246 Notice of the Ancram Lead Mine. 
alluvion of the iron ore bed. Soon after passing the N. Y. 
State line, we come upon well characterized Argillite, 
which in some places appears to pass into chlorite slate. 
The strata or lamin are regular, generally inclined to the 
west, forming an angle of about 60° with the horizon— 
sometimes however they are nearly vertical. Blocks of 
gray wacke are scattered over the surface, and chlorite 
connected with milky and fetid quartz often occurs.—Soon 
the argillite begins to disappear, and Limestone interme- 
diate between the granular and compact takes its place. 
As we proceed west it becomes finer grained and is evi- 
dently the commencement of the transition. It cannot 
however be regarded as a regular distinct stratum, for it 
lies on and alternates with the argillite. As we approach 
the mine the *argillite again appears, and extends, alter- 
nating with the limestone to the Hudson river. 
The lead mine lies in the S. E. part of the town in a 
hill of argillite and transition or metalliferous limestone. 
Some of the slate is glazed like that at Troy, N. Y. and 
closely resembles Bituminous shale. It 1s often regularly 
fissile, and furnishes very good samples of roof-slate. This 
variety however forms but a small part of the hill. As we 
penetrate the rock it becomes of a grayish white color, has 
a conchoidal fracture, and effervesces in acids. ‘The slate 
and Limestone appear to be passing into each other, and 
the lime and alumine are in very nearly equal proportions. 
It might perhaps be called an Argallo-Calcareous Slate. 
The vein of Galena intersects the rock nearly vertically. 
At the surface it was not very thick but increased as they 
descended. The mine was worked 4 or 5 years when it 
was abandoned about a year since, as it was said, on ac- 
count of the scarcity of the ore. Several! excavations were 
made of considerable depth, but little ore however was 
found except where the vein was first opened. The pits 
are now partly filled with water. 
The galena obtained here is argentiferous, and probably 
* The uniform direction of the veins of quartz and the dividing seams 
which intersect the argillite cannot but attract the attention of the Geologist. 
-Bakewell remarks that “in the rock at Charnwood forest the slaty lamine 
make an angle of 60° with the principal seam by which the rock is divided.” 
The same remarks will apply to the argillite of this region, as well as that 
of Albany and Renselaer Cos. as noticed by Mr. Eaton in his Index to the 
Geology ofthe Northern States. p. 172. 
