GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEYS. 188 



ttie scant, and the presumption is favored that the origin or the ore 

 is chiefly from that Avhich was previously in a native form (p. 60). 



Veins of simihir character occur on He Royale, and a simihir rela- 

 tion is observed between the veins and the formations traversed; 

 but the order of change is reversed in direction. 



A brief description is given of the peculiar constitution of the trap 

 knob of Presque Isle and its innumerable ramifying veins; and men- 

 tion is made of a red slate formation resting against the southerly 

 slope of the greenstone range, " ^^ hich is traversed by irregular and 

 imperfect veins of what may be regarded a ferruginous steatite, and 

 «i small amount of ores of copper." These veins, however, are not 

 (Supposed to have any connection w-ith those in the amygdaloid. 



With a view to ascertaining what expectations may be based on the 

 facts thus far observed, Doctor Houghton presents quite an extended 

 comparison with tlie copper and tin \ eins of Cornwall. His final prog- 

 nostication is decidedly conservative, and it seems to be rendered so 

 by the very circumstance which has constituted almost the exclusive 

 resource for profitable copper mining in this district. He says: 



I confess that the prej^ondernnce of native to the other fonns of copper was 

 regarded i\s an unfavorable indication, at least until this had been found to be 

 more or less universal with respect to all the veins. (P. 74.) ♦ * * While 

 the mineral district will i)rove a source of wealth to the iieople, I can not fail to 

 have before lue the fear that it may prove the ruin of hundreds of adventurers, 

 who will visit it with expectations never to be realized. (P. 70.) 



Doctor Houghton next devotes three pages to the " Soil and tim- 

 ber of the Upper Peninsula," and five pages to " Furs, fish, and har- 

 bors of Lake Superior." 



Thus closes a report which, for extent of territory covered, brevity 

 of period devoted to the work, arduousness of field exploration, and, 

 above all, amount of original matter and soundness of conclusions, 

 is certainly one of the most remarkable reports ever published. But 

 Doctor Houghton has found the work " considerably more than he 

 had reason to look for" and discovers that it can not be completed 

 within the time which, a year before, he had thought sufficient. 



To this is appended a brief report by special as.sistant Frederick 

 Hubbard on "latitudes, magnetic variations, etc"; and then follows 

 that of assistant geologist C. C. Douglass, dated January 4, 1841. 

 and covering 15 pages, and treating of the northern part of the lower 

 peninsula. Under the head of "General character" of this region 

 he embodies some physiograpliic statements. He speaks of the Grand 

 and Little Traverse country as " well adapted to purposes of agri- 

 culture." He writes that the capabilities of the region north of the 

 Gi'and Kiver are not at all inferior to those on the south; says the 

 Indians on Grand and Little Traverse Bays "obtain good crops of 



