148 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY YIsnXDR. 



I combined with ilie iron, so that it is not 

 all obtained. By deflagration witli nitre, a niiicb 

 larger proportion of the arsenic may be extrac- 

 ted in the foiin of arseniate of ])otash. 



Investing the ore and in its cavities there fi-e- 

 quently occurs a lemon-yellow powder, which is 

 the sulphuret of arsenic or orpiment. It is a 

 substance used in painting, but is poisonous, and 

 care should be taken not to make the walls of a 

 well or spring with rocks containing this ore, for 

 the water would dissolve the sulphuret of arse- 

 nic, and become poisonous. 



Arsenical i)yrites is said to lie a rare mineral 

 in Europe, but in this country it is very abundant, 

 especially in the grates ol Maine,New-Hami)shire, 

 and Massachusetts. It may in several places be 

 economically wrought for the manulacture of 

 arseniate of poUish, and for metallic arsenic, 

 which is ret)uired tor making lead granulate iu 

 shot manufactories. Tlie market is at ^iresent 

 supplied by the furnnces of Germany, where the 

 arsenical ores are roasted, and the arsenic is sub- 

 limed in the state of white oxide or arsenious 

 acid. 



Metallic arsenic is also used in making specu- 

 lum metal for astronomical telescopes, but the 

 deman<l for the pure metal for that purixjse is 

 quite limited. Recently the introduction of ar- 

 senical compounds iu calico pi-inl4ng vvorks has 

 caused a great increase in the demand for its salts 

 and oxide. 



While engaged in exploring the Geological re- 

 sources of Jackson, many citizens of that town 

 freely tendered their services, and aidetl us in the 

 labor. Our tbanks are due to them for their spir- 

 ited exertions in behalf of the sui'vey. 



When we had examined the rocks and the 

 most important minerals in that town, we procee- 

 ded to Bartlett and ascended the Kearsarge or 

 Pigwacket Mountain, where it was stated that 

 some expectations had been entertained of tinding 

 coal and roofing slate. The result of our exam- 

 ination proved that the rocks on this mountain 

 do not belong to the coal formation, and that no 

 good roofing slate can be obtained there. 



On ascending the mountain on its south-east- 

 ern side, we came first to a <roarse variety of 

 granite, consisting of felspar and quartz, with- 

 out any mica, which is overlaid by a breccia of 

 granite and argillaceous slate, above which rest 

 the regular strata of argillaceous slate, which 

 run N. 75 dep. E., S. 75 deg. W., and <lip to the 

 N. N. W. 30 (leg. or the strata di[>, towards the 

 mountain. 



This slate is compact, and is much broken and 

 twisted, so that it would not answer for covering 

 roofs. Occasionally a few good slabs may be ob- 

 tained, which might answer for tomb-stones or 

 for platforms, but no attempt has yet been made 

 to quarry thein. 



Higher up the mountain we discover a very sin- 

 gular breccia, made up of the large broken frag- 

 ments of the argillaceous slate rocks, mi.xed con- 

 fusedly with the granite which closely invests 

 .them. This breccia was evidently formed by the 

 eruption of granite through a thick bed of ar- 

 gillaceous slate rocks, the strata having been bro- 

 ken into fragments of a rhomboidal form, and 

 into pieces which vary from a few inches to a 

 yard or more S()uare. 



The fragments lay in every imaginable position, 

 just as if they were swept up by a thick, pasty 

 mass of semi-fluid granite, which indurated 

 around them by cooling. Some of the masses 

 were rendered scoriacous, and resemble vesicu- 

 lar trap-rock, but generally they do not appear 

 to have been much altered by heat. 



The granite contains no mica, but is composed 

 principally of felspar, with a little quartz. There 

 are no rounded or water-worn pebbles in the 

 breccia, hence it cannot be considered as a con- 

 glomerate of aqueous deposition. 



This locality proves most incontestibly the cor- 

 rectness of a statement made in my Reports on 

 the Geology of Maine, that the eruption of the 

 granite rocks of this region took place immedi- 

 ately after the deposition of the roofing-slate, 

 while other localities in Maine indicate that the 

 eruption was anterior to the deposition of the 

 red sandstones of the St. Croix and New Bruns- 

 wick. 



On reachiug the summit of Pigwacket Moun- 

 tain, the rocks were found to consist of n very 

 hard breccia, composed of the sbuk' kind of gran- 



ite before described, containing small fragments 

 of shite, rarely more than an inch in diameter. 



Diluvial furrows occur on the surliice of the 

 icicluded masses of slate, at about half way up 

 the mountain, and run N. 30 deg. W., S. 30 deg. 

 E., and it is evident, from their uniform course, 

 that they were produced since the slate was in- 

 cluded in the breccia. 



From the summit of this mountain the follow- 

 ing bearings were taken, by means of a Messiat 

 conq)ass : 



Ml Washington N. 30 deg. 30 m. W. 



Baldface Ml ) m /^r> j or. i^r 



Iron Mine \ N. 62 deg. 30 m. W. 



Chocorua peak, highest, S. 52 deg. 30 m. W. 



Frybia-g Village S. 31 deg. 35 m. W. 



Lovel's Pond S. 37 deg. E. 



Chatigee Corner S. 20 deg. E. 



Saco River is seen to the S. VV., and winds 

 around to S. E., forming an oxbow at Fryburg 

 VUlage. 



The ranges of mountains seen from this peak 

 have a N. and S. direction. 



The view of the surrounding country is truly 

 magnificent, and is more pictures<iue than that 

 obtained from the sununils of very elevated 

 mountains. 



We were not able to measure its altitude above 

 the sea, on account of the accidental breaking of 

 the barometer a few days previous. It is, how- 

 ever, a lofty mountain, since the only vegetation 

 on its summit consists of the high Alpine plants, 

 sucli as grow near the summits of Mts. Wash- 

 ington and La Fayette, but it is not so high as 

 even the last mentioned mountain. 



From Bartlett to Eaton the rocks are uniform- 

 ly granite, and the soil is composed of its finely 

 comminuted particles. 



In the town of Eaton 14 years since, 1 had occa- 

 sion to examine a vein of sulphuret of lead and 

 blende, which was discovered at that time, aiid 

 was subsequently wrought to some extent by 

 Messrs. Biimey, Ripley and Tyson. At the time 

 of my first visit the coiuitry aruutKl the mine was 

 a wiUlerness, and but a tew blasts had been made 

 to extract samples of the ore from the vein. 

 Since that time a shall has been sunk into the 

 vei«, to the depth of 40 feet, and a quantity of 

 the galena was extracted for trial. Fifteen bar- 

 rels of the picked lead ore, weighing from 1,200 

 to ],2()0 lbs. each, were sent to Baltimore tor re- 

 duction to lead, and several hogsheads of it were 

 sent to Boston by the way of Poitland. The 

 zitic ore which forms the principal mass of the 

 vein was entirely neglected, and several hundred 

 tons of it now lie near the mouth of the mine. 



I thought it would prove interesting to make a 

 renewed examination of tliis vein, in order to as- 

 certain the practicability of working it lor zinc, 

 and re-visted it for that purpose. 



The width of the vein, as 1 had before stated, 

 is six feet, and it consists mostly of yellow blende, 

 or sulphuret of zinc, which includes veins and 

 scattered masses of galena or sul|)hinet of lead. 

 The course of the principal vein is N. 21 deg. 

 Bl, S. 21 deg. W., and it dips to the w<;8twaid tiO 

 or 65 deg. Beside this occur a number of small- 

 er veins, from a few inches to one foot wide. 

 Drainage is ])raclicable and easy for the depth of 

 more than 100 feet into a pond close by it on the 

 North. A gallery should be cut from this pond 

 to the vein, so as to free the mine from water, 

 the vein being readily struck at a lower level by 

 this means, while by continuing the jiresent per- 

 pendicular shaft, ventilation may be readily and 

 conveniently eflected. A vein six feet wide af- 

 fords ample room for the miners to work, keep- 

 ing always among the ore, so that no labor will 

 be wasted. I have no doubt that this mine will 

 prove valuable, provided the zinc ore is wrougliL 

 The lead ore may be separated into one heap, 

 and the zinc into another, so that both ores may 

 be wrought at the same works. The zinc ore con- 

 tains 63 per cenL of metallic zinc, according to 

 my analysis, and should yield in the large way 

 from 35 to 40 per cent, of the metal. 



The lead ore contains 84 per cenL of lead, 

 and should yield 75 per cenL when smelted in 

 the large way. 



1000 poimds of the lead ore contains 1 pound 

 of silver,and if the ore is converted into litharge, 

 after the English and German methods, the sil- 

 ver may be separated and refined. If all these 

 operations should be carried on at the same 

 works, it would be necPHsary to liavii n large 



ca])ital and experienced workmen to conduct the 

 operations. 



An abundance of charcoal may be obtained 

 for supplying the ftunaces, and its pre.sent price 

 is $4 per hundred bushels. 



It is hoped that persoiis interested in mines 

 will attend to this valuable vein, for it is one of 

 the largest and richest in New England. 



Copper pyrites has been found 2 miles N. E. 

 from Atkinson's tavern, iu Eaton, a bog iron ore 

 near Walker's Pond, in the east part of the town, 

 also on Larey's Hill. I saw specimens of the ore, 

 but was unable to visit the locality, on account of 

 illness, which confined me to the house for a 

 week. 



Lead oie also exists near While Pond, in Tam- 

 worth. I was not able, at the time of my vis- 

 it, to examine the locality, but shall take an early 

 opportunity to explore the veins and ascertain 

 their value. 



Tlie rocks in Tamworth and Moultonhorough 

 are granite, cut through occasionally by powerfiil 

 dykes of greenstone trap rock and sienite. Os- 

 sipee Mountaiti and Red Hill ptesent interesting 

 examples, and have been described by my assis- 

 tants in a former section. The region around 

 Winnipissiogee Lake was also explored by them, 

 and I subse(]uently visited it lor the purpose of 

 obtaining some additional information respecting 

 a vein of iron ore on Gunstock Mountain, in Gil- 

 ford, and statistics concerning the fertility of the 

 soil on Cow and Long Islands. 



In the chemical and agricultural departments, 

 I shall state the facts learned on this subJecL 



The vein of magnetic iron ore on Gunstock 

 Mountain was opened fiir the purpose of obtain- 

 ing iron ore ft)r the sui)ply of a furnace, but was 

 soo<i abandoned, since tiie vein was found to be 

 too narrow to ftnnish an adequate supply of ore. 

 The ground around the mine is covered with an 

 abundance of the ore, which is highlv magnetic 

 with polarity, and will ftirnish an abundance of 

 native magnets. 



From the smnmit of this inotmtain we have a 

 magnificent view of Winnipi.ssiogee Luke, with 

 its numerous bays and islands; of the latter we 

 counted no less than sixty in full view. The 

 mountain is elevated 1583 feet above the grouiul 

 at Gilford, and is 2068 feet above the sea-level. 



By a meridional observation of the sun, its 

 latitude is N. 43 deg. 31 m. 56 sec. 



The following bearings were taken with a Mes- 

 siat compass liom the summit of Gunstock 

 Mountain : 



M. H. at Meredith Bridge, N. 78 deg. 20 m. W. 



Nortii peak Ossipee Mt. N. 16 deg. 25 m. E. 



Chocoroa peak, N. 17 deg. 30 m. E. 



Centre Harbor M. H. N. <J deg. 30 m. W. 



Meredith Village C. M. H. N. 20 deg. W. 



Wolteborough V. Bridge, N. 72 dee. 25 m. E. 



These olwervations may prove of some utility 

 in fixing the situations of places on the Map of 

 the State. 



Loose lilocks or boulders of limestone occ4jr in 

 Giilbrd, but no such rock has yet been found 

 there in place. 



They have been found, it is said, on the estate 

 of Dr. J. L. Perley, of the size of a luishel bas- 

 keL The rocks on the farm belonging to Dr. 

 Perley's father, three miles to the North of this 

 place, are said to be sufficiently calcareous to ef- 

 fervesce with a<'ids, but are not like the masses' 

 of limestone which have been found loose. It 

 will be interesting to ascertain the original bed of 

 these erratic blocks of limestone, which must , 

 have been transported from the north-west, ac- 

 cording to the coiuse of the ancient currents, as 

 indicated by strife on the surface of the rocks. 



Near Meredith Bridge there is a small deposit 

 of peat, which is fi-om 2 to 3 fe<!t deep, and may 

 be converted into a valuable meadow by suitable 

 treatmenL 



S|)ecimens of plumbago were shown me, which 

 were said to have been found in Thornton. 



Centre Harbor and the other places of interest 

 around this Lake, have been described by my as- 

 sistants. 



Canterbury, the seat of a flourishing Shaker 

 settlement, is founded upon granite rocks, and 

 possesses a granite soil, which is not naturally 

 fertile, but by the patient industry and skill of 

 the Society of Shakers, is rendered productive. 



The rocks in the town are not interesting, and, 

 so far as we were enabled to observe, do not 

 promise to be important as localities of miner«l<<. 



