252 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



flourishing forest-growth. This not being so generally 

 the case to the east of the mountains, every stranger 

 coming hither finds the western country pleasanter and 

 more to be desired. Over against Pittsburg land is al- 

 ready farmed and there are divers dwellings along the 

 high ridge of the steep hill looking towards the Mo- 

 nongahela. At the foot of this hill marble is found, 

 probably resting upon rock of a gneiss species. This 

 marble is blueish, becoming paler higher up the mount- 

 ain. At the same time it is harder, denser, and of a 

 finer grain than the common limestone, similar to it in 

 color, on the east side of the mountains. Along with 

 it occurs a fine and beautiful liver-colored marble. It 

 is said that lime burnt of it does not absorb moisture 

 so easily or fall away so rapidly in the air ; the reason 

 likely is that it is not thoroughly burnt, since as yet 

 there is nothing known in America of adequate lime- 

 furnaces. Above the marble lies a coarse slate, which 

 higher up the mountain becomes finer and passes into 

 a strong vein of the most beautiful coals, in turn 

 covered with a stratum of coarse clayey slate, white or 

 variegated in color. There follows then, almost to the 

 ridge of the mountain, a deep bed of laminated and 

 very micaceous sand-stone. 



The coal-bed mentioned, midway of the hill or 

 mountain, is so much the more noteworthy because 

 elsewhere coals are to be dug for at a depth, and is 

 proof of what great changes have taken place in the 

 surface of this region. This appearance proves of it- 

 self that America must be older than it should seem to 

 be by the arbitrary assumptions of more than one illus- 

 trious man ; for years must pass before so wide a 

 stratum of coal is formed, (according to the general 



