398 



tiles, have been found in great abundance in the shales and fire 

 clays of this coal-field. 



Dr. McClennahan has also found the ribs of Saurian reptiles, 

 and some curious forms resembling Chelonians, but destitute of 

 bony structure, so as to leave it doubtful whether they are real 

 fossils, or only imitative forms. 



Dr. Jackson described the order of succession of the rocks of 

 this coal-field, as follows, beginning with tbe lowermost rocks of 

 the series, and ascending. 



1st. A coarse conglomerate, or mill-stone, resting unconform- 

 ably upon talcose slate rocks, which dip to the north-westward, 

 while the conglomerate dips to the south-eastward. 



2d. A fine-grained gray sandstone, called grindstone grit, con- 

 taining beds of slate or shale, filled with fossil plants. 



3d. A thick bed of shale. 



4th. Beds of fire-clay, with balls of iron ore (argillaceous car- 

 bonate of iron.) 



5th. Coal. 



6th. Parting shales. 



7th. Coal, and alternating layers of fire-clay coal and shale, 

 repeated several times. 



The strata, on the north side of Deep river, dip, generally, to 

 the south-eastward, at angles of twenty, thirty, and, rarely, forty- 

 five degrees, the prevailing dip being about twenty or twenty-five 

 degrees. On the south side of the river, the strata rise on the 

 Mclver and Nicker estates, and there present a broken outcrop, 

 on one side dipping to the north-west, and on the other to the 

 south-eastward. 



From extensive borings, with the Artesian auger, it has been 

 ascertained that the strata in the plain of Egypt plantation, are 

 quite horizontal, so that the coal bed is there found at the depth 

 of three hundred and sixty-one feet, and may be extracted by 

 mining operations, in a large area, by means of gangways and 

 chambers. 



The extent of the outcrop, as shown by numerous pits, is six- 

 teen miles. 



The high dip of twenty degrees, on the margin, ceases at a 

 moderate depth, so that in less than a half mile from the outcrop. 



