The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-10-08
A HANDFUL OF SAND.

To the explorer, traveller, az j investigator
of Natures secrets, "Sand" is a page-peT.
chance volume-in the worlds history. Every
tiny rill and rivulet which pours its waters
through ravine and valley, to lose itself at last
in somo passing river, brings with it. slowly but
surely, grain by grain, specimens of the rocks
and deposits over which its waters have for ages
worn their way Each winter food and sum-
mer storm lends its aid to break down, disinte-
CRATE, and drift away the detritus brought down
by the ever fretting, ever wearing, influence OF
running water
If you doubt as to the geological formation
of distant hills and inaccessible mountains, con-
suit handful of sand from the nearest brook
flowing from them, and much light will te
thrown on the subject by the investigation
To examine sand, it has been my custom, after
washing and drying it, to lay a we'll mixed por-
ton, say of the size of shilling, over sheet
of clean white paper; to fatren out the pile un-
til the particles are evenly distributed, and then
with my pocket lens to scan them carefully.
The bound!ess treasures long buried in the
wide valleys of California might have remained
at rest and undiscovered to this day bad nor
sand disclosed the golden secret and thus it
was divulged One Capt Sutter, an old soldier
of the American Republic, had settled in the
valley of the Sacramento, laid out farm, built
a mill, and regularly established himself 1t
Was found that the "race" constructed to carry
off the water which had passed the wheel was
not deep enough for its purpose. It was there
fore decided that the whole water power should
be turned on, aud allowed to rush through, and
deepen it. Tie pentup torrent not oply did
the duty it was called on to perform, but over
flowed the banks, carrying turf, sticks, stones,
and sand far over the meadows. AS the water
drained off, and the sun shone out, the white
quartz PARTICLES glittered like a thousand dia-
monds, and handful was gathered by one of
the Captains people, when the yellow grains
as we'll as white were discovered, examined, and
found to be gold How the human tide flowed
10 endless throngs to the new Ell Dorado, and
how splendid cities sprarg into being where,
few months before, herdsmans fire and lean
woolfsh-l looking dog or two were the only signs
of occupation, need not be dwelt on here, as
they are matters of history. Hargraves, too,
new lands, Quilted Australia, and Joined the
gold seekers in California. There the rocks
and drifts struck him as being SO much like
those which had left behind, that be, like Whit
tington, retraced his steps, visited the riVer-bed
near his own home, gathered sand which told
him the great gold secret, and unlocked the
vast Golfers Of the Antipodes. Many other
highly valuable alluvial gold and diamoud wash
lngs are dependent on, and have been discovered
by the drifting sand borne ever onward by the
giant strength of water. So vast and irresista
bic is that strength, that huge boulders which,
when the rver-bed Is dry, the reeds wishered
and yellow, and the water-plants crun,bed up
like parched tobacco leaves, look as though
earthly power could stir them from their beds,
are rolled pell-meIl over and against each other
by winter foods or "spacs" of molten snow
that thuuder down from distant mountains
Each of these water-worn blocks lends its
contribution to our "handful of sand " The
mineral veins aud quartz reefs traversed and in
tersected by the crushing mass are laid bare,
pulverizcd as by mighty mill, and ground into
PARTICLES and fragments little more than sand.
These, with other atoms worn from the bed Of
the torrent over which the abrading masses have
passed, are borne onward, and settle for time,
according to their gravity aud size, to be again
distributed, carried onward, re deposited, shaken
about, freted rounded, aud again crushed
Your veritable ''rolling stone" gathers no moss,
indeed but obtains, like many waits and strays
on the stream Of life, particularly smooth sur
face instead Onward and ever onward jour
ncys our sand, forming at times "bars' across
rivers and the mouths of harbors, siltios-up
lakes-a process now going on in that of Geneva
blocking up channels, forming 'siuEs" for
whole rivers to disappear in, and, in fact doing
its part to bring about many of the changes
which the Earth's crust is always undergoing
On the burning desert and amongst the sterile
dunes. sand holds high festival; and we'll do |
know from painful experience, what tyraDt he
is, when whiring alott like some huge pillar,
curling round 10 mazy, spiral, onward march,
the sand storm is upon us, and We bow our heads
in meek submission.-Nature and Art.