334 GOLD-MINES OF VIRGINIA. 
State of minute division. Iron pyrites is another 
accompanying mineral, which in many mines occurs 
in considerable quantities." 
The largest masses of gold have been found in, 
or near, rivulets or brooks, where pieces have been 
discovered weighing several pounds. On a branch 
at the Whitehall mine, gold of the value of ten 
thousand dollars was found in the course of a few 
days, in a space of about twenty feet square ; and 
seven thousand dollars value of gold was found at 
Tinder's mine, in Louis county, in the course of 
one week. Much of the gold is contained in quartz, 
called auriferous, and, when in the rock, is invisible 
to the naked eye, being uniformly disseminated 
through it. From numerous carefully conducted 
experiments. Professor Silliman found that this 
quartz, when pulverized and melted, yielded at 
Busby's mine, on an average, an amount of gold 
equal to $8 16 for 100 lbs., or one bushel ; at Moss's 
mine, what was equivalent to $7 70 for the same 
quantity ; and at the Walton mine, the astonishing 
amount of $41 42 for 100 lbs. of the quartz. These 
trials were made upon ore selected at random, and 
such as was supposed to represent the average rich- 
ness of that hitherto raised. When we consider 
that the expense of the whole operation of mining 
is but about 37 cents to the 100 lbs. of the quartz, 
or ore, we can form a pretty correct opinion as to 
the profits. It is, however, stated that the actual 
yield of the Walton mine is but about $6 to the 
100 lbs., and of Fisher's mine $3 15 to the same 
quantity of ore. Any mine which yields $1 to the 
bushel is considered profitable, and as justifying 
heavy expenses in machinery and in operations of 
deep mining. Professor SilUman, in his " Remarks 
on the Gold-mines of Virginia," remarks, "That the 
gold region of Virginia, though of very unequal 
body, is, on the whole, rich in the precious metal 
admits of no doubt. That the Walton' gold-mine^ 
