TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



promising veins are now regarded as valueless which 

 under proper auspices would prove very lucrative. 

 This is to be remarked in almost every gold load in 

 these regions, until a depth of 70 to 100 feet has been 

 attained. The walls of the vein and the vein itself 

 show appearances of much disorganization, as to posi- 

 tion and constituent parts. In the state of Virginia, 

 where the granite and the talcose slate form respective 

 walls of the vein of quartz containing gold, masses of a 

 decomposed granite are to be found sometimes in the 

 slate of the opposite wall, and vice versa, seams of red 

 clay also traverse the respective walls. In fact, the 

 whole of the formation is in a crude and confused state. 

 The vein itself consists of disjointed masses of ore, with 

 seams of clay intermingled ; its dip and inclination va- 

 rying from one point of the compass, and from one angle 

 to another, every four or five feet in depth or horizon- 

 tally. One fact is apparent, the whole formation has 

 been once softened by the influence of superincumbent 

 water, from a depth varying from 50 to 100 feet; that 

 it has been almost in a state of suspension in water, as 

 the muddy sediment of a pond; that while it continued 

 in this state, it had been frequently violently agitated 

 and waved to and fro, like a field of grass in a high 

 wind ; that these various changes in the position of the 

 walls of the vein and the load itself, thus originated, is 

 self evident. 



When the gold loads consist of auriferous vein ore, 

 or a quartz vein containing a large proportion of sul- 

 phuret of iron and native gold, changes have takea : 



