SECTION FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO POUND GAP. 31 
about twenty-nine miles from the latter place, we pass from 
Cincinnati up through about ten feet of Corniferous onto 
Devonian shale. Hackberry is found scattered all through 
the country. 
About twenty-seven miles from Irvine the formation is still 
Devonian shale; but its detritus forms a long, whitish level, 
on which, in choice local spots, considerable white oak is 
found. ‘Timbers are chiefly poor and valueless. 
We strike the Corniicious again near Silver Creek, about two 
miles west of what is locally known as Johnson’s Shop; but 
we pass onto Devonian shale again on Silver Creek. Paw- 
paw bushes, black sumach, and scrub buckeye are found in 
the greatest abundance all through here, together with some 
laurel oak and post oak. ‘The valuable timbers have all been 
cut out. 
Near Big Hill, while Devonian shale is still the lowland 
formation, Waverly (Keokuk) shales are the foot-hill forma- 
tion. The tops of the high hills, such as Big Hill and Buz- 
zard’s Basin, are capped with Conglomerate; so that we have 
a complete geological section, from Devonian shale to Con- 
glomerate, on one of these hills. Here the first pines ( pzzus 
mutis) are met with on the journey eastward. They crown 
Big Hill and other high points, and are found on the dry, 
thin shales of the foot-hills. 
After leaving Big Hill post-office, toward Irvine, on Red 
Lick Fork, red birch, holly (the first noted), sweet gum, white 
oak, Spanish oak, red elm, spotted birch, service berry (Ame- 
lanchier), laurel oak, black ash, willow, red oak, cedar, shag 
hickory, sugar maple, buckeye, pine, box-elder, redbud, black 
gum, pawpaw, and sour-wood are met with. A large part 
of the valley timbers is still cut away. Some American lin- 
den is found on the high knobs between Big Hill and Irvine, 
associated with fine black walnut, white oak, white hickory, 
and liriodendron, about the heads of the numerous little 
branches that How from the hill sides. The timbers remain 
without essential change to Estill Springs. 
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