8 Gold Region of Georgia, 



in general, it may be called a country rich in that metal, I will not 

 pretend to say. The whole region is like Habersham, primitive, 

 and the rock and ferruginous hue of the soil are the same; being alike 

 in geology, and but little as yet developed, I would not pronounce it 

 less interesting ; in extent, it surpasses the region described in Geor- 

 gia. 



Valley River, if viewed in any respect, is very interesting. 

 The scenery is picturesque beyond description. The talcose slate 

 predominating in the hills, leaves them barren of timber, but clothed 

 with grass, rounded off and destitute of those bold cliffs, so com- 

 mon in the smoky mountain ranges ; the veins are placed, with re- 

 mote mountains in the back ground, which ever way the view is 

 taken. 



But to the rocks again. The formation in which the gold is found 

 differs from any thing I had before seen. It is a protogene mica slate, 

 passing into talcose slate, holding within its masses the largest stauro- 

 tides, many of these crystals are of the size of a man's wrist,* most dis- 

 tinctly crossed and interwoven and of every size, from that of a straw 

 up to several inches in diameter. The slate rock which I now men- 

 tion breaks up into rhomboidal portions. The quartz is in great mass- 

 es, very compact and of a yellow hue, the gold is large and I con- 

 fess I could not fix its gangue ; much deposit gold is found in the 

 bottom of the river. Every part of the valley did not present hke ap- 

 pearances. There were ferruginous spots of deposit, where the gold 

 was abundant and in fine particles, but the value of it was depressed 

 by an alledged alloy ; one of the localities where it was thus found 

 gave signs of much labor having been performed. An Indian oc- 

 cupied and claimed the spot. 



In this vicinity are the remains of ancient works ; many shafts have 

 been sunk, and (judging from the masses thrown up) to great depths; 

 one of those was through quartz rock. About thirty feet of it in 

 depth lay open to the view ; there is also a deep and difficult cut cross- 

 ing a very bold vein of quartz, it is much filled up having been used 

 for an Indian burying place. Not far from this work of art where 

 nothing short of the steel pick, could have left the traces found, are 

 the remains of a small furnace ; the walls had been of soapstone j 

 out of the inner wall I broke off cinders. In connexion with these 



Staurotides are found with the gold, in Cone creek. 



