2 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



stout iron turning-joints in the longitudinal timbers. 

 The banks of this pleasant stream, particularly on the 

 west side, are finely distinguished by steep and bare 

 rock-walls. The rock is granite, but feldspar is for the 

 most part absent. The surface-covering is the com- 

 mon reddish, sandy clay earth ; but a few miles farther 

 on the rock is covered merely by a clayey slate, and 

 here and there appeared fragments of a blueish black, 

 dense species of stone, called here ' blue stone.' Hav- 

 ing followed for some n miles the straight western 

 road to Lancaster, the gradually increasing elevation 

 of the land begins to be noticeable from time to time. 

 But here I turned off from the main road, to the right, 

 passed Gulf-mill at a narrow gap between two high 

 rocks, apparently divided apart by force, and after a 

 few miles came again to the Schuylkill and along it to 

 Swedes-ford. There met us many wagons, loaded 

 with lime, the staple of this region. A mountainous 

 tract, containing limestone and marble, extends hither 

 from Whitemarsh, Chesnut-hill, and Plymouth, and 

 these are the nearest places from which Philadelphia 

 may be supplied with lime. The lime-burning here is 

 commonly managed not in walled furnaces but in 

 square pits, sometimes but not always lined with fire- 

 proof stone. In burning the lime, for various reasons 

 dead wood or dry logs are preferred, rather than green, 

 and it is estimated that 15 cords of wood are needed 

 to burn 5-600 bushels of lime. The wood is bought on 

 the stump, and 5 shillings Pensyl. Current (y/3 of a 

 Spanish dollar) the cord is regarded as dear. Accord- 

 ing to the price of the wood, and the cost of cutting 

 and hauling, a bushel of burnt lime can be sold at 8 

 to 13 pence Pensylv. Current. Most of it is brought 



