66 



Economical Geology. 



was a conviction, that over several hundred acres at least, gold was 

 common in the soil. In a bushel of dirt collected in various places, 

 he found about three pennyweights of very pure gold. Mr. Wilder 

 proceeded himself to exhibit to me an ocular demonstration of the ex- 

 istence of gold in the soil, by washing for it. From about six quarts 

 of dirt, taken a foot below the surface, we obtained (although not very 

 skilful in manipulations of this sort) twenty or thirty small pieces, 

 weighing about seven grains. Indeed, by the aid of my knife, I picked 

 two or three pieces from the dirt. 



The iron ore is in beds in distinct talcose slate ; and a considerable 

 part of the ore is the hydrous, and contained in a porous quartz. 

 In this quartz, were found several spherical pieces of gold, scarcely 

 larger than a pigeon shot. It exists, also as in the Southern States, 

 in finer particles in the yellowish iron ore. And specimens of the 

 quartz and iron at this place, cannot be distinguished from what is 

 called gold ore, at the gold mines in Virginia, and North Carolina. 

 Indeed, a suite of specimens from the Somerset iron mine, could not 

 be distinguished, except by labels, from a similar suite from the 

 south. 



In every case in which gold has been found at this place, in the 

 soil, it was accompanied by more or less of iron sand, and some dis- 

 tance north of the mine, neither could be found ; but how far to the 

 South and East it occurs, has not been ascertained. I am inclined 

 however to believe, that the gold at this locality, will be found to be 

 always associated with the iron. 



We were told at Somerset, that several years ago, a mass of gold 

 was found in the bed of Deerfield river, three or four miles to the 

 south of the mine, which was sold for sixty eight dollars, and we had 

 no reason to doubt the statement. Certain it is, that a few years since 

 a piece was discovered by Gen. Field, weighing eight and a half 

 ounces, in New Fane, a town twelve or fifteen miles east of Somer- 

 erset. 



Upon the whole, it appears to me that the facts above stated justify 

 the conclusion, that there exists a gold region in the lower part of 

 Vermont, of considerable extent and richness. It may be found to be 

 very extensive, and probably it is not confined exclusively to the tal- 

 cose slate formation ; for New Fane, I believe contains but little of 

 this rock. The region west of Somerset is little known; the iron 

 mine there, lies at the foot of the Green Mountains, and it is chiefly 



