17 



coal underlie this soil, and they generally dip only from two to 

 five degrees from the horizon, and are from two to six feet in 

 thickness. Most of the large beds are undisturbed, and only the 

 small upper ones are here and there denuded by valleys of 

 excavation. The deep ravines, or runs, expose some of the 

 outcrops of the larger beds on the southeast sides of the hills ; 

 on the northwest they are still deeply covered with rocks, the 

 sandstones, and bituminous sliales. 



Each of these coal beds is overlaid with a stratum of eight or 

 ten inches of slaty cannel coal, and they all rest on fire-clays. 

 Iron ores, namely, carbonate of iron and brown hjematite, abound ; 

 the former in the fire-clays, and tlie latter in the superincumbent 

 shales. But few fossil plants are found in these shales, and only 

 the scales, fins, and tails of fishes in the slaty cannel coal, which 

 appears to have been a fine aqueous sediment of water-logged 

 vegetable matter. 



A bed of buff-colored limestone occurs beneath the principal 

 bed of coal, and is nine or ten feet thick. This limestone con- 

 tains small fossil bivalve shells not yet named. 



The Ridgeway lands, then, contain coal, iron ores, limestone, and 

 sandstone, with an abundance of clay suitable for fire-proof bricks. 

 All the facilities for the reduction of iron exist on the spot, and 

 soon the means of transportation of the coals and metal to mar- 

 ket will be supplied. The county is elevated about 1,600 feet 

 above the sea, and is in Lat. 41 '^ 25' N. and Lon. 1" 40' W. of 

 Washington, and is remarkably healthful. 



The following analyses of the coals, iron ore, and limestone 

 have been made by Dr. Jackson since his return to Boston. 

 Specimen from the six feet bed : — 



Fixed carbon ...... 52.38 



Gas expelled by heat . ... . . 40.00 



Ashes of coke ...... 7.62 



The ashes analyzed yielded — 



Silica . ...... 



Alumina and oxide of iron . 



Lime ....... 



7.52 



PROCEEDINGS B. S.N. II. — VOL, VI, 2 OCTOBER, 1S66. 



