290 
GEOLOGY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
cose and argillaceous slates; it contains native silver, argentite, argentif- 
erous galenite, and highly argentiferous tetrahedrite. The latter contains, 
according to my analysis, 10.53 per cent, of silver, and an average sample 
of ore of a 5' vein, at 80 feet depth, which was sent to me about 11 years 
ago, yielded 216 ounces of silver per ton, worth about $334. The mine- 
is not worked, but looks favorable enough to deserve fresh attention. 
The Troutman mine, also in the neighborhood of Gold Hill, and one 
mile southeast of it, has been opened as a gold mine. It consisted of 
porous quartz, and yielded near the surface very rich ores, worth $50 per 
bushel; at the depth of 100 feet, where the sulphides are nridecomposed, 
the ores yielded only $1, and contained a string of ash grey zinc blende 
with pyrite, from 2 to 6 inches in width, which had increased to 18- inches 
when abandoned at a depth of 160 feet. Tbe-e ores are well worthy of a 
fuller investigation, as they may be rich in gold. 
I have already mentioned, when speaking of gold, the beds and veins 
of gold ore in Union and Montgomery counties, as being frequently asso- 
ciated with zinc blende. The string veins of the Steele mine principally 
consist of these and galenite. 
At the Long (or Monroe) mine, in Union county, the quartz veins in- 
die slates are richly charged with argentiferous galenite ; but the veins- 
have not been sufficiently explored to know whether it will increase in- 
depth. 
At the Lennnond (Marion) mine, a very remarkable vein or bed has- 
been worked ; it is irregular in size, sometimes widening out from a few 
inches to six feet. It consists of quartz, richly charged with brown zinc- 
blende and galenite, with small quantities of arsenopyrite, ehalcopyrite, 
often intermixed with grains of elect rum, a highly argentiferous variety 
of gold. Both the galenite and the zinc-blende are very rich. 1 have 
examined a vure specimen of galenite which did not show any admix- 
ture of free gold to the eye, but which yielded at the rate of nearly 3<> oz. 
of gold and 86J oz. ef silver to the ton ; and pure brown zinc-blende 
gave me about 32 oz. of siver and gold, nearly half of which was gold. 
This vein appears to have a considerable longitudinal extension, and 
passes into the Steward mine property, formerly owned in Philadelphia. 
At the latter mine, and at various other localities in this region, similar 
ores have been found, but the war has stopped ail operations, and it will 
require capital and skill to develop this highly important mining district. 
Galenite and zinc-blende occur at several other mines, associated with 
gold ores, as at the King’s mountain, the Cansler and Shuford, and the 
Long Creek mines in Gaston county, etc. 
At Cedar Cove, McDowell county, in the limestones of the so-called 
