'62 EXPEDITION TO THE 



wide. Tlie town is divided into the old and the new, the 

 former is built upon a narrow bank, which extends between 

 the river and the ridge of hills on the eastern shore; the 

 new town is built a little below the old, on the river, and 

 has a wider field to expand upon, owing to the junction 

 of the lateral valley of Wheeling creek with that of 

 the river. We regretted to find brick resorted to as a 

 building material, not only in the construction of private 

 houses, but even of churches and other public edifices, 

 while a beautiful sandstone admirably adapted to the pur- 

 poses of architecture, and which might be obtained at a 

 very low price, remains unwrought. 



The weather was so unfavourable during the three days 

 which we remained here, as to preclude the possibility of 

 ascertaining by astronomical observations the latitude and 

 longitude of this town. 



In our walks along the banks of the river, which are 

 covered with a vast deposit of alluvium, and which present 

 in this vicinity at least, no section of rocks, we were struck 

 with the immense numberof pebbles partaking of the nature 

 of primitive rocks, which are strewed along the surface of 

 the ground. They are not, it is true, of a large size, and 

 their smooth and rounded surfaces attest that they have 

 travelled far from their native sites. In examining our 

 imperfect geological maps to endeavour to assign to them 

 an origin, we feel at a loss to decide whence they may have 

 been brought. We find no primitive formations nearer 

 than those on the north side of our great lakes, which, 

 from the aspect of the country, may be supposed to have 

 given rise by their destruction to these extensive alluvia 

 of primitive debris. Among these pebbles, chiefly of gra- 

 nite, gneiss, sienite, &c. we observed a rock formed of feld- 

 spar, quartz, and handsome crystals of translucent garnets^ 



