130 Notice of Gold in North Carolina. 



the branches, and in opening several of the veins of quartz on both 

 sides of the river. 



A person accustomed to the indications of gold in this region, 

 would, in the course of a few weeks or months, be able to make up 

 an opinion which might guide future researches or decide the previ- 

 ous question. There is a large tract of low meadow ground on the 

 Mount Ephraim estate, which greatly resembles, in its general fea- 

 tures, the grounds that are now profitably washed for gold at the 

 Whitehall mines in Spotsylvania county : this tract ought to be ex- 

 amined hy digging to the slate, and washing the gravel lying 

 above it. 



There can be no reason to doubt, that both in the washings of the 

 alluvial matters and in the regular quartz veins, gold will be found. 

 It is, however, impossible to predict in what quantity, but as rich 

 disclosures of gold have been made in the immediate vicinity, as 

 these tracts present the peculiar features of the gold region, and as 

 some gold has been found upon them, a favorable result maybe rea- 

 sonably looked for, although nothing but actual trials will give full 

 assurance. These tracts have important natural advantages. A 

 great river, affording unlimited hydraulic power, passes through the 

 lands. Their elevation above the water insures an easy drainage, and 

 there is a large quantity of good timber ; all these resources would, 

 incase of actual mining, prove of great importance. 



Remarlc. — In the experiments of a public course of chemistry, I 

 have recently used portions of the gold which I extracted at the 

 Virginia mines ; it proved remarkably pure, and gave fine results in 

 every instance in which it was tried. 



Art. XI. — Notice of some facts connected with the Gold of a por- 

 tion of North Carolina; in a letter to the Editor, dated Char- 

 lotte, (N.C.) June 6, 1831, from Franklin L. SiviixH, Esq. 



Remark.— The publication of this letter, so many years after its 

 date, demands an explanation, which will be given in another way 

 to the writer. To the public it is sufficient to say, that it was called 

 out from the files where it had lain so long, in consequence of the 

 interest excited in the Editor's mind by his recent examination of 

 the gold region of Virginia ; and on account of the striking similarity 

 of most of the facts stated in this letter, to those which he there saw. 



