AMERICAN MINERALS. 147 



It is very barren in extraneous minerals ; no marks 

 «f stratification appear in it, but it is every where di- 

 vided by cracks and fissures breaking it up into irre- 

 gular masses, of no great extent ; very often it is 

 traversed by small veins, of an extremely fine grained 

 granite, of a light flesh or pink colour. Like most gra- 

 nite, itis susceptible of decomposition, and varies very 

 considerably in different parts of the same mass, 

 whether exposed to the surface, or covered with ve- 

 getable or other soil ; thus along the lower canal of 

 the Saluda, whole fields of it are in a decomposed 

 state, here and there presenting among its ruins some 

 masses, which from unknown causes have escaped 

 uninjured. As commonly observed of this rock, it 

 presents large masses rounded upon the surface, 

 ascribable either to the progress of decomposition 

 which commences with the angles and edges or as 

 some have supposed to a species of concretionary ar- 

 rangement of its minerals, during its consolidation. 



Last year my attention was attracted by two pa- 

 rallel black veins in a mass of granite, occurring by 

 the side of Rocky branch,* just below Dr, Fishers 

 mill dam. The surface of the rock protrudes but a 

 little above the ground. These veins lie near to each 

 other, of from one to two inches in thickness, nearly 

 vertical in their position, and of an unknown length 

 and depth. The substance of these veins scarcely 



* A small creek passing within a few hundred yards of 

 the South Eastern boundary of Columbia, and emptying 

 into the €ongaree. 



