Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-11-16
DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN AMERICA.


gress from North Carolina, said that the first
discovery of gold in the United States was
made in Mecklenburg, in that State, in 1920.
A correspondent of North Carolina newspa.
per corrects this statement, saying that the
first gold was found in Cabsrrus, in 1893, and
refers to Wheeler's History Of North Caroli-
ma" for evidence.
Old chroniclers give an account of prov
ince called Cofachiqui, which was visited BY
De Soto's gold hunting expedition in 1888 40.
and which was embraced in what afterward
became the States of Florida, Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi, and according TO Lo.
gan, in his history Of upper Carolina" had
its center on the western limits of South Caro-
lima. Its capital and chief town stood upon
the tongue of land between the Broad river,
of Georgia, and Savannah, just opposite the
modern district of Abbeville. The Spaniards
entered this capital after a two months march,
and found the country ruled by a beautiful
Indian queen, Adalla, who entertained the
Spanish governor and army with much cere.
mony. Here they found hatchets formed
from an alloy of gold and copper. By this
their cupidity was greatly excited, and they
concluded that they had found country
abounding in the long convicted precious de-
posits of gold. And so indeed they had, says
Logan (whom We quote freely,) but it was
neither their good fortune nor their desert to
find out the precise spot where gold could be
obtained. In less than fifteen miles southeast
of the town, on the opposite or Carolina side of
the river, lay one of the most extraordinary
gold deposits in the world. The Cherokees were
we'll acquainted with the Dorm mine. This
is shown by the numerous relics Of their handi-
work scattered around it, and there can be
little doubt that the massive nuggets Of its
outcroping gold supplied them abundantly
with the 6ner metal Of the alloy that so at
tracted the eyes of the Spsniards. 1t is no
less known, to few who have inquired into
the traditions Of the aborigines, that the gold
and copper, found il their possession, in the
form of solid masses or curious trinkets, BY
the first white men who visited the country,
were obtained from Ghese sources
The Indian method of smelling these metals
was one of the most remarkable devices of
smSus pie%pps d b. Hs4s Rss sea4as
ly superior. Logan tells US that, having first
followed out fat stone in the form of ba-
sin, they filled it with charcoal, and upon this
laid the nuggets Of metals. A number of In.
dians now seated themselves in circle around
the basin, each having in his hand long reed
pierced through its entire length and armed
at one end with clay tube or pipe. Every
thing being ready, fire was applied to the
charcoal, and the whole mass instantly blown
into powerful heat through the reeds, the
clay extremeties of which were inserted in the
basin, while the Indians blew through them
upon the charcoal with all their might, and
with protracted expiration. No ordinary
lump Of either gold or copper could long
maintain its solidity in such crucible. With
this process the Indians could easily produce
any variety of ornament from those metals.
using them either alone or in alloy. This
method was known to have been in use among
the Indians who lived upon the gold produc.
ing lands of North Carolina, and the same
process must have been known to the Chero-
KEGS.
These chronicles and tradition 60 to confirm
what Lawson says, that the Indians, from
time immemorial, we're acquainted with valu-
able mines of gold and silver in Upper
Carolina.