Silliman's American Journal. 157 



" Sun-fish Creek. — At nine o'clock this morning, the boat passed the 

 south of Sun-fish Creek, a small stream falling into the Ohio from the 

 right bank. The hills here are nearly 300 ft. high, much broken, and divided 

 by deep ravines into isolated masses. They are now clothed, to their very 

 summits, with the richest verdure of the forest, and at this season are 

 displaying the various tints of the different species that cluster around their 

 sides ; the pure white of the Cornus florida, and the rich pink of the 

 Celtis ohioensis, now in full bloom, appear beautifully contrasted with 

 the rich green of the woodlands. For the painter, this spot affords some 

 of the finest views that are to be found on the Ohio. The river makes an 

 abrupt bend opposite the mouth of the creek, and opens an extensive 

 perspective of the richest scenery, both up and down the stream. The 

 creek itself is lined with beautiful hills and shady ravines, some of which 

 have given employment to the pencil of Mr. Sullivan, who has produced 

 several masterly pieces taken from this vicinity. He is almost the only 

 painter who has taken living views from the enchanting landscapes of the 

 Ohio. This summer he proposes visiting the cliffs of New River and the 

 valley of the Greenbrier, where some of the most sublime and grand 

 scenery has rested for ages unnoticed and unknown, except to the passing 

 traveller, or the hunter, while chasing the deer amidst these lovely soli- 

 tudes. No country possesses more rich or varied scenery than the 

 mountain regions on the tributary streams of the Ohio : in grandeur they 

 may be excelled by the alpine groups of the globe, but in loveliness they 

 are not surpassed." (p. 2.) 



" May 7. I spent a part of the forenoon in examining Judge T.'s 

 cabinet of natural history. He has a fine collection of minerals, shells, 

 and fossil organic remains. The minerals embrace nearly 1200 species, 

 arranged in natural families. The fresh-water shells amount to nearly 100 

 species, the greater number of which are peculiar to our streams. The 

 family of the Uniones alone contains about 90 species, all natives of the 

 western waters. His collection of marine shells is also very fine. The 

 library of the Judge embraces, besides a due proportion belonging to his 

 own profession, many of the most valuable writings of Cuvier and Bron- 

 gniart, in their original language, on the animal kingdom, as well as fossil 

 organic remains. It is truly gratifying to see even a small part of the 

 wealth of our country, and a share of its most brilliant intellect, devoted 

 to the study and the developement of the natural history of 'the west;' a 

 subject deeply interesting, but, until recently, shrouded in much darkness. 

 Within a few years, however, many bright lights have been kindled, which 

 promise to illustrate the hidden arcana of nature. The conchology and 

 botany of the great valley have been pretty thoroughly examined, while 

 entomology, one of the most fertile branches, has been but partially in- 

 vestigated, although the indefatigable Say made a very fair beginning. 

 The study of fossil vegetable and animal remains, of which the valley of 

 the Mississippi is one vast cemetery, yet remains an almost entirely unex- 

 plored field. But the time is not distant when this vast cabinet of natural 

 history, formed by a benevolent Creator for the study and admiration of 

 man, will be classed and arranged by our own naturalists. Amongst the 

 minerals in the cabinet of Judge T., I observed a specimen of native cin- 

 nabar, or sulphuret of mercury, in acicular crystals, being a fragment of a 

 rolled mass of nearly a pound weight. This rare and beautiful mineral 

 was found on the waters of Paint Creek, amongst the debris and rolled 

 masses of primitive rocks which abound through the tertiary deposits*, 



" * I know no term more appropriate for the immense deposits of clay, 

 sand, and gravel, which compose the western prairies, than that of tertiary : 



