﻿n] 
  General 
  Geology 
  : 
  Lower 
  Claiborne 
  Eocene 
  75 
  

  

  vertically 
  in 
  the 
  bayou 
  over 
  the 
  places 
  where 
  the 
  saline 
  water 
  

   seemed 
  to 
  rise 
  ; 
  these 
  were 
  cut 
  off 
  at 
  such 
  a 
  length 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  

   always 
  above 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  logs 
  

   was 
  pumped 
  out 
  and 
  run 
  off 
  in 
  kettles 
  and 
  evaporated 
  to 
  salt. 
  

  

  The 
  light 
  blue 
  clayey 
  beds 
  around 
  the 
  shaft 
  just 
  mentioned 
  

   and 
  in 
  a 
  little 
  rivulet 
  close 
  by, 
  contained 
  some 
  very 
  imperfectly 
  

   preserved 
  marine 
  shells. 
  Nothing 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  sup- 
  

   pose 
  that 
  the 
  deposits 
  hereabouts 
  were 
  other 
  than 
  Lower 
  Clai- 
  

   borne 
  where 
  the 
  general 
  stratigraphy 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  would 
  place 
  

   them. 
  Quite 
  a 
  large 
  tract, 
  several 
  acres, 
  was 
  noticed 
  not 
  far 
  

   from 
  the 
  north 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  bayou 
  nearly 
  devoid 
  of 
  vegetation. 
  

  

  Simpkhi' 
  s 
  place 
  . 
  — 
  Mention 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  made 
  of 
  Lignitic 
  

   strata 
  occurring 
  along 
  streams 
  to 
  the 
  southeast 
  of 
  Negreet 
  P. 
  O. 
  

   The 
  hill 
  or 
  ridges 
  are 
  often 
  strewn 
  with 
  ferruginous 
  sandstone 
  

   chunk 
  showing 
  within 
  limonite 
  nodules. 
  Near 
  the 
  northern 
  

   border 
  of 
  the 
  Simpkins' 
  place 
  a 
  typical 
  " 
  black-land 
  " 
  soil 
  is 
  

   found, 
  ver}' 
  calcareous, 
  showing 
  boulders 
  of 
  light 
  yellow 
  lime- 
  

   stone 
  and 
  many 
  marine 
  fossils. 
  Some 
  collected 
  are 
  : 
  Ostrea 
  

   falciformis, 
  O. 
  Johnso)ii, 
  an 
  Orbitolite, 
  Peden, 
  Cypr'cca, 
  and 
  Tur- 
  

   ritellacarinata. 
  Near 
  Mr. 
  Simpkins' 
  house 
  the 
  fields 
  are 
  some- 
  

   times 
  almost 
  covered 
  with 
  red 
  ferruginous 
  chunks. 
  Yet 
  these 
  

   fields 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  bear 
  fine 
  crops. 
  The 
  reason 
  is 
  very 
  evident. 
  

   These 
  ferruginous 
  rock 
  fragments 
  are 
  before 
  exposure, 
  as 
  when 
  

   first 
  obtained 
  in 
  digging 
  a 
  well, 
  of 
  a 
  grayish 
  greenish 
  or 
  bluish 
  hue 
  

   and 
  are 
  replete 
  with 
  marine 
  organic 
  remains. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  leaching 
  of 
  

   this 
  material, 
  calcareous 
  and 
  glauconitic, 
  that 
  supplies 
  the 
  soil 
  

   with 
  the 
  elements 
  that 
  it 
  needs 
  in 
  plant 
  production. 
  

  

  The 
  red 
  color 
  is 
  simply 
  due 
  to 
  oxidation 
  of 
  the 
  iron 
  already 
  

   in 
  this 
  material 
  though 
  in 
  a 
  different 
  chemical 
  combination 
  and 
  

   of 
  a 
  different 
  color. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  general 
  lay 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  we 
  assume 
  that 
  these 
  exces- 
  

   sively 
  ferruginous 
  layers 
  are 
  higher 
  stratigraphically 
  than 
  the 
  

   " 
  black 
  lands 
  " 
  with 
  their 
  limestone 
  boulders 
  mentioned 
  above. 
  

   Certain 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  above 
  these 
  ferruginous 
  laj^ers, 
  come 
  sandy 
  

   beds 
  some 
  30 
  feet 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  thickness, 
  capped 
  with 
  large 
  rough 
  

   and 
  micaceous 
  sandstone 
  chunks. 
  The 
  latter 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  desti- 
  

   tute 
  of 
  organic 
  remains. 
  

  

  This 
  particular 
  calcareous 
  and 
  red 
  land 
  belt 
  extends, 
  with 
  

  

  