﻿222 
  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  stone 
  occurs, 
  composed 
  wholly 
  of 
  pisiform 
  iron. 
  The 
  

   nodules, 
  formed 
  of 
  concentric 
  layers, 
  are 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  

   the 
  ordinary 
  size. 
  

  

  Iron 
  ore 
  of 
  different 
  character, 
  and 
  of 
  good 
  quality, 
  is 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  sufficiently 
  abundant 
  for 
  profitable 
  working, 
  

   not 
  far 
  distant 
  from 
  De 
  Kalb, 
  on 
  Section 
  34, 
  Township 
  

   10, 
  Range 
  17 
  E., 
  in 
  Kemper 
  County, 
  on 
  the 
  Paticfaw. 
  

   I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  visiting 
  the 
  lo- 
  

   cality, 
  and 
  my 
  information 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  it 
  amounts 
  to 
  

   this 
  : 
  that, 
  being 
  considered 
  by 
  an 
  experienced 
  iron- 
  

   master, 
  as 
  superior 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  worked 
  in 
  

   Tennessee, 
  he 
  purchased 
  the 
  land, 
  and 
  a 
  company 
  was 
  

   chartered 
  by 
  the 
  Legislature 
  of 
  this 
  State 
  for 
  working 
  

   the 
  ore, 
  some 
  years 
  since; 
  bqt, 
  from 
  some 
  cause 
  not 
  

   stated, 
  the 
  enterprise 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  carried 
  into 
  effect. 
  

  

  A 
  hydrated 
  peroxide 
  of 
  iron 
  termed 
  limonite, 
  is 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  talus 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez 
  Bluff. 
  

  

  These 
  limonites 
  occur 
  in 
  round 
  balls, 
  or 
  of 
  more 
  flat- 
  

   tened 
  ovoid 
  forms, 
  assuming 
  sometimes 
  varied 
  and 
  fan- 
  

   tastic 
  shapes. 
  They 
  rarely 
  exceed 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  inches 
  in 
  

   diameter, 
  and 
  are 
  generally 
  much 
  smaller. 
  Whatever 
  

   shape 
  they 
  may 
  assume, 
  or 
  however 
  irregular 
  or 
  con- 
  

   torted, 
  they 
  are 
  always 
  hollow, 
  the 
  crust 
  or 
  shell 
  in- 
  

   closing 
  either 
  sands 
  highly 
  mineralized 
  with 
  sulphate 
  of 
  

   iron, 
  or 
  with 
  ochrous 
  earths 
  generally 
  of 
  a 
  red 
  or 
  yellow 
  

   color, 
  which 
  impart 
  a 
  vivid 
  tint 
  to 
  the 
  interior 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  shell. 
  On 
  one 
  occasion, 
  a 
  crystal 
  of 
  gypsum, 
  or 
  

   selenite 
  about 
  two 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  was 
  found 
  in- 
  

   closed 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  these. 
  The 
  exterior 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  

   generally 
  of 
  a 
  rather 
  dull 
  brown, 
  but 
  the 
  fracture 
  ex- 
  

   hibits 
  a 
  more 
  lustrous 
  and 
  metallic 
  aspect. 
  

  

  These 
  limonites 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  

   loose 
  and 
  detached, 
  and 
  are 
  often 
  in 
  an 
  entire 
  condition 
  

  

  