﻿GEOLOGY. 
  215 
  

  

  it 
  in 
  irregular 
  and 
  distorted 
  veins, 
  and 
  which, 
  forming 
  

   the 
  hardest 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  mass, 
  gives 
  the 
  weathered 
  

   surface 
  a 
  very 
  rough 
  and 
  nodular 
  character. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  traced 
  in 
  a 
  direction 
  north 
  of 
  east, 
  and 
  is 
  seen 
  

   cropping 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  crossing 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez 
  and 
  Wood- 
  

   ville 
  road, 
  in 
  Section 
  8, 
  Township 
  2, 
  Range 
  2 
  West. 
  

  

  Beyond 
  this, 
  continuing 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  general 
  direction, 
  

   its 
  character 
  becomes 
  gradually 
  modified, 
  being 
  much 
  

   more 
  silicious 
  and 
  uniform 
  in 
  character, 
  and 
  freer 
  from 
  

   the 
  oxide 
  ; 
  the 
  iron 
  it 
  contains 
  consisting 
  of 
  an 
  incon- 
  

   siderable 
  amount 
  of 
  pyrites, 
  in 
  small 
  detached 
  nodules. 
  

  

  Occurring 
  in 
  considerable 
  beds 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  miles 
  north- 
  

   east 
  of 
  Woodville, 
  of 
  a 
  quality 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  suitable 
  

   for 
  building 
  purposes, 
  considerable 
  tracts 
  of 
  the 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  lands 
  on 
  wdiich 
  it 
  was 
  situated 
  were 
  entered 
  about 
  

   twenty 
  years 
  since, 
  and 
  some 
  quarries 
  were 
  opened, 
  and 
  

   the 
  stone 
  used 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  extent 
  in 
  Woodville 
  and 
  the 
  

   vicinity. 
  These 
  quarries 
  have 
  never 
  been 
  regularly 
  

   worked, 
  and 
  are 
  now, 
  from 
  some 
  cause, 
  rarely 
  resorted 
  to. 
  

  

  Crossing 
  the 
  Homochitto 
  near 
  Wilson's 
  Ferry, 
  the 
  

   ledge 
  is 
  intersected 
  by 
  the 
  Natchez 
  and 
  Liberty 
  Road 
  in 
  

   Franklin 
  County, 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  Section 
  47, 
  Township 
  5, 
  

   Range 
  1 
  E. 
  The 
  more 
  compact 
  and 
  arenaceous 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  stratum 
  is 
  here 
  about 
  three 
  feet 
  in 
  thickness, 
  with 
  

   about 
  the 
  same 
  thickness, 
  above 
  and 
  below, 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  

   argillaceous 
  and 
  crumbling 
  material, 
  which, 
  in 
  wet 
  

   weather, 
  forms 
  a 
  very 
  tenacious 
  white 
  pasty 
  clay, 
  ren- 
  

   dering 
  this 
  a 
  very 
  formidable 
  pass 
  to 
  the 
  wagoners 
  on 
  

   the 
  road, 
  who 
  have 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  ridge 
  on 
  which 
  this 
  

   ledge 
  runs 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  DeviVs 
  Backbone 
  . 
  

  

  This 
  rock 
  seems 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  continuous 
  or 
  traceable 
  

   more 
  than 
  ten 
  or 
  fifteen 
  miles 
  further 
  in 
  this 
  direction, 
  

   and 
  is 
  found 
  of 
  its 
  best 
  quality 
  at 
  Dixon's 
  Quarry, 
  Sec- 
  

   tion 
  40, 
  Township 
  6, 
  Range 
  2 
  E., 
  between 
  Well's 
  Creek 
  

  

  