48 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. 



feet. Much of the ground has been stopped away from main 

 shaft, south to the Scott shaft, between the first and second 

 levels, and also between the same levels, north of the main shaft. 

 Above the first level, and north of the main shaft, the fissure has 

 been followed up into the sandstone, and has been found well 

 filled with mineral, which, at the time of my visit, was yielding 

 a large quantity of galena. This is not an unimportant part, 

 for though the results of observation in other mining countries 

 would teach us to anticipate a change in the character and pro. 

 ductiveness of a vein, in passing from one rock into another 

 of a totally different character, here, at least, is one fact tend- 

 ing to show that the presence of sandstone was not incompati- 

 ble with the deposition of the galena, and that, perhaps, it is a 

 too hasty generalization to conclude that our lead deposits are 

 only productive within the limits of the magnesian limestones. 

 The mineral is remarkably pure, and among the many speci- 

 mens examined I found no intermixture with other ores. 



" East of Cove Mine 120' yards, and on the same ridge, is 

 another fissure called the Negro Lode. On it have been sunk, 

 on the south side, three or four shafts, the deepest of which is 

 fifty or sixty feet. Its course is nearly N. 10 W. But little 

 work has been done by the present proprietors. 



" Two hundred feet east of the Negro Lode is, apparently, 

 another fissure, and running nearly parallel with it. Nothing 

 has been done towards exploring it, excepting to dig some few 

 shallow shafts on the hill side. It is called the Scott Lode. 



" Short Lode. This lode is 300 feet east of the Scott, about 

 280 yards east of the Cove Mine, and on the same hill with 

 them. The lead is found here in fissure, that varies from one 

 inch to two and a half feet in width. Its course is nearly north 

 and south, being nearly parallel with the preceding. The fis- 

 sure is vertical, and contains, in addition to the ore, the heavy 

 spar, which most frequently accompanies the galena in this fis- 

 sure. The lead ore is accompanied, sometimes, by sulphuret 

 of zinc. Frequently, cubes of the galena are found encrusted 

 with crystals of the carbonate of lead. 



" A considerable amount of systematic mining has been done 

 here. Three shafts one, ninety feet ; one, eighty-five feet ; 

 and another seventy-seven feet, have been sunk : levels at three 



