Gold Region of North Carolina. 1 3 



titanium, beryl, zirconite, kyanite, &c. Graphite is very ex- 

 tensively distributed. Within its boundaries also, are all the 

 iron mines that supply the forges and furnaces (thirty of the 

 former and three of the latter,) with the raw material. The 

 eastern division, on the other hand, is singularly barren of 

 mineral species, and especially of crystalline forms. Indeed, 

 if a line be drawn from the point where the Catawba enters 

 South Carolina, to the north east corner of Stokes county on 

 the Virginia line, with a bend to the westward to make it in- 

 clude the greater part of Iredell, the part of the state possess- 

 ing much interest for the mineralogist will lie on the western 

 side of this line. On the eastern side of it I am not aware 

 that a single specimen of such common minerals as garnet 

 and schorl, to mention no others, has ever been found. They 

 may exist, especially beyond the formations next to be treat- 

 ed of, in the counties of Warren, Franklin and Wake, where 

 there are crystalline rocks bearing a resemblance to those 

 of the west, but too extensively covered by the sand to ad- 

 mit of our ascertaining their mineral riches. 



On the Pedee in Anson and Richmond, as will be seen by 

 the map, is another body of primitive rocks, having no ap- 

 parent connexion with any other. This is a beautiful granite, 

 crystalline in its structure, porphyritic, quarried for mill 

 stones, decomposing into a good soil, and not known to con- 

 tain any imbedded mineral species. 



The transition or slate, is well described in Professor 

 Olmsted's paper (as having " argillite for its prevailing rock, 

 and embracing amongst other less important varieties of 

 slate, extensive beds of novaculite, petrosiliceous porphyry and 

 greenstone, these last covering the others,") except that one 

 important member of the series — important for determining 

 the age and geological relations of the whole formation is 

 omitted ; and that I believe conclusive evidence may be fur- 

 nished, that if either rock overlies it is the argillite, but only 

 in the southern part of the formation. In general, they alter- 

 nate with each other in every conceivable order of succession. 

 The rock omitted is a conglomerate or breccia, sometimes 

 exhibiting a schistose structure, and sometimes destitute of 

 any tendency to such a structure. It appears to he the 

 secondary greenstone of Mr. Rathe. His greenstone slate 

 is the argillite of Mr. Olmsted., and argillite it is unquestion- 

 ably, as well characterised as is to be found within the lim 

 its of the United States. 



