26 



Considerable quantities of black lend are taken occa- 

 sionally for use. from Winterham, in tiie county of 

 Amelia. I am not able, liuwever, to give a particular 

 state of the mine. There is no work established at it ; 

 those who want, going and procuring it for themselves. 



The country on James' river, from 15 to 20 miles 

 above Richmond, and for several n)iles northward and 

 southward, is rej)lete with nnneral coal of a very ex- 

 cellent qualfty. Being in the hands of many proprie- 

 tors, pits have been opened, and, before the interru})tiori 

 of our commerce, were worked to an extent equal to 

 the demand. 



In the western country coal is known to be in so 

 many places, as to have induced an opinion, that the 

 whole tract between the Laurel mountain, Mississippi, 

 and Ohio, yields coal. It is also known in many places 

 on the north sirle of tlie Ohio. Tiie coal at Pittsburg 

 is of very superior quality. A bed of it at that place 

 has been a-fire since the year 1765. x^nother coal-hill 

 on the Pike-run of Monongahela has been a-fire ten 

 years ; yet it has burnt away about twenty yards only. 



I have known one instance of an emerald found in 

 this country. Amethysts have been frequent, and 

 chrystals common ; jet not in such numbers any of 

 them as to be worth seeking. 



There is very good nmrble, and in very great abun- 

 dance, on James' river, at the mouth of Rockfish. 

 The samples I have seen, were some of them of a white 

 as pure as one might expect to find on the surface of 

 the earth : but most of them were variegated with red, 

 blue and purple. None of it has been ever worked. 

 It forms a very large precipice, which hangs over a 

 navigable part of the river. It is said there is marble 

 at Kentucky. 



But one vein of lime stone is known below the Blue 

 ridge. Its first appearance, in our country, is in Prince 

 AVilliam, two miles below the Pignut ridge of moun- 

 tains : thence it passes on nearly parallel with that, and 

 crosses the Rivanna about five miles below it, where it 



