53 



Delow the surface, indicating that the swamps were burnt 

 over before the peat was formed. 



When we come to the examination of the Rocks and Min- 

 erals of Topsfield, the first object of attention is what is 

 known as the " Copper Mine." Most that is known of this 

 comes by tradition. It is said that an Englishman named 

 Buntin, came here about 1760, and with some of Ihe towns- 

 men begun mining for copper. Three points were selected ; 

 one near the meadow, on land now of David Towne, and 

 near the house of Elisiia Towne, then living on the premises. 

 From this they passed to anothei- point near the junction of 

 the roads, where they sunk a shaft ; and again going up the 

 hill to the northeast, they sunk a third one some forty feet 

 deep, with a considerable chamber at the bottom, made by 

 removal of this rock in the search for ore. The tradition 

 continues, that they shipped a large quantity of the ore, or 

 rock, for England ; but as nothing was ever heard of it, it 

 was supposed that ship and cargo were lost at sea. About 

 1838 these shafts were reopened, and in them some of the 

 old mining tools were found, shovels, picks, &c. An exam- 

 ination was made as to the utility of again working the mine, 

 but nothing was done further, as there appeared no prospect 

 of profit. 



The rock at these places is of a green color, and very hard 

 when first broken up, but by exposure to the air, it crum- 

 bles down into slaty or scaly fragments. It can be traced 

 nearly two miles from the meadow above named, in an east- 

 erly direction. It appears near the surface just east of the 

 house of Daniel Towne. It passes under the river at the old 

 fordway, sometimes called the " Old Weirs." Still to the 

 east the Newburyport Railroad cuts through it, near the 

 house of David Perkins, to a depth of fifteen feet. Here it 

 betrays the presence of copper quite as much as at any of 

 the other points. In part the rock consists of quartz ; and 

 the indications of metal are increased very much by the 

 action of the atmosphere. How much further the formation 

 extends eastward is not known. 



Few extensive ledges of granite exist here. Bowlders, 

 large and small abound in and upon the hills, scattered and 

 distributed with little or no order. 



In form, size and color, they are of course greatly diversi- 



