GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



161 



the others, which enters the branch, and from which 

 Mr. Dickson says, the richest branch mines are to be 

 found when the vein enters the branch, and continues a 

 straight course for some length down the branch ; this 

 is apt to be an extensive gold deposit." And further: 

 " Branch mines have led to the discovery of very 

 valuable vein mines, for when they work until the gold 

 seems to fail, they would come back and open into the 

 sides or banks of the ravine, guided by the gold, and at 

 last discover valuable bodies of gold ore ; many in- 

 stances of this kind are notorious in Carolina and Vir- 

 ginia." Moreover, the position of the hill, traversed 

 by the veins and environed by higher mountains, is what 

 the German miners call Schlucht, where the richest for- 

 mations are generally to be found; therefore we would 

 propose to the company to open an adit in the ravine, 

 in the direction of the fourth vein, by which means this 

 vein would be explored to the depth of 150 to 200 feet. 

 The labor might be abridged by sinking a shaft in the 

 vein at the same time, at a distance of 200 feet, hori- 

 zontally; but this would be attended with considerable 

 expense. The tunnel, or adit, being twelve feet high, 

 and six broad for the timber, and for allowing the water 

 to run at the bottom, there will never be a deficiency of 

 the circulation of air in such a short distance. When 

 at a convenient place, communications could be opened 

 with the other veins, &c. 



Although I have signed the report of Mr. Millington, 

 I do not agree with his calculation by the bushel of the 



ore, which is geometrically certain, but only probable 

 Vol. I — V 



