172... REPORT—1858. 
our Southern Fields, the general direction is North of West, and South of 
East. 
Where the veins of the more usual line of direction are crossed by 
oblique or “ caunter” veins, we frequently find the traversed ones to be shifted 
or thrown off their course, and often ramified by those so traversing ; and 
sometimes they undergo a curvature on one side, near the cross vein. 
As a rule, if the oblique or “ caunter” vein be first met with on the right- 
hand side, the shift will be to the left; and if on the contrary, the heave 
will be to the right ; or in other words, the vein is heaved on the side of the 
obtuse angle formed by the intersecting planes. (See fig. 8; A, B, A.) 
To this rule there are however many exceptions, and a remarkable one 
occurred at the Grassington Mines, which is represented by Fig. 8. On 
finding the vein A A shifted, the level, as usual, was turned on the side of the 
obtuse angle, and driven forward on the vein B some considerable distance, 
till, despairing of finding the vein in this direction, and after carefully exami- 
ning the surface, and some old works in the vicinity, we returned to the point 
of intersection, and began a level northward at nearly right angles to the 
traversed vein; which in course of time was found to be heaved or thrown 
backwards some 50 yards. (See fig. 8; AA, BB, A A.) 
In heaves of this class, the veins are consequently lengthened ; while they 
are shortened when thrown or shifted on the side of the obtuse angle. 
The dislocation of one vein by another is likewise indicative of its ante- 
rior existence. 
When one or both of the veins produce ore up to the point at which they 
meet, the yield is often increased by their junction. The extent of the angle 
formed by two veins is looked upon with some interest by the Miner; the 
more acute it is, the more favourable is their union considered to be for the 
production of metallic Mineral. 
At Grassington, it is found that many of the direct veins are not heaved 
by the oblique or “ caunter” ones, but are so split or ramified, that it is with 
difficulty they can be traced on the other side of the intersection. The 
usual course in such cases is to go forward on the “caunter” vein, some fathoms 
beyond the point of intersection, and drive a crosscut; when the branches 
are often found to have united, and the vein to be reconstructed. 
When the displacement of the strata is so great as to cause beds of dif- 
ferent mineral character to be opposed to each other, fragments of the en- 
closing rocks form a considerable portion of the contents of the vein, 
The general composition of the veins is Calcareous Spar, Fluor Spar, 
Barytes, and occasionally Calamine. In some districts one of these minerals 
prevails, in others another. 
A vein enclosed by regularly stratified Gritstone is productive, almost 
entirely, ef Galena, which forms the principal yield of Lead Ores through- 
out the world. Cases have, however, occurred, when a somewhat thin stra- 
tum of Grit, superimposed on an Argillaceous Shale of moderate thickness, 
has exclusively contained large quantities of decomposing Galena, earthy 
Carbonates, and imperfectly crystallized Carbonates. In the former case, the 
ore lies mostly in more or less solid ribs, approximately parallel to the walls 
of the vein; while in the latter, the lode is found loosely filled with various 
sized pieces, in different stages of chemical decomposition. 
When the beds of Gritstone and Shale are much broken and displaced 
(as is usual in the vicinity of an anticlinal axis, or contiguous to a line of 
extensive fault), or when the.beds of Shale are individually thicker than the 
respective Gritstones, the vein throughout its productive depth principally 
yields irregular strings and small bunches of Galena; whilst its upper part 
