Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 55 
The great saving in time, too, would be an additional advan- 
tage of this route. It is open so early in the spring, that lead 
would get to New York as soon as from “ny although it would 
be on its way first from the latter port. 
A charter has been obtained for a canal to be constructed from 
Milwaukie to Rock river, by which a means of cheap transpor- 
tation thus far would be afforded; but this is not likely to be 
soon completed. When it is, the Peccatolica will, no doubt, be 
cleared and opened for slasksiaies navigation, and boats will: go 
from the vicinity of Mineral Point down that stream, and either 
up Rock river, and across to the lake, or down it to the Missis- 
i. 
‘To treat of all the resources of this favored region, besides its 
lead and copper and iron ores, would demand the limits of a vol- 
ume rather than an article for a scientific journal. Blessed witha 
delightful climate, rich soil, fine streams, its surface and natural 
growth admirably adapted for grazing, it promises soon to become 
the most important part of the great western country. Its in- 
habitants are industrious and enterprising, and the emigrants that 
are gradually filling the territory, are principally hard ghee, 
farmers from the eastern states. 
Near St. Louis, within six miles of it to the west and south- 
west, occur the bituminous coal measures; these are also found 
opposite the city in Illinois, on Muddy Greek to the south, and 
at various points up the river, as far as the mouth of Rock River ; 
on leaving St. Louis and proceeding to the south one comes im- 
mediately to the great calcareous formation beneath them, that 
is here so productive in lead ore. Heavy beds of sandstone are 
interstratified with the limestone, and the formation in olla 
partakes more of the arenaceous than caleareous character. The 
dip of these rocks varies with local causes, for the most part; 
they appear to lie horizontally. Ledges of granite and ranges of 
granite hills often intersect the limestone strata, running in a 
direction nearly north and south. They seldom seem to have 
affected the dipof the stratified rocks in contact with them, as is 
usually the case where they have been projected through sein 
and this would lead to the supposition that the limestone and 
sandstone had been deposited subsequently to the time when the 
granite was in its present position. But from the altered nature 
of the limestone, and from the fact of metallic veins, Supers an 
