i\ NOTICE of the mines and other fub- terraneous riches; its trees, plants, fruits, &c.
I knew a fingle inftance of gold found in this ftate. It was interfperfed in fmall fpecks through a lump of ore, of about four pounds weight, which yielded feven- teen pennyweight of gold, of extraordi- nary dudiUty. This ore was found on the north fide of Rappahanoc, about four miles below the falls. I never heard of any other indication of gold in its neigh- bourhood.
On the great Kanhaway, oppofite to the mouth of Cripple creek, and about twenty five miles from our fouthern boun- dary, in the county of Montgomery, are mines of lead. The metal is mixed, fome- times with earth, and fometimes with rock, which requires the force of gunpowder to open it; and is accompanied with a portion oF filver, too fmall to be worth re- paration under any procefs hitherto at- tempted there. The proportion yielded is from 50 to 8olb. of pure metal from loolb. of wafhed ore. The moft com- mon is that of 60 to the loolb. The veins are at fometimes moft flattering; at others they difappear fuddenly and totally.
They enter the fide of the hill, and pro- ceed horizontally. Two of them are wrought at prefent by the public, the beft of which is 100 yards under the hill.
Thefe would employ about 50 labourers to advantage. We have not, however, more than 30 generally, and thefe culti- vate their own corn. They have produ- ced 60 tons of lead in the year ; but the general quantity is from 20 to 25 tons. The prefent furnace is a mile from the ore bank, and on the oppofite fide of the river. The ore is firft waggoned to