188 Discovery of Tellurium in. Virginia. 
Art. XVI.—Discovery of Tellurium in Virginia ; Ax C.1%. 
Jackson, U.S.G.S. 
‘Earty in May last, Mr. Knowles Taylor of New York gave 
me two specimens of native gold, in mica slate rock, from an au- 
riferous vein recently discovered in’ Whitehall, near Fredericks- 
burg, Va. In one of the specimens I observed a considerable 
mass of a splendent foliated and sectile mineral, of the color of 
antimony, which I recognized as an ore of te lurium. The gold 
was imbedded in a mass of it, and it was also observed to exist 
disseminated through the rock in shining metallic leaves. On 
submitting this mineral to analysis, 1 discovered that it’ was a 
telluret of lead and gold or foliated tellurium ore. In the open 
glass tube before the blowpipe, telluric acid sublimes, and con- 
denses in the cooler part of the tube in a yellowish white film 
which melts into drops. A little greyish sublimate also deposits, 
which is metallic tellurium. The residual matter, cupelled on 
mica, gave a well characterized glass of litharge, and a minute 
globule of pure gold. This interesting mineral has not, I believe, 
been heretofore discovered’ in the United States, and it is ex- 
tremely rare in Europe. It had been mistaken for gr ie . 
molybdenum, and was considered to be of no value. That e 
should be corrected, for it is not only valuable as an extol 
rare mineral, but since, ‘as I am informed, it occurs in abundance 
in the Virginia mine, it should be «saved and wrought for gold, in 
the same manner as is practiced in the tellurium and gold mines 
of Transylvania. It is very easy to expel the tellurium by heat, 
and then the gold nfay be obtained by the usual processes of 
amalgamation by mercury, and discharge of the mercury by heat. 
Since I detected the tellurium, I have conversed with T'. A. Dex- 
ter, Esq. of Boston, who has recently visited the mine, and has 
fe a considerable quantity of this tellurium ore in the vein. 
ve me two very weéll characterized specimens, which he 
diol from the vein in place ; so‘there ean be no doubt of its ex- 
istence in a true auriferous vein. 
I announced this discovery at the annual meeting of the Amer, we 
nth, 
ican Academy of Arts and Sciences last mon 
Boston, June 18th, 1848. 
“shy 
‘te 
