Fragmentary Lime Rock Strata. 



45 



t 



affording a fine view of the rock in place. At some remote period 

 in the history of the' earth, this deposit probably formed the shore 

 of an ocean, or an extensive lake, which must have stretched far 

 away north and west. This supposition is strengthened by the 

 . fact that calcareous pebbles coarse and large, form the substratum 

 at the distance of seventy or eighty miles west, a point which may 

 be supposed distant from this shore ; just as pebbles are now found 

 in our present seas, with the sand and gravel, on, and near the shores, 

 the lighter particles and fragments being driven higher up by the 

 waves and tides, while the larger and heavier are left in deeper wa- 

 ter. This fragmentary rock extends eastward to the heads of Sun- 

 fish creek, about fifteen miles, and is of a width at present unknown. 

 No fossil shells were discovered, nor could I hear of any from per- 



sons manufacturing the stone. 



10 feet. 



2. Limestone, dark colored, and slaty structure. — 30 feet. 



3. Argillaceous, slaty, sandstone—easily decomposing. — 60 feet. 



4. Compact, sparry limestone, dove colored and fine grained. 

 20 feet. ■ 



5. Bituminous coal, resting on the limestone, of a good quality, 



slaty structure. The same bed of coal makes its 



— K 



burning freely 



appearance on the south side of the ridge, in several places, under 

 the coarse sand rock. The lamina of coal when separated, display 

 the impressions of some broad leaved plant between the contiguous 

 layers ; it is very peculiar in this respect, affording the most "satis- 

 factory and unequivocal proof of its vegetable origin, were any still 

 disposed to doubt it. This bed, with th€ sand rock above, is de- 



graaed and washed away about fifteen miles north of Mar^ , ..^ 

 the hills are much lower, and is seen no more in that direction. 



Tlie 



impressions in this coal, when first displayed to the light, Las the 

 appearance of a dried, yellowish leaf— the vegetable matter, where 

 not changed to coal, being replaced with yellow ochre. '. 

 The specific gravity of this coal Is 1.42. — 5 feet. 



6. Bituminous shale, with impressions of broad, fine grained or 

 delicately striated leaves of some arundinaceous plant. — 3 feet. 



7. Coarse sandstone, similaTto that on the south side of the rido-e 

 and above the Lias, crowning the tops of the hills. — SO feet. 



8. Argillaceous earth — ^}^ellowish color — timber chiefly oak. 



