there is reason to believe, from the direction of 

 the strata of argillaceous slates of Hinsdale and 

 Chesterfield, that they also exist in the western 

 borders of this town, but are concealed by the 

 superficial soil. 



Many interesting minerals occur in the rocks 

 of Westmoreland, and have long been sought for 

 by mineralogists as objects of study. Some at- 

 tempts have been made by the people to discov- 

 er valuable ores, but most of their researches 

 have been fruitless. I was informed by one in- 

 dividual that he had spent no less than thirty 

 years in search of gold and silver ores, and he 

 was still firm in the belief that his labors would 

 be eventually rewarded by such a discovery. On 

 examining the mines where he had spent so much 

 time and labor, we found that he had mistaken 

 some very small veins of copper and iron py- 

 rites for ores of the precious metals. His re- 

 searches had, nevertheless, resulted in the dis- 

 covery of some very fine specimens of fluor- 

 spar, "and tolerably good crystals of quartz. These 

 minerals are found in a vein which is situated 

 near the North Village, on a hill-side two miles 

 S. W. from the meeting-house. The vein con- 

 sists chiefly of quartz and fluor-spar, with a few 

 small strings and disseminated crystals of py- 

 rites. 



The fluor-spar possesses various colors, such 

 as white, purple, green and violet; but the light 

 green variety is most abundant. It derives its 

 name from the circumstance of its being used by 

 metallurgists for a flux in reducing nietalil'erous 

 ores. It isfrom this mineial that chemists ob- 

 tain that |)Owerfully corrosive acid which has the 

 properly of dissolving silex, and forming with it 

 a gas, and of etching upon the surfiice of glass. 

 Good specimens are sought for by mineralogists, 

 and chemists occasionally require it in their an- 

 alytical operations, but it has only a very limited 

 sale. 



Fluor-spar is composed of 



Fluorine 48.13 



Calcium 51.87 



or of two equivalents of fluorine to one of cal- 

 cium, and yields 27.86 of fluoric acid 

 79.14 of lime. 



It is readily cleaved by the knife into its prima- 

 ry form, which is the regular octahedron ; also 

 into tetahedra and rhomboid's. It is harder than 

 calcareous spar, but may Iw easily scratched by 



the knife. One of its most beautiful characters 

 is its brilliant phosphorescence when thrown on 

 heated iron. 



The purple varieties of fluor-spar are frequent- 

 ly cut and polished in the forms of vases, and it 

 is also very successfully employed by the Italians 

 in niosaic work, to represent the rich colors of 

 the grape. 



In the South part of Westmoreland we exatn- 

 ined a vein of sulphuret of molybdena, which 

 has been opened on the estate of Mr. Lincoln. 

 This locality is one of great interest to mineral- 

 ogists, and will be visited by many persons for 

 the sake of the elegant specimens of minerals 

 which have been brought to light by mining oj)- 

 erations. The locality is situated four miles 

 South of the North Village meeting-house, fipon 

 the top of an eminence 95(5 feet above the sea- 

 level. The vein is included in mica slate rocks, 

 associated with gneiss. The strata run N. E. and 

 S. W., and dip to the W. N. W. 60 deg, and the 

 vein runs nearly in the same direction. Thesul- 

 pfiuret of molybdena is associated with a pe- 

 culiar blue compact felspar and quartz, in which 

 occur enormous crystals of the phospate of liine, 

 a mineral of considerable rarity, and highly pri- 

 zed by mineralogists. 



On the surface of the sulphuret of molybdena, 

 and in cavities in the gangue occurs a bright yel- 

 low substance, which is supposed to be a pecu- 

 liar oxide, or a sub-sulphate of molybdena. It 

 has not yet been analyzed. 



On the side of this hill a drift has been cut into 

 the rock, with the intention of striking the vein 

 lower down, in hopes of finding orea of copper 

 or of tin, which metals an English miner had led 

 Mr. Lincoln 'to expect at a lower level. The 

 work was abandoned after excavating a gallery 

 in the rock to the distance of 33 feet, without 

 reaching the vein. 



It is true that sulphm-et of molybdena is com- 

 monly associated with tin and copper ores, but 

 it does by no means follow that wherever we find 

 that mineral, we shall find also the others. If, 

 however, a few crystals of oxide of tin had been 

 found scattered in the molybdena vein, we should 

 have some rea.son to expect a larger supply in its 



Various attempts have been made to render the 

 molybdena ore useful in the arts, and it was ho- 

 ped that its fine blue oxide might serve as a pig- 

 ment or for calico printing, but thus far no val- 

 uable result has been attained. 



This locality will furnish a most abundant 

 supply of sulphuret of molybdena, and should 

 be kept in remembrance, since the constant and 

 rapid improvements in the arts may eventually 

 discover some method of rendering it useful. At 

 present it is destined to furnish an abundance of 

 fine specimens for the use of mineralogists and 

 chemists, many of whom will visit the locality. 



A few rods north of this vein occurs a small 

 deposit of nodular bog manganese, the nodules 

 being about the size of walnuts. It occurs at the 

 outlet of a small drain from a little peat-hog, and 

 was evidently deposited in its present situation 

 by water. 



This ore will sei-ve perfectly for the generation 

 of chlorine gas from muriatic acid for bleaching, 

 but owing to the presence of apocrenate of iron 

 in it, it does not give out pure oxygen gas when 

 heated to redness, for that vegetable acid being 

 decomposed by heat and by the oxygen of the 

 manganese, its carbon combining with the ox- 

 ygeni carbonic acid is also produced at the same 

 time. The locality will furnish a few tons of 

 manganese, and since it will answer for genera- 

 ting chlorine, it will meet with a ready sale at 

 the paper-mills where manganese is used for 

 bleaching. 



Having, through the kind assistance of Mr. 

 Lincoln, obtained specimens of all the minerals 

 which occur on his estate, we proceeded on our 

 section northwardly. 



From Westmoreland to Walpole the rocks are 

 granite and gneiss. A {q\v beds and veins of milk 

 quartz also occur. 



Walpole. In this town we were aided by 

 Mr. Frederick Vose and Dr. Ebenezer Morse, who 

 Were ap[>ointed a committee for the purpose, 

 and politely rendered such assistance as was re- 

 quired. 



The rocks in this town consist of mica slate, 

 the strata of which dip to the N. N. VV. 15 or 



20 deg. Granite beds are also observed included 

 between the strata. 



These rocks may be viewed near the village, 

 where a small and rapid brook has Washed the 

 soil from the surface of the rocks. 



It was supposed that limestone occurred on 

 the hill near the meeting-house, but we could not 

 find any trace of such a rock. South of Fall 

 Mountain, near Bellows Falls, a number of loose 

 masses of plumbago were dug out of the soil, 

 immediately beneath tlie brow of the hill. They 

 ajjpear to have been detached from the rock on 

 which they rest, since the masses were angular, 

 and not water-worn. The rock composing ths 

 mountain is plumbaginous mica slate, passing in- 

 to argillaceous slate on one side, and graduating 

 into hard mica slate, containing fibrolite, on the 

 other. Near the house of Mr. Milliken the slate 

 rocks contain fine crystals of made or hemitrop- 

 ic andalusite, a mineral somewhat rare. Three 

 miles North from the Falls may beseen the junc- 

 tion of the slate rocks with gneiss, these rocks 

 forming the northern extremity of Fall Mt. At 

 the north extremity of the hill the gneiss rocks 

 occur, dipping to the S. E. At the junction of 

 the mica slate with the gneiss, an union of the 

 two rocks is formed. There we notice a dajk 

 blue quartz rock, which is followed by indurated 

 argillaceous slate, which passes insensibly into a 

 micaceous clay slate, containing crystals of ma- 

 de. The strata are overlaid by gneiss, beneath 

 which they dij) at an anile of .50 deg. 



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Section of the smtinc-ir Mr Mill k ii Btlk wi Falls. 



The rocks at Bellows Falls consist of gneiss 

 and mica slate, the stiata of which dip to the 

 S. E. These rocks are filled with masses of 

 fibrolite, which being almost incapable of de- 

 composition, is left in relief on the surface of the 

 water-worn rocks. Fibrolite is harder than 

 quartz, and may be used for emery when it is 

 pulverized and washed in a projier manner. It 

 is, however, difiicult to extract from the hard 

 rocks in which it occurs at this place. 



Near Saxton's River the rocks consist of a hard 

 variety of gneiss, in the crevices of which occurs 

 a rare mineral, composed of fluoric acid and 

 alumina, called Wavellite. It occurs in stellated 

 or radiated masses, about 1-2 an inch in diame- 

 ter. In the neighborhood of Blake's paper-mills, 

 the rocks consist of mica slate, the strata of which 

 dip S. E. 70 deg. The same variety of rock con- 

 taining fibrolite exists on Fall Mountain, and con- 

 stitutes its principal substrata. About three- 

 quarters of a mile northwardly from Fall Village, 

 on the Rockingham road, occurs a junction of 

 the micaceous slate rocks. At that place the 

 strata run N. 14 deg. E., S. 14 deg.. W., and dip 

 to the westward 70 i\ef[. 



Bellows' Falls has long been favorably known 

 to travellers, as a place of resort iii the warm 

 seasons, on account of the beautiful scenery 

 and the refreshing coolness of the atmosphere. 

 In ancient times, it was one of the favorite haunts 

 of the aborigines, remains of whose rude sculp- 

 ture may etill be seen on the rocks below the 

 falls. 



