Comparing the mining advantages North Carolina possessess over other countries, it is a principal and almost inestimable one that her mines are virgin and uninjured. In old mining countries, whose hidden treasures have been sought by "the laborious plunder" of ages, the veins pursued to a great depth, if not exhausted, or, as is most frequent, inundated with water, can be worked only at an enormously augmented expenditure. The outcrop of the bold auriferous veins of North Carolina are considered peculiar, insomuch that ores are obtained from the very surface in abundance and value, equalling those, which, in other mining countries, are procured from deep shafts and expensive galleries. From all probability of famine, pestilence, and desolating war, North Carolina is exempt; and nowhere is property held by more secure tenure. In South America, on the other hand, a late traveller laments, that never, in any place, "has destruction been more mischievously active, more complete, and more manifest, than on the property of the mining establishments. Their expensive amalgamation works have been wantonly destroyed, their extensive mills have been plundered and dilapidated, their mines have crumbled in and filled with rubbish and water, and the arbitrary exactions of contending chieftains have reduced the proprietors to a state of beggary.'

In situations for inexhaustible supplies of timber, and in facilities for procuring and transporting every species of machinery, the North Carolina mines are unequalled. To a majority of the mines in South America and Mexico steam engines cannot possibly be, conveyed; and could they be, fuel must be wanting. At the Catorce mines in Mexico, a moderate sized stick of timber for a stamping mill cost 600 dollars. To the Santa Ana mines in Columbia, now worked by a large English capital, nothing can be transported, except upon the heads or shoulders of Indians. To even mules access is impracticable. The price of labor is also an important item rather in favor of North Carolina. At Potosi, a miner gains 2 English shillings, or about 42 cents, per day. At the Colombia mines, a skilful miner recceives one dollar. The German and Italian laboring miners employed in France work 8 hours of 24, and are paid from 41 to 60 cents. At New Castle, in England, the wages are a guinea per week, with lodging and fire. Humboldt states $1124 is paid in many parts of Mexico for only 6 hours' labor of the 24. Many articles of great consumption are also cheaper in this than in other mining countries.

Your committee are aware that many persons appreciate the importance of the mining interest in the abstract; but are disposed to postpone to some indefinite time any efforts to extend its beneficial effects. They, however, who neglect to make available, speedily and to the fullest extent, the invaluable treasures entrusted to them, appear to differ in no material respect from the unfaithful steward, who buried his talents instead of putting them to productive usefulness. It will probably be a century before the mines of North Carolina can attain their highest yield. Much time must elapse before the construction of buildings, choice of officers, and procuring of utensils and machinery for a mint, are followed by an establishment in full operation. It is, therefore, that, in extending encouragement and facilities to the mining interest in reasonable ways, and in the preliminary measures to make them most exclusively beneficial to their influence, we are but planting a tree under whose full spread shade our posterity will repose.

The committee, therefore, respectfully recommend to the House the adoption of the following resolutions:

Resolved, That our Senators and Representatives in Congress be requested to use ali proper exertions to obtain the establishment of a branch of Mint of the United States in the State of North Carolina.

Resolved, That the Governor transmit a copy of the foregoing resolution and report to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress. GIDEON GLENN, Chairman.

SALISBURY, N. C. 22d March, 1830.

DEAR SIR: Your esteemed favor of the 3d ultimo, enclosing me one of your circulars as chairman of the select committee "to which was referred a resolution on the subject of establishing a branch of the United States' Mint in the gold region of North Carolina," I have had the honor of receiving some weeks ago. Absence from home during a good part of the time since, and other engagements until now, have not allowed me sufficient leisure to comply with your request. I will, however, now attempt to give you a short sketch of the history of the gold mines of this State, and to furnish you with such facts and general information connected with the same, as I am in possession of, and that seem to be called for by the inquiries you make.

It is now about thirty years since gold was discovered in North Carolina. It was found disseminated in the sands and gravel of watercourses; first in Cabarras county, and soon afterwards in Montgomery. The washing of these streams-deposites for the precious metals until within a few years past, was principally confined to the two counties just named. The greater portion of the gold thus found consisted of small pieces, varying in size from one pennyweight down to particles so minute as to require the point of a small knife to take them up. At most of the mines, however, it is not uncommon to find pieces of a much larger size; for example, at one of the deposites in Cabarras, a single piece was found, weighing twenty-eight pounds avoirdupois, and a number of other pieces, varying from four to sixteen pounds. At that mine, the proprietor estimates that about one hundred pounds avoirdupois were taken up in pieces above one pound weight. These large pieces compose but a small portion of the whole product of the mine.

At a mine in Montgomery, a number of pieces above one pound weight has been found; one of four pounds eleven ounces, and another of three pounds. In Anson county, during the summer before the last, one piece of ten pounds nett, one of four pounds, and a number of small pieces, were taken up out of the sand and gravel of Richardson's creek.

All these discoveries were made principally in or near the beds of streams; but in some instances deposites of considerable extent have been found on the sides and tops of hills, as at Parker's, at Moore's, and Crawford's, in Montgomery, and as at Harris's, in Mecklenburg county. It was not, however, until about five years ago that the gold mines, properly speaking, were discovered in North Carolina; that is, gold in regular and well defined veins. This discovery, like that of alluvial deposites, was in some measure accidental.

Mathias Barringer, of Montgomery county, while washing the sand and gravel of a small rivulet for gold, noticed, that, beyond a certain point, in as

cending the stream, he could find no gold. Just at the point where the gold seemed to cease, he discovered a quartz vein running into the hill on one side of the channel, and at right angles with the rivulet. Having frequently taken up out of the bed of the stream pieces of quartz with bits of gold attached to them, he came to the conclusion that the gold found scattered below must have come out of this quartz vein; and he determined to pursue it into the hill. He pursued it but a few feet, when he struck a rich and beautiful deposite of the metal, in place, in a matrix of quartz, and subsequently in the carbonate of lime. In following this vein about thirty or forty feet longitudinally, and not more than fifteen or eighteen feet in depth, he found a succession of nests, from which he took out more than fifteen thousand pennyweights of virgin gold. Shortly after this, the mine fell into other hands; since when, serious operations have not been resumed, on account of the water, though it is understood they shortly will be. This discovery of the metal in regular veins presented the subject in a new and interesting point of view, and turned the search for gold to the hills and high grounds, and particularly for veins traversing the earth. In the course of the summer, after the developments at Barringer's mine, some valuable veins were discovered in Mecklenburg county. The product of these, worked in the rudest manner, without skill, or capital, was so great as to excite general notice, and stimulated the landholders in that section to search their possessions for hidden treasures. The mines now began to attract the attention of the public at a distance, and drew to the spot several persons of enterprise and some capital. Some of these made investments, and commenced erecting machinery and working the veins with system and regularity. •

The success of the first adventurers in this new enterprise induced others to follow; and for a time the attention of every body, who sought to engage in the mining business, was exclusively turned towards Mecklenburg county. The consequence was, that a constant search was kept up in that county for new localities; and the search was not in vain; many very promising veins were discovered. Thus the mines of Mecklenburg, being the first that attracted attention, and to which skill and management were first applied, got greatly the start of every other part of the region; more labor, capital, and skill having been expended on them, than on those of any other district, as a necessary consequence the results have been greater in proportion.

The field being now pretty well occupied in Mecklenburg, the spirit of discovery applied itself elsewhere. In the course of the succeeding year, a vein, very extensive and productive, was discovered in Guilford county; and it was soon operated on by more than one hundred hands, who flocked in from the country around, and received permission to dig on it.

The discovery of one vein in a district furnishes the lights for finding others. The people of the neighborhood visit it, examine the appearances of the ores, and other signs and indications; and thus, in some degree, are qualified to make the search on their own lands and elsewhere. So it was in Guilford. The discovery of the first vein was soon followed by the opening of a number of others; and so it will be in every district until the gold region is explored, so far as external signs go.

About this time, Cabarras county, which had hitherto only been considered as productive in its washings, was ascertained to be a vein mining district; and similar discoveries were made about the same period in Lincoln.

It is less than a year and a half since gold in veins was first discovered in Davidson county, it having previously been found in and near the beds of rivulets and creeks.

Within the past few months veins have been opened in the adjoining county of Randolph. Rowan, situated between Davidson and Cabarras, embraces a considerable section of the gold region and contains many veins of good external appearance and promise; and the metal is also found in the streams. Some few veins have also been opened in Iredell county, and are now in a course of development. While progress has been thus making in opening veins and ascertaining localities, some valuable discoveries of stream deposites occurred in a section of the State hitherto not suspected to be within the range of the gold region. I allude to the deposites in Burke, one of the mountainous counties of the State. In this county, at one, two, or more feet under the surface, a layer of sand and gravel is found, of different degrees of thickness, from a few inches sometimes to more than a foot. In this layer the virgin gold is found, generally in small particles, about the size of a pin's head, and very often as large as a grain of corn; it is separated and collected from the accompanying matter by washing. The abundance and convenience of water, and the absence of adhesive and tough clay in the auriferous layer, make the process of washing a very easy one in

Burke.

A number of these deposites have been found, and are finding; and some of them have proved to be very productive. The one called "Brindle's Mine," now owned by the Messrs. Carsons and others, has been the most extensively and successfully worked.

It is proper here to add, that, in the adjoining county of Rutherford, gold, in deposite, has also been found; but as yet not much labor has been directed to the developments. One vein is now working with considerable regularity and encouragement, and other veins of good expectation have been disclosed. Did time and my engagements permit, I should be pleased here to present you with a comparative view of the products of the mines of North Carolina and Brazil, taking the data of the Brazil mines from such books as treat on that subject. The difference in favor of North Carolina

is much greater than would be imagined.

It might also be gratifying to have a comparative view of the vein mines in South America and this country.

I am not sufficiently well informed, as respects the South American gold veins, to draw proper conclusions. The materials, however, for such a view might soon be collected, as there are now here several persons of intelligence who wrought in the mines of Peru and Chili.

A gentleman of Baltimore, Richard Caton, Esq, some time since sent me a printed copy of an official report made to the board of the "Anglo-Colombian mining company" by the chief agent and superintendent of the nines in the Republic of Colombia. This report gives very full and minute details of the operations at Marmato, and of the results from various experiments made on the ores of these mines, which are mostly auriferous pyrites. In comparing these results, in reference to quantity of labor, time, and costs, with what is done at some of our veins of the best class, the difference is strikingly in favor of North Carolina.

Having thus, at your request, given you a rapid sketch of the history of the first discovery and gradual development of the gold mines of North Carolina, I will now, with as much briefness as possible, endeavor to furnish such information as I am in possession of, in answer to the circular of the committee.

The first query seeks to ascertain the amount of gold found during the past year.

I give it as my opinion, that it is next to impossible even to approximate the truth in this particular.

So numerous are the places of veins and deposites where gold is obtained, and so scattered are they along the whole range of country, so very deficient as yet in system is the whole business, with a few exceptions, and there are so many persons buying up the gold, that it is impossible to give any correct estimate of the product of the mines. With much more facility and accuracy could you ascertain the quantity of cotton or flour produced in this country. I am, therefore, unwilling to hazard even a conjecture on the subject. That the product, however, has been very considerable and increasing, we may discover in several ways. One of the best proofs is the great change that is perceptibly taking place in the monied concerns of the people. The upper part of North Carolina has very severely felt the pressure so generally complained of throughout the south. These difficulties are rapidly disappearing from the gold districts. The gold that is found, and put into circulation, and the sums that are expended in making experiments, erecting machinery, procuring labor and provisions, are producing important changes, and greatly improving the condition of the country. Nor does the statements from the Mint furnish any evidence of the actual amount of gold found, for the obvious reason that only a small part of it reaches that establishment. The last report from the Mint (1st of January, 1830) shows an increase during 1829 of nearly two hundred per cent. over the receipts of 1828; but while this is an indication that the product of the mines is increasing, it is no criterion of what is actually found.

It may not be out of place here to remark, that hereafter the quantity of domestic gold that will be received at the Mint will bear a less proportion to the whole amount found, than has been the case heretofore. The reason is this. Heretofore, Philadelphia was pretty much the only market for the article. The artists and merchants, in New York and other cities in the Union, were unacquainted with the article, and, therefore, through fear of deception, dealt but little in it. This occasioned the most of the gold to be taken to Philadelphia, where, if not sold to the artists or merchants, it was deposited in the Mint; and, by one channel or other, a portion of it always did reach that establishment. The case is now different. A market for the article is opening in the most of our cities, south and nofth. The artist begins to use more of it in manufacturing of jewelry and gold leaf. It is to be recollected that the greater part of the gold found here is of a higher purity than the coinage even of the United States, and, owing to this circumstance, dispenses with the necessity of re-purifying it previous to its use in the arts; and, owing to the difference of exchange, it is in demand for exportation in the shape of bullion. A person having remittances to make to Europe, finds it better to buy gold than to pay a premium on bills. Indeed, but for the premium obtained for the certificates given at the Mint, where gold is deposited for coinage, it is probable that not a pennyweight would be taken there. These certificates generally command from three to five per cent. premium. I make these observations to show that there is no way at present of ascertaining the correct amount of the precious metal obtained in this county.

Second inquiry.-Do the improvements in machinery, the experience in the process of working and collecting, with the aid and lights of science, &c. promise an increase in the products?