Miscellanies. 399 



The sands of the Catawba river, and other streams, passing through 

 the gold regions, have lately been worked with good prospect of profit. 

 An original by the name of Gibson, has " entered" large quantities of 

 the land under the waters of the Catawba, and claims a title from the 

 state. He employs flat boats, or scows, which are pushed out into the 

 river, and detained in their station by poles at the corners. Three men 

 are employed in each boat, who manage two long-handled shovels of 

 peculiar constructiorif for the improvement of which, Gibson has applied 

 for a patent. The shovels are worked by a long crop-handle which 

 acts as a lever, and the shaft has several projections, upon which the 

 foot of the workman is placed, according to the depth of the water, to 

 assist in penetrating the sand and gravel at the bottom of the stream. 

 A man uses one of these shovels on each side of the boat, while a third 

 hand pulls at a grape vine, fastened near the lower end of the handle, 

 to raise the shovel over the side of the boat, into which he empties the 

 contents. Every evening the accumulations are washed at the shore 

 side by a rocker, attached to which is a drainer with quicksilver, to 

 amalgamate the particles of precious metal. The quality of this gold 

 brought in the amalgam to our mint, proves to be above standard. 



The workmen reside in shanties on the bank of the river, by per- 

 mission of the proprietors of adjacent lands. The same spots are 

 worked over and over again from day to day, as the descent in the 

 river causes a rapid filling up of the cavities made by the shovels. 

 There is a difference of opinion with regard to the right of title to such 

 an " entry," — but I am informed, that the deeds of landholders, along 

 the river banks do not claim the river, and leases have been taken when 

 the supposed richness of the sands demanded extraordinary security. 



As the Catawba is not navigated, no obstruction is given to a public 

 highway ; indeed the operations can go on very well without any inter- 

 ruption to the use of the waters. Gibson says he " don't care for the 

 river, all he claims is the land under it !" 



4. Geological observations on the region near Centerville, Alabama, 

 — condensed from a letter to the Editors. — Centerville is situated at 

 the falls of the Cahawba. An extensive limestone formation commences 

 two miles up the river, on the east side. Four miles up the river the 

 country is hilly, and east of the hills there is a valley of one thou- 

 sand to one thousand five hundred acres, throughout which a bed of 

 coal extends. Iron ore — supposed to be brown hematite — exists here 

 in great quantity, and the place is peculiarly well adapted for furnaces. 

 On the west side of the river there is a valuable marble quarry, in 

 which there is a vein of sulphate of barytes a foot wide. Extensive 

 coal fields are found farther up the river, with mines of cobalt and 



