GEOLOGICAL AND NATUR/y;. HISTORY SURVEYS. 125 



years' practical experience; and Capt. John Roy, a most intelligent 

 and practical machinist and artisan," and explored various portions 

 of the State in search of iron and other minerals. Judge Robertson 

 was engaged for IG months in these duties, after which he was author- 

 ized to make a visit to the Calcasieu region for the purpose of 

 investigating the reported discovery of petroleum and the geological 

 structure of the region. 



Judge Robertson transmitted his report (covering 25 octavo 

 pages) to the legislature of the State at its session in January, 1807, 

 and at the same time submitted a memorial suggesting that further 

 and more comprehensive and active investigations of this character 

 were called for by public exigencies, but made no direct proposition 

 for the organization of the State survey. Report and memorial are 

 both printed in the volume of reports of the legislature for 1807. No 

 action save that of printing the report seems to have been taken by 

 the legislature at this time. 



The ideas advanced concerning the geology of the region examined 

 were naturally somewhat crude. There is given, first, a general 

 statement regarding the physical aspect of the State. Then a dis- 

 cussion is entered into relative to the prairies, the alluvial area, and 

 the marshes. Under the head of "Geology" the author stated: 



A short distance beyond tlie Teche nn older fonn;^tiou begins, extending over 

 the broad pi-airies of tlie Attakapos, Opelonsas, and Ciilcaslen, merging into the 

 Tertiary and even secondary foruinlion in central and northern Lonisiana. 

 Stratification of stone is rare, though beds of stratified limestone, conglomerate 

 and siliceous sinter are liere and there found; while successive layers of lignite 

 underlie much of the slate. Vast hills, sometimes over 200 feet in height, liave 

 been upheaved by volcanic action, and are covered with fragments of red 

 sandstone formerly stratified.* 



The " five islands " are then described and are also considered to 

 be of volcanic origin. The deposit of rock salt of Petite Anse is 

 mentioned, and in connection therew^ith the salines of north Louisi- 

 ana and their deposits of bones. 



The iron region of Louisiana is then mentioned as being very 

 extensive. North of the Red River it was noted as extending from 

 the Washita to the Bodcau, and from the Arkansas line to within a 

 few miles of Red River, while south of Red River it was said to 

 cover large portions of De Soto, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Sabine 

 Parishes. In north Louisiana the iron ore is said to be so abundant 

 ns absolutely at some points to obstruct agriculture. "Vast crops 

 of rich ores may be seen piled up in the fields." 



* The hills here alluded to are legarded by Prof. E. W. Ililgard as evidently those capped 

 by the cliaracti-ristic feiTii,!^inouS saudstoiie oi tlic Lafayette or Orange sand, the curiously 

 eiiRKesfive concretionary formations of which have given rise to a great d(>al of specuia- 

 tJon among the natives, and are often compared to the ruins of n forge. See Report on 

 the Geology and Agriculture of Mississippi, 18G0, p. 9. 



