GEOLOGY. 1 3 



destitute of the necessary hardness, and liable to crumble into 

 small pieces. 



The height of the surface of the earth, in Ohio, above the 

 surface of the ocean, varies, from seven hundred, to fifteen 

 hundred feet. As a whole, it may be fairly estimated, at 

 eight hundred feet. Its surface is infinitely varied, in its 

 hilly region; sometimes it rises into abrupt precipices, in the 

 sandstone regions, and then again, falling oflf, into long plates. 

 It was generally covered with a thick growth, of forest trees, 

 while in its natural state. We have neither the highest hills 

 nor the deepest vales, but, generally, a surface undulating 

 enough, for every useful purpose. The dividing line, between 

 the sandstone and limestone formations, both of the same 

 age, begins on Lake Erie in the mouth of Huron river, the 

 sandstone lying on the east, and the lime stone on the west of 

 it. Running nearly south, it is about nine miles east of Co- 

 lumbus, bearing rather westwardly it is four or five miles east 

 of the Scioto river, quite across Pickaway county, when, it ab- 

 ruptly crosses the Scioto westwardly, almost as soon as it gets 

 fairly below Pickaway county, south line. Extending west- 

 wardly, near to, but west of Bainbridge, on Paint creek, it 

 bears off, southwardly and westwardly until it strikes the Ohio 

 river at or near Aberdeen, opposite Maysville, Kentucky. 

 Thence turning southeastwardly it strikes the highlands west 

 of the Big Sandy river, some eighty miles above its mouth. 

 This line, as we have stated, which separates the sandstone 

 from the limestone region begins on lake Erie, at the mouth 

 of Huron river, and, passing through the town of Huron, in 

 Huron county, and extending to the Ohio river, at Aber- 

 deen, thence to the Alleghany mountains, by the route which 

 we have indicated. 



SANDSTONE. 



We proceed to remark upon, the minerals East of the above 

 mentioned line — and we begin with the sandstone, which of- 

 ten lies nearest the surface of the earth. In many parts of the 



