132 Notice of Gold in North Carolina. 



second in not showing any appearances of the form of the pieces found 

 therein being produced by the friction of water, the gold, when found 

 in this situation, seeming to be of a crystalline formation. These de- 

 posits or pockets are found at different distances from the surface of 

 the ground, varying from a few inches to five feet. In this latter 

 situation was found the large quantity of gold to which it is' supposed 

 you make allusion in your letter. I do not now remember the ac- 

 count given in the newspapers, but am led to believe it was some- 

 what exaggerated, as such is generally the case when new and ex- 

 tensive discoveries are first made. The facts of the case, it is be- 

 lieved, are these. On account of some indications that a piece of 

 land, lying about eighteen miles in a southeast direction from this, 

 contained gold, two persons from Virginia were induced, more than 

 a year since, to purchase it. After some few ineffectual endeavors 

 to find the precious metal, these persons deserted the land and re- 

 turned to their homes. In the month of April last, while some la- 

 borers were engaged in a search for gold on the land, they discov- 

 ered, on the top of a hill, about two or three feet below the surface, 

 and in a red clay loam, formed it is presumed by the decomposition of 

 slate, an extremely rich pocket of the kind above described. Such 

 was the richness of this deposit, that in a space little if any exceed- 

 ing three feet square, the workmen in a short time obtained, as I am 

 assured by unquestionable authority, seventy five pounds of gold, 

 one piece alone weighing nine pounds, two ounces, and seven penny- 

 weights. This piece, when first discovered, was wedged in between 

 a formation of quartz and slate, from which position it was with much 

 difficulty removed, without breaking it into snjaller pieces. Its shape 

 was nearly triangular, with a base of eight inches, gradually but ir- 

 regularly decreasing, until it was reduced to a vertex about two inches 

 broad. It measured nearly thirteen inches in length, and was gen- 

 erally about an inch and a half thick, its surfaces exhibiting more 

 the appearance of crystallization than that produced either by fusion 

 or friction of water. When cleansed of the clay which was attached 

 to this specimen of ore, it presented a solid mass of pure gold, except 

 a small piece of quartz near the narrow end, and even tliis was inter- 

 sected with numerous and beautiful veins of the precious metal. 



This curious and valuable specimen was purchased in this place, 

 by the Chevalier Vincent Riva Finola, superintendent of the Eng- 

 lish Gold Mining Company, for ,<^'1925, and by him forwarded to 

 New York, and thence exported to Paris. 



