120 RemarJcs on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 



level. The adit, just described, is named No. 1, and, as already 

 stated, will be driven in to meet the shaft. 



The adit opposite to this, on the other side of the hill, is named 

 No. 2, and is, in all respects, similar to No. 1 — except that there is 

 a deviation of the vein, nearly one hundred feet from the mouth of 

 the adit, which causes an abrupt offset of seven feet to the left, 

 where the vein is recovered. The entire length of this adit is, at 

 present, one hundred and seventeen feet, and when finished, it will, 

 like No. 1, strike the shaft common to the two adits, forming one 

 continued communication, which will completely perforate the hill, 

 and afford a passage through, from side to side. The vein in this 

 adit is two and a half feet wide, measured in two places. In adit 

 No. 1, the vein was less perfect, being divided into strings or ramifi- 

 cations. From No. 1, about four hundred bushels of ore had been 

 taken. The ore at the shaft and at the other adits, was not estima- 

 ted, but its quantity was very considerable. Adit No. 3, is carried 

 into Hempstead's hill : its mouth is immediately opposite to that of 

 adit No. 2, and it is separated from it only by a small branch of wa- 

 ter : it is in fact a continuation of the two adits 1 and 2. No. 3 is, 

 in form and cross dimensions, like the others ; it is one hundred and 

 fourteen feet long ; it is very strongly timbered with oak posts and 

 two inch plank. Adit No. 4, is on the southeast side of this hill, 

 and its course is at right angles to No. 3 : it enters at a lower level, 

 probably twenty or twenty five below, and, like No. 3, is intended 

 to strike Hempstead's old shaft on the top of this hill, and near its 

 centre, which shaft may be opened again. 



In addition to the adits already described, another has been open- 

 ed, a little to the northwest of No. 3 : it is called the dust-vein, as 

 the ore is obtained from it in a powdered state, at least in part. This 

 adit has been, as yet, driven only a few feet into the hill— but it dis- 

 closes a vein about six feet wide, which is found to be rich in gold. 

 This appears not to be the entire breadth of the vein : there is an 

 additional mass of quartz in place, by the side of this adit, and not 

 yet excavated, which is four feet wide — making a vein in the whole, 

 (with the addition of the dust vein of which it appears to be a part,) 

 ten feet wide. This vein is doubtless a distinct one from that in which 

 adits No. 1 and 2 are excavated. Of these veins we are sure, and 

 probably others will be hereafter disclosed. There can be no rea- 

 sonable doubt, that the knobs and other fixed masses of quartz ob- 

 served in numerous places, here and there, on the tract, are parts of 



