260 C.U. Shepard on a Meteoric Iron? from N. Carolina. 
November, 1858, however, he sent the specimen to me by the 
hand of Rev. Mr. Bowman; and a month after addressed me 
from where it empties into Second Broad River, and four miles 
from Rutherfordton. It was found by a man named Pinner, 
who has since removed to the southwest. Search was made, but 
no similar piece was discovered, although iron ore of good qual- 
ity was found. There are no iron-works in the neighborhood. 
This is all the information I am able to communicate about a 
substance which has puzzled us all here. You will oblige me 
by retaining it in your ion, till I can say something defin- 
ite as to its ownership.’ 
My perplexity was greatly increased on the inspection of the 
mass. Its weight was t pounds and three quarters, and its 
was moreover slightly tapering in its figure,—having evidently 
been broken directly and evenly across at each extremity, from 
connection with a longer mass, that may have been stalactitic 
in shape, or even drop-form, like the Charlotte meteoric iron, 
that was seen to fall August 1, 1835. Almost the first impression 
created by the fragment is, that it is cast-iron or steel, that has 
en run in a mould formed by a fossil Calamite, supposing also 
that the surface was afterwards perfectly cleared of any crust 
or film, and polished throughout at every point. Singular ver- 
7, 
