114 Remar'ks on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 



and sifted. Of this, six pounds were taken and washed in the usual 

 way ; the gold which now appeared in decisive quantity, where none 

 was before visible, being amalgamated, and the amalgam strained 

 and decomposed by fire, amounted to twelve grains for the six 

 pounds of ore ; this, being in the proportion of two hundred grains 

 to one hundred pounds, equals ^'8 16 for that amount of ore. 

 This trial would appear to be as fair a one for the ore-heap as could 

 well be made with the same weight of the materials. 



It may be important to observe, that in a visit to this mine two 

 weeks before, although not then authorized to examine it responsi- 

 bly, 1 was desired by Dr. Benjamin Coleman, agent for the Rich- 

 mond Mining Company, and at that time with me, to pay some at- 

 tention to this mine, that I might be the better able to judge of the 

 mines in Goochland county, wliich I was soon to visit, and of which 

 an account is contained in the preceding pages. I did, accordingly, 

 then examine the condition of the ore of the Walton Mine, so far as 

 to cause portions to be pulverized and washed from various parts^ 

 inside and outside of this ore-heap, and there was, in every instance, 

 a yield of gold so striking to the eye, that had the amalgamation and 

 extraction been finished in the way above described, I cannot doubt 

 that the result would have been substantially the same with that now 

 obtained. These facts, taken in connexion, leave then no doubt as 

 to the average richness of this pile of ore, and of course of the vein 

 from which it is derived. 



3. The third trial was made upon pieces of solid quartz, taken at 

 random from the heap of ore ; no gold was observed upon them, but 

 on being pulverized and washed, the powder showed gold richly, for 

 when the usual process by amalgamation and evaporation was finish- 

 ed, six pounds of the material yielded thirty grains of gold, answer- 

 ing to five hundred grains, and equivalent to ^20 41 for one hun- 

 dred pounds, or one bushel. 



4. The fourth and last trial was made upon pieces of the quartz, 

 selected on account of their showing gold to the naked eye : no pie- 

 ces were admitted which did not exhibit one point or more of gold ; 

 few showed more than two' points, and generally they were not lar- 

 ger than the head of a common pin. Of this lot of ore- when pul- 

 verized, four pounds were taken and washed and amalgamated ; the 

 product of gold was one hundred and thirty-one grains, in the ratio 

 of thirteen hundred and ten grains for one hundred pounds, and 

 equivalent in value to ^133 73. 



