122 RemarJcs on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 



The direction of the strata by compass, here conforms to the gen- 

 eral geological structure of the gold region, and of the continent, 

 being about N. by E. and S. by W. 



That the gold region of Virginia, although of very unequal value, 

 is, on the whole, rich in the precious metal, admits of no doubt. It 

 appears also, from satisfactory evidence, that much gold has been 

 already taken, from this vicinity, on both sides of the Rapidan river. 

 Gold is obtained in probably all the branches. Hempstead gather- 

 ed fi'otn the hill and chiefly from the shaft which bears his name, in 

 1831 and '32, about $4,000, and nearly $3,000 of this was ob- 

 tained in sixty days : he was aided by only two men, two boys, and 

 a two-ox team, and his excavations were not very considerable. 

 Large sums have been taken from tracts on the opposite side of the 

 river. Ten branches that were examined on this bank, all afforded 

 gold ; and out of about one hundred washings, almost all were suc- 

 cessful. On Grimes' land, two or three miles from the river, 12 or 

 $15,000 were obtained; and on Greenwood, not less than $40,000. 

 Judge Coulter, immediately opposite, has taken up 10 or $12,000, 

 and is obtaining more. The greater part of this gold was found by 

 washing alluvial matters. On Greenwood there was a rich yield 

 from a vein, and there are auriferous veins on all the above named 

 tracts. 



But the question of deepest interest is, what proportion of gold may 

 be reasonably expected from this mine- — from its auriferous quartz and 

 their contents, and from the rocks themselves as far as they bear gold? 

 Mining operations are always, to a degree, uncertain in their results. 

 No knowledge or sagacity can enable us to decide, with absolute cer- 

 tainty, on the proportion of the desired treasure, which lies below ; 

 it may diminish — it may increase — it may vanish. In a country 

 whose geological structure is uniform like the region before us — 

 where the veins appear to be subject to little irregularity and to con- 

 stitute an important and probably an original feature of the rocks, 

 we can discern no reason why their metallic contents, and, in the 

 present instance, why the proportion of the precious metal should 

 diminish. That it is, however, very unequally distributed in the 

 veins is manifest, and therefore a trial made in a single place might 

 afford a result either too discouraging, or too flattering. With a 

 view of avoiding, as far as possible, this source of error, portions of 

 the ore were taken from various places ; in the veins at the bottom 

 of the shaft, and at the end of the adits ; and also from the heaps 



