Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/107

 Accomac was composed of a fertile clay. The western shores were hilly and barren in many places, but were everywhere interspersed with narrow valleys, the abundant growth of trees in which indicated a productive soil.

The presence of mineral substances was detected wherever the red clay which underlay the mould, both on the high and the low lands, was brought to light by the spade. In the valleys of all the rivers there were outcroppings of mineral deposits. Sir Thomas Gates, in testifying before the Company in London as to the capabilities of Virginia, affirmed that in a circuit of ten miles of Jamestown the ground gave innumerable evidences of the existence of minerals, and that iron ore was universally abundant. Iron rocks were found wherever the hills broke abruptly into precipices. Shining crystals brought down by the waters were discovered on every side. Smith declared that the earth in some places presented the aspect of having been gilded, so thickly was it overlaid with the glistening tinctures worn from the rocks by the rains and streams.

The investigations of more modern times have shown that both gold and silver really exist in the general area of country so eagerly explored by the first colonists in the hope of discovering the precious metals. In 1849