202 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 
existence of avein of gold below. In this belief he was further strength- 
ened by the fact of the tops of the trees, in the vicinity, being dead. Ac- 
cordingly, with some of his neighbors, he went to work, and sunk three 
pits, one of which was thirty feet deep. Unfortunately, when I visited 
the place, these pits had become filled up with the rubbish and washings 
from the hill above. 
After the examination of the material thrown from these pits, and aided 
by the memory of Mr. Payne, 1 was enabled to make out the following 
succession in the deposits: 
(2) Slope above the shaft, composed of waterworn hornstone 
and chert gravel, and sand, which are sometimes formed 
into a ferruginous conglomerate of small extent.-+-+-.++-- 30 feet. 
(4) Light colored plastic clay, with small, pure, transparent, len- 
ticular crystals of selenite imbedded --++-+++s+++e+: 10to15 “ 
(c) Variegated plastic clay, alternating with beds of clay, in all 
BDOUTC + os ase eee ae we eae sre Sanceh as cay Sead Aiea oan Se 15 “ 
Bottom of thé shafts «sess 0s soe e ee saw wasens Rh iaeuers “lgyehs pao dO 88 
60 ce 
The deposits passed through in this shaft, are not such as to afford any 
hope of finding gold, or other precious metals. The labors of Mr. Payne 
have disclosed, however, in the member marked (0), of the above section, 
a material which will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable fertilizer of 
land, from the large amount of selenite (a transparent variety of gypsum) 
which it contains. Judging from its external appearance, the selenite 
forms about one-third of the whole mass composing this member. An 
earth, so rich in this ingredient, and so easy of access, must be of great 
value to the farming community. 
The lower bed reached, (c), is a good potter’s clay, which, by a proper 
selection, and washing, will be applicable for the manufacture of the 
coarser kinds of porcelain. 
The yellow member of this bed, which is sometimes several feet thick, 
is a variety of yellow ochre that has commercial value as a cheap paint, 
used tor the coarser kinds of work. 
The evidence of the cracking of the earth, at this locality, is still very 
apparent; and it is probable that such cracks are not uncommon, and 
may have favored the formation of the selenite, by giving egress to pent- 
up sulphurous acid or sulphuretted hydrogen gases, which, by oxidation, 
have been converted into sulphuric acid; this, combining with the lime 
present in some of the quaternary deposits, has formed the sulphate of 
lime, (selenite). These cracks may have originated, in part, from the 
