﻿in] 
  Special 
  Report 
  No. 
  i 
  : 
  Natchitoches 
  Area 
  141 
  

  

  NATCHITOCHES 
  AREA 
  

   Introduction 
  

  

  Here 
  is 
  a 
  classic 
  spot 
  both 
  for 
  the 
  student 
  of 
  American 
  history 
  

   and 
  American 
  geology. 
  It 
  is 
  geology 
  alone, 
  however, 
  with 
  

   which 
  we 
  are 
  now 
  concerned. 
  

  

  The 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  this 
  area 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  such 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  prevalence 
  of 
  general 
  culture 
  and 
  the 
  location 
  

   here 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Normal 
  School 
  of 
  northern 
  Eouisiana. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  preface 
  to 
  our 
  remarks 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  geology 
  is 
  a 
  

   subject 
  learned 
  mainly 
  from 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  Earth, 
  not 
  simply 
  

   from 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  books. 
  The 
  latter, 
  like 
  a 
  good 
  teacher, 
  may 
  

   guide 
  and 
  stimulate, 
  but 
  cannot 
  take 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  personal 
  

   research 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  student. 
  With 
  this 
  summary 
  of 
  the 
  

   geology 
  of 
  Township 
  9 
  North 
  and 
  Range 
  7 
  West 
  in 
  hand, 
  the 
  

   earnest 
  teacher 
  and 
  student 
  of 
  geology 
  will 
  quickly 
  extend 
  

   observations 
  of 
  similar 
  character 
  to 
  adjoining 
  townhips, 
  and 
  will 
  

   soon 
  be 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  causing 
  the 
  whole 
  parish 
  to 
  be 
  carefully 
  

   mapped 
  topographically 
  and 
  geologically. 
  Great 
  good 
  will 
  come 
  

   of 
  such 
  local 
  studies, 
  both 
  to 
  the 
  individual 
  carrying 
  on 
  the 
  

   work 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  community 
  at 
  large. 
  

  

  Topography 
  

   HiLi. 
  Lands 
  

  

  Wes/ 
  of 
  Old 
  river. 
  — 
  The 
  southwest 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  township 
  

   rises 
  up 
  gradually 
  going 
  northward 
  from 
  the 
  low-lands 
  of 
  Lake 
  

   Jericho, 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  showing 
  small 
  abrupt 
  slopes 
  in 
  the 
  

   immediate 
  vicinities 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  streams, 
  but 
  in 
  general, 
  low 
  

   and 
  undulating. 
  Between 
  Texas 
  road 
  and 
  the 
  Eake, 
  however, 
  

   high 
  ridges 
  are 
  prevalent, 
  separated 
  by 
  V-shaped 
  hills 
  or 
  ravines 
  

   which 
  bifurcate 
  again 
  and 
  again 
  on 
  the 
  flanks 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  or 
  

   ridges. 
  To 
  see 
  this 
  interesting 
  type 
  of 
  topography, 
  go 
  over 
  the 
  

   ' 
  ' 
  Dam 
  ' 
  ' 
  and 
  cross 
  Mill 
  bayou 
  and 
  follow 
  the 
  trail 
  indicated 
  on 
  

   the 
  map 
  to 
  the 
  westward. 
  

  

  Some 
  outliers. 
  — 
  Hickory 
  hill, 
  and 
  the 
  triangular 
  area 
  west 
  — 
  

   southwest 
  of 
  Chapin's 
  lake, 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  two 
  elevated 
  outliers 
  

   left 
  in 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  township 
  east 
  of 
  Old 
  river. 
  

  

  