APPENDIX. 567 



fell to the lot of Mr. B.'s dog, who, probably deceived by the 

 growth of bushes, fell in. Whether killed or not, it was impos- 

 sible to tell, and we were obliged to leave the poor animal, under 

 a promise of Mr, Y., that he would cause a windlass to be removed 

 to the pit, to ascertain his fate. 



At eleven o'clock we reached Mineral Point, the seat of justice 

 of Iowa county. I delivered an introductory letter to Mr. Ansley, 

 who had made a discovery of copper ore in the vicinity, and 

 through his politeness, visited the locality. The discovery was 

 made in sinking pits in search of lead ore. Small pieces of green 

 carbonate of copper were found on striking the rock, w^hich is 

 apparently silico-calcareous, and of a very friable structure. 

 From one of the excavations, detached masses of the sulphuret, 

 blue and green mingled, were raised. These masses are enveloped 

 with ochery clay. 



In riding out on horseback to see this locality, I passed over 

 the ridge of land which first received the appellation of " Mineral 

 Point." No digging was observed in process, but the heaps of 

 red marly clay, the vigorous growth of shrubbery around them, 

 and the number of open or partially filled pits, remain to attest 

 the labor which was formerly devoted in the search for lead. And 

 this search is said to have been amply rewarded. The track of 

 discovery is conspicuously marked by these excavations, which 

 often extend, in a direct line, on the cardinal points, as far as the 

 eye can reach. Everywhere the marly clay formation appears 

 to have been relied on for the ore, and much of it certainly ap- 

 pears to be m situ in it. It bears no traces of attrition ; and its 

 occurrence in regular leads forbids the supposition of its being 

 an oceanic arrangement of mineral detritus. At Vanmater's, the 

 metalliferous clay marl is overlaid by a grayish sedimentary 

 limestone. Different is the geological situation of what is deno- 

 minated gravel orc^ of which I noticed piles, on the route from 

 Gratiot's. This bears evident marks of attrition, and appears to 

 have been uniformly taken from diluvial earth. 



On returning to the village from this excursion, I found Mr. B. 

 ready to proceed, and we lost no time in making the next point 

 in our proposed route. A drive of five miles brought us to the 

 residence of Colonel Dodge, whose zeal and enterprise in opening 

 this portion of our western country for settlement, give him 



