346 
GEOLOGY OF THE SECOND DISTRICT. 
well as the limestone ; and it appeared that the principal rock beneath is a serpentine, or a 
mixture of serpentine and primary limestone. 
I relate the history of this vein, for the purpose of illustrating the condition and state of 
many others in this section of country. In this instance the exploration was carried out to its 
fullest extent, and every effort made to discover the ore in some other position; but these 
efforts were fruitless, except so far as the results go to teach caution in the expenditure of 
money when an ore is associated as in the instance detailed. A similar error has been com¬ 
mitted by a mining company established at Troy, Vermont. In this case, the ore is the 
magnetic oxide, forming a very distinct vein, or long mass in the serpentines of the Green 
mountain range, which is somewhat different from that of Northern New-York. The vein 
appears in the face of a serpentine cliff, and extends twenty or twenty-five rods in a north and 
south direction. At the southern extremity, it appears to divide into two veins, with a diver¬ 
gence to the right and left of the axis of the main vein. Each of these prolongations run 
out, or become thinner, and finally disappear, not only in the direction of the strike, but also 
downward ; for the mass becomes wedge-form, and merely sinks a few feet into the serpen¬ 
tine, being as it were pinched out. At the central part of the vein, where it is thickest, it is 
opened. At the surface, it is ten feet wide ; but in working downwards ten or fifteen feet, 
its width has considerably diminished; and inasmuch as the general indications go to show 
its disappearance and entire thinning out, I have very little doubt, after knowing the facts in 
regard to the ores of St. Lawrence, that the whole mass will be entirely removed, and the 
large and expensive establishment left without a certain source to supply their furnace with 
ore. 
Without venturing to generalize on an insufficient number of facts, I will barely remark, 
that all and every fact which has been observed in the northern district, goes to show that 
mining in serpentine, and even in primary limestone, is attended with risk. The risk consists, 
not in mining or using the ore as far as it can be obtained, but in the expenditure of capital in 
buildings and in furnaces, under the expectation of running them when the ore is uncertain 
in amount, or depending upon a mass or vein which is connected with one of these rocks. 
I have deemed it proper to digress, in order to give me an opportunity of speaking upon 
this subject; knowing very well that the progress of the iron business requires to be founded 
upon a sufficient basis. 
Tate and Policy veins of Specular ore. 
These veins are contiguous to each other, but do not appear to be connected. Both are 
situated upon the side of a ridge running northeast; one upon the east, and the other upon 
the west side. The rock is gneiss, dipping to the northwest. The ore of the Tate resembles 
that of the Parish vein, being of a bright red color and earthy in its texture. The Polley 
vein has much of the same character, but contains much quartz : it is a leaner ore. These 
veins are'both embraced in gneiss, and are wholly unconnected with the potsdam sandstone. 
In this particular, it is important to observe, that neither of these veins is connected with 
