APPENDIX. 
101 
ence to the development of Manganese. I am opinion, however, that 
workable quantity of it may be found in that zone. 
There is upon the lands of the late Capt. N. S. Jarrett, in the neigh- 
borhood of the red marble locality, an interesting locality of Chalcedonie 
quartz, such as is used in the manufacture of Burr-stones. It has the 
appearance, in the bluff where it shows itself, of existing in large masses. 
No excavation has been made, however, to determine whether large 
blocks of sufficient size can be obtained for the manufacture of solid burrs. 
It has the appearance, however, of yielding such blocks. 
A few weeks ago I saw, for the first time, on Yalley river, a fine, well 
laminated bed of Itacolumite (flexable Sandstone.) The day was too far 
spent for any extended exploration. It has a lithological relation favora- 
ble to the existence of Diamonds. I, however, mention it here as an 
example of the wonderful grouping of the Yalley river zone. 
No investigation of the Yalley river range has been made further 
Northeast-ward than the mouth of Nanteyalee. I cannot, therefore, give 
any reliable information as to the mineral resources Northeast-ward from 
that point, on that range. 
Immediately succeeding these Taconic beds, in descending order, is a 
range of Aluminous Mica shales. I so name them because they abound 
in Staurotite and Kyanite, and being rich in Pyrite, are constantly disen- 
tagrating and decomposing where they are sufficiently exposed. This 
decomposition results in a hydrous compound of Iron and Alum. This 
range of shales passes through Clay, Macon, Jackson and Haywood. In 
the latter county it, however, pinches or slabs out after crossing the 
Pigeon river. At this point, and up the Pigeon some five or six miles 
Southward a duplicate bed sets in rather abruptly and extends on the 
same direction through Buncombe and a portion of Madison, but slabs 
out in Yancey. This belt is not rich in Metalic ores, but compensates 
for this barrenness, in the Alumina it yields to the soil. Much of the 
fine wheat land of Haywood county owes its superiority to this fact. For 
while Alumina enters very sparingly into vegetable structure it possesses 
a well known property of absorbing and retaining moisture, and of giving 
tenacity to the soil. 
Succeeding these beds and overlying them in the inverted order which 
the rocks here have, set in the great Gneiss beds. About midway 
between the Aluminous shales and the summit of the Blue Ridge, the 
character of the Gneiss is marked and peculiar. It abounds in rose 
colored Garnets. Indeed, I have seen localities where the garnet had 
replaced the quartz and Feldspar, making a garnetoid rock, composed of 
black mica and rose garnets. Some of this rock makes handsome cabinet 
