

NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND MONTANA. 191 



that we are rather inclined to the opinion that it will only be 

 occasionally that pieces of corundum will be found of sufficient 

 purity and beauty to be of much value as gems; for it is well 

 known that very small defects, if tbe}^ do not destroy alto- 

 gether the value of the gem, depreciate its value to a very 

 great extent. 



About a year ago a quantity of rolled pebbles were sent to 

 me from the territory of Montana, which upon examination I 

 found to consist principally of corundum; they were like the 

 rolled pebbles from the ruby localities in the East Indies, each 

 one being a little crystal in itself, more or less abraded on the 

 angles, and being of a compact, uniform structure. They were 

 flattened hexagonal prisms with worn edges. They were either 

 colorless or green, varying in shade from a light to a dark-green ; 

 some were bluish-green, and there were not any red ones among 

 them ; there were some red pebbles, but on examination they 

 proved to be spinel. 



These pebbles are found on the Missouri Eiver near its 

 source, about one hundred and sixty miles above Benton; they 

 are obtained from bars on the river, of which there are some 

 four or five within a few miles of each other. In the mining 

 region of this territory on these bars considerable gold is found, 

 being brought down the river and lodged there, and are now 

 being worked for the gold. The stones are found scattered 

 through the gravel (which is about five feet deep), and upon 

 the bed-rock in some of the claims they are abundant and in 

 others scarce. Occasionally they are found in the gravel and 

 upon the bed-rock in the gulches from forty to sixy feet below 

 the surface, but they are very rare in these localities. The 

 greatest quantity of them are found upon the Eldorado bar 

 situated on the Missouri Eiver about sixteen miles from 

 Helena; one man could collect on this bar from one to two 

 pounds per day. 



I have had some of the stones cut, and among them one 

 very perfect stone of three and a half carats, and of good green 

 color, almost equal to the best oriental emerald. 



My opinion is that this locality is far more reliable to look 

 for the gem variety of corundum than any other in the United 

 States I have yet examined. 



