1832.] Scientific Intelligence. 365 



This interesting paper gives a particular account of the wild dog, of which a 

 notice will be found in Mr. Hodgson's paper on the Mammalia of Nepal published 

 in the present number : it is accompanied by accurate drawings of the animal, 

 and, by way of comparison, of the " chien de rue," and the jackal ; and of the 

 skeletons of the head of each. 



VI. — Scientific Intelligence. 



1. — Gold Mines of North America. 

 Several new sites of gold ore have, within a few years, been discovered in the 

 United States. 



The gold mines of North Carolina, are acquiring importance rapidly, through the 

 improvements in mining introduced by foreign miners. In Virginia also, since 1827 

 considerable attention has been attracted by the discovery of the precious ore 

 along a belt of country extending through Spotsylvania [and the neighbouring 

 counties. In the latter State it is diffused over large spaces, and has not been found 

 sufficiently in mass, except in a few places, to make mining practicable ; but in 

 North Carolina the produce has increased from D. 2,500 a year to D. 128,000 in 

 1829, and 204,000 in 1830. 



The mint returns for 1830 state the receipt of gold from "the gold region of 

 the United States," to be D. 466,000, of which D. 212 ,000 was from Georgia, 

 whence no specimen had ever before been received ; D. 24,000 from Virginia 

 and D. 26,000 from South Carolina. The gold country was estimated by 

 Prof. Olmsted, in 1825, at only 1,000 square miles, but it has since been found to 

 be vastly more extensive, and a succession of mines has been discovered in 

 the country east of the Blue Ridge, extending from the river Potomac into the 

 state of Alabama, and ending in Tennessee. The gold works in the counties of 

 Burke and Rutherford are washings : the gold is found in small and pure particles 

 mixed with the sand, which lies in deposits, occupying as it were the beds of 

 ancient streams, creeks, &c. 



The counties of Mecklenberg, Rowan, Davidson, and Cabarras are the richest 

 in what may be properly called gold mines; that is, where the gold is found in ore, 

 and distinguishable by the eye, and where it is separated by pounding, and amal- 

 gamation with mercury, separating the latter from the gold by distillation in an 

 alembic in the usual manner. 



The gold region abounds in quartz, which contains cubical pyrites. These 

 cubes are sometimes decomposed, and the cells thus created are filled with "old. 

 The greatest portion of the metal, however, occurs in veins in slate. 



"The best veins of gold are not horizontal, nor often vertical, but have a dip of 

 about 45 degrees. They vary in width from a few inches to several feet : they are 

 not confined to hills at all, but are found also in low lands. These veins are often 

 parallel to each other at unequal distances : their depth in most places has not 

 been ascertained, no shafts having yet pierced lower than 120 feet. The minino- 

 required a great deal of skill and experience in economizing the perforations and 

 galleries. There are no less than thirteen different languages spoken at these mines, 

 so speedily have adventurous miners been attracted from Germany, Switzerland, 

 Spain, England, &c Mills for grinding the ore, propelled by water or by steam, 

 have been erected, and in one establishment alone more than 600 hands are em- 

 ployed. The state of morals among this heterogeneous mass of adventurers is 

 represented to be deplorably bad. 



