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TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



geognostically, since the vein may change in quantity 

 and in quality every ten feet in depth, and even in the 

 three-fourth parts of the undiscovered vein, in compa- 

 rison with the fourth part hitherto discovered. 



In such circumstances, I know no other means of solv- 

 ing the problem than to prove the identity of the new 

 vein of Smith's gold mine, with some other known veins 

 which are already profitably worked ; therefore I only 

 insisted, in my report, on the direction and the matrix 

 of this vein, which is the same as in the others of Vir- 

 ginia 3 and the quotation of the Rappahannock mines 

 by Mr. Dickson, as perfectly resembling the others ; and 

 the situation of the vein, which, like some others, ac- 

 cording to the same author, would cut a rivulet ob- 

 liquely in its prolongation ; and lastly on the observa- 

 tion, that the fourth vein enters the branch and con- 

 tinues a straight course for some length down the branch, 

 as Mr. Dickson has observed in many others. 



Now, if any gentleman should ask the average amount 

 of gold in this vein, we could only answer, that it will 

 prove to be probably the same as in other similar veins, 

 the precise and exact determination being, in my opi- 

 nion quite impossible ; this is a point only to be deter 

 mined after working for some time, say six months, at 

 least. From every other metal, by mixing exactly equal, 

 or nearly equal parts of the best, of the medium, and of 

 the worst ore, you may obtain an average mean ; but 

 this is not the case with gold, as it is so valuable in small 

 quantities ; some particles more, which may intervene 

 by any chance, or some particles less, which may be 



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