FROM PHILADELPHIA 157 



and Bethlehem, next the Leheigh, Flying, and Oley- 

 hills. 



The upper strata of this region in many places ap- 

 peared to consist chiefly of a fine black slate, which 

 should be found quite adequate for every common 

 use, but is not used because the preparation costs too 

 much. Under this slate, wherever it appears, is the 

 grey limestone which also comes to the surface fre- 

 quently ; and near to the town, along the road, there 

 occurs a light grey schist from which good lime is 

 burned. All the fields are strewn with quartz, at times 

 white, at times reddish ; and in many of these stones 

 are seen thin layers of black slate and quartz alter- 

 nating. The commoner soil, on the high places espe- 

 cially, is of the general yellow-red, clayey sand de- 

 scription ; only the low spots are black and fertile. 

 Where the slate can be found somewhat deeper, its 

 lowest beds appear like a rather dense pit-coal ; and 

 somewhere in the region it is claimed that coal has 

 been dug up. In the off-hang of a wood we found 

 sundry beautiful plants in tolerable quantity, the 

 Canadian cypripedium, helonias, the blue lobelia, the 

 collinsonia, and many others. When in full bloom as 

 now, the collinsonia fills the air with a strong and 

 pleasant odor. Nazareth lies at a considerable height 

 above the sea, but I could not learn that anybody had 

 had the curiosity to determine in any way what the 

 height is. The weather however seemed to us quite as 

 hot as we had found it on the coast. Here also the 

 complaint was that cherry and pear trees for some 

 years had not done well, but no certain explanation 

 could be given. A gardener said that the reason was 

 the gum worked out too much and insects lodged in 



