126 Remar'ks on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 



and zealous assistance of Mr. Forrest Shepherd, whose minute 

 acquaintance with the topography and peculiarities of this portion of 

 the country, and whose knowledge of the sciences, which have a 

 bearing on this subject, qualify him for extensive usefulness in this 

 department of service, and justly entitle him to confidence. 



Gold Districts of the Virginia and New England Mining Com- 

 pany, in Louisa County. 



This tract, recently belonging to Mr. William Walton, contains 

 193i acres, and joins to the rich gold tract described above, and now 

 the property of the Virginia Exploring and Mining Company, ex- 

 cept that a narrow tract, called the Triple Fork, intervenes, which 

 tract belongs to the Goochland Mining Company. This tract, which 

 is about two hundred yards wide, does not differ materially from that 

 of the Virginia Exploring and Mining Company. Like that land, 

 this contains gold, but it has been only imperfectly explored. Two 

 years ago, a shallow excavation was made, and by the use of a rocker, 

 a few pennyweights were obtained each week, amounting in ten 

 weeks to 680 pennyweights in the whole, and it is expected that the 

 work will be resumed. 



This tract appears to be a continuation of the same gold region, 

 its geological structure being the same with that of the rich Walton 

 territory above named. Slaty rocks form the common basis of the 

 Avhole territory, and upon them hes gravel, then clay, and then soil 

 and forest. 



This portion of land is intersected by six veins of quartz, three 

 -of which appear very distinctly in the public road, one more ob- 

 scurely, and one of them is believed to be the identical vein* which, 

 near Mr. Walton's house, is very productive of gold ; — no reason 

 appears why it should not be equally productive here, but as it has 

 not been opened, this cannot now be positively known, and it must 

 be decided by future exploration. 



No thorough investigation has, as yet, been in any way made upon 

 the tract ; mining has not been even begun, and only a few imper- 

 fect trials have been instituted for surface gold, by washing the gravel 

 and other loose materials. As far as these trials have been made, 

 they decidedly favor the opinion expressed above, as to the nature of 



* On the authority of the county surveyor, Mr. Richardson. 



