254 APPENDIX. 



company with Professor Troost, geologist of Tennessee, the 

 iron mines of that State, which already furnish iron to a con- 

 siderable portion of the Western States. And though I have 

 seen no proof that iron exists in Iowa and Wisconsin, in 

 deposits as extensive, as in Tennessee, yet the locations of 

 iron ore are numerous, and the quality of the ore, in general, 

 is as good. 



" In some of the townships, especially in the ' Missouri 

 limestone,' on the Wisconsin river, iron ore was found scat- 

 tered in innumerable fragments over the entire surface, and 

 of a quality so rich as to be crystaUized in much perfection. 

 Near the Makoqueta, my sub-agents reported the discovery 

 of large masses of iron ore, occurring over a very consider- 

 able district of country. The reports and specimens from 

 that portion of the district induce me to believe that there 

 iron ore can be found, on the surface alone, sufficient to sup- 

 ply several iron-furnaces for years to come. 



" Some of the specimens from these localities are the 

 richest and most beautiful variety of pipe-ore I have ever 

 seen, exhibitins: a miniature resemblance to the basaltic 

 columns of Staffa, or the Giant's Causeway. 



'' Much of it is the hematite, the purest and most produc- 

 tive form of the hydrated brown oxide.* 



" In many of these locations, where iron ore is found m 

 abundance, fuel, water-power, and the limestone for flux, are 

 at hand. In the northern portion of the district, however, 

 the scarcity of fuel presents a serious obstacle to the estab- 

 lishment of productive iron-works. 



'* In Dr. Locke's report, under the head * magnetical node,' 

 will be found an interesting account of a remarkable magne- 

 tical phenomenon, which seems to indicate the presence of 



* These ores of iron yield from 40 to 60 per cent, of the metal. 



