159 



the other side. A considerable amount of debris precludes the possi- 

 bility of following the veins to the bottom of the gulch, but, judging from 

 analogy, they may be considered to extend some distance farther down 

 beyond the point where at present they can be seen. This caQon now 

 being the main route of ingress and egress to and from Howardsville, 

 prospectors have been attracted more particularly to the study of its 

 vicinity, and ore has been obtained from several veins, yielding, even 

 when taken from the surface, a comparatively large percentage of silver. 

 Near the head of the gulch, on the left hand descending, the 



HIGHLAND MARY 



is located. It has a strike of north 68° west, and vertical dip. Between 

 walls the gangue and ore average from 4 to 5 feet. To the northwest the 

 extension of the vein has been found and claimed as the " Robert Eruce.'' 

 Toward the gulch the Highland Mary runs through the horizontally 

 stratified trachytes of No. 4, corresponding in character to that de- 

 scribed from station 14, of a bluish color. The line of junction between 

 this volcanic rock and the underlying metamorphics is well marked and 

 readily distinguishable. Without showing any change in course or width, 

 except a slight deflection of about 3 feet, forming a curve at that point, 

 the lode can be traced downward through the schists for more than 200 

 feet in a vertical line. These schists are of a green color, weathering 

 very dark. Quartz and chlorite constitute the two predominating min- 

 erals. Pyrite occurs scattered through. Structure is slaty, with small 

 veins of quartz traversing at right angles to the plane of the schists. 

 After that debris sets in, and it would require some tunneling or other 

 work of a similar nature to reach the vein. Galenite, intimately asso- 

 ciated with fahlerz, (tetrahedrite,) at many points forms the main body of 

 ore, and pyrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite are not wanting. Quartz 

 mainly composes the gangue. The ore occurs in seams, from the thick- 

 ness of a needle to 9 inches, without, however, showing any symmetry of 

 arrangement. No further work had been done at the time of my visit 

 than the uncovering of a number of points along the vein, in order to de- 

 monstrate the continuation of ore. It is claimed that the extension to 

 the southeast across the caiion has been found, but I did not visit the 

 locality. 



THE ROBERT BRUCE, 



as above mentioned, is the northwestern extension of the Highland 

 Mary, keeping nearly the same course. It has been prospected for some 

 distance, and the character of ore appears to vary but little from that 

 found below, although the distribution of the several minerals may not 

 be the same. 



THE COMSTOCK LODE, 



formerly called the Mountaineer, is situated on the same hill, about half 

 a mile nearer to the head of the gulch, and south of the Highland Mary. 

 Its strike is a more westerly one — north 75° west. As far as could 

 be observed, it runs entirely in the blue trachyte. It may be, however, 

 that the downward continuation is merely obscured by debris^ or rather 

 large masses of broken rocks. Between walls it is on an average 4 to 

 5 feet wide, and has a slight dip to the south. Very little work has 

 been done on this lode, and mainly surface-ores, consisting of galenite, 

 pyrite, &c., have been obtained. 

 2 s J 



