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  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  their 
  course, 
  are 
  of 
  this 
  character, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   minor 
  streams 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  counties. 
  

  

  The 
  different 
  branches 
  of 
  Cole's 
  Creek, 
  in 
  the 
  Counties 
  

   of 
  Jefferson 
  and 
  Adams, 
  are 
  remarkable 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  ; 
  

   and 
  the 
  crossing 
  of 
  them 
  is 
  rendered 
  difficult 
  and 
  danger- 
  

   ous 
  after 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  every 
  freshet, 
  in 
  consequence 
  

   of 
  the 
  extensive 
  beds 
  of 
  quicksands 
  in 
  their 
  channels. 
  

  

  Sand 
  for 
  building 
  purposes, 
  is 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  a 
  mer- 
  

   chantable 
  commodity, 
  and 
  is 
  supplied 
  in 
  New 
  Orleans 
  

   from 
  Ellis 
  Cliffs. 
  

  

  These 
  cliffs 
  are 
  some 
  two 
  miles 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  extent, 
  

   and 
  about 
  two 
  hundred 
  feet 
  high, 
  presenting 
  in 
  some 
  

   parts 
  perpendicular 
  sections 
  of 
  pure 
  sand 
  and 
  clays. 
  

   Boats 
  continually 
  ply 
  from 
  that 
  point, 
  and 
  gangs 
  of 
  

   hands 
  are 
  continually 
  engaged 
  in 
  loading 
  flats 
  for 
  the 
  

   New 
  Orleans 
  market. 
  

  

  One 
  contract 
  for 
  sand 
  from 
  the 
  White 
  Cliffs, 
  for 
  the 
  

   Custom-house 
  in 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  amounted 
  to 
  upwards 
  of 
  

   twenty-eight 
  thousand 
  dollars, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  connection 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  that 
  several 
  boat-loads 
  of 
  pebble 
  and 
  

   conglomerate 
  were 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  talus 
  of 
  the 
  

   Natchez 
  Bluffs 
  for 
  the 
  foundation 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  building, 
  

   and 
  for 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  House 
  in 
  Baton 
  Rouge. 
  

  

  Taking 
  the 
  State 
  at 
  large, 
  the 
  ferruginous 
  sand 
  depo- 
  

   sits 
  greatly 
  predominate; 
  they 
  are 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  Missis- 
  

   sippi 
  only 
  at 
  Fort 
  Adams 
  overlying 
  the 
  diluvial 
  gravel. 
  

   They 
  spread 
  widely 
  over 
  the 
  County 
  of 
  Wilkinson, 
  and 
  

   are 
  exposed 
  in 
  heavy 
  deposits 
  in 
  every 
  ravine 
  or 
  natural 
  

   section, 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  plastic 
  clays, 
  conglomerate, 
  

   and 
  gravel 
  ; 
  passing 
  thence 
  eastwardly 
  through 
  Amite, 
  

   Pike, 
  and 
  Marion 
  Counties. 
  

  

  They 
  can 
  be 
  traced 
  almost 
  uninterruptedly 
  east 
  of 
  

   Pearl 
  River 
  from 
  the 
  sea-shore 
  to 
  the 
  Tennessee 
  line, 
  

   intervening, 
  as 
  it 
  were, 
  between 
  the 
  prairie 
  lands 
  and 
  

  

  