V 



4 



071 the Lake Superior Land DistricL 223 



have been noticed at length in this Journal. Messrs. Foster and 

 Whitney, in the volume just published, present the first part of 

 their Report on the region. The work, although mainly devoted 

 to those points in the geology of the district bearing on the mines, 

 and including much of practical detail on mining, presents a clear 

 and systematic view of its general structure as far as examined, 

 and conclusions of important geological bearing. A second part is 

 promised, which shall contain further details of a more purely sci- 

 entific character, with an account of the fossils, by Mr. James Hall, 

 who accompanied the party in the explorations of one season. 

 The authors acknowledge the aid of Messrs. S. W. Hill and E. 

 Desor, as first assistants, Mr. Wm. Schlatter as draftsman, and 

 Mr. W. D. Whitney as botanist. Mr. Desor^s attention was par- 

 ticularly directed to the drift, and the results of his observations 

 add much to the interest o{ the survey. On some geological 

 points, the authors conflict with the conclusions of Dr. Jackson ; 

 and it remains for future investigation to clear up all the doubt 

 that may remain upon the disputed questions. 



^ We propose to run through with the work, giving a brief re- 

 view of some of the results arrived at, and principally by citation 

 from the volume. 



The Introduction presents a historical view of the explorations 

 in the Copper region. After touching upon the accounts of the 

 Indians, and of the Canadian and other explorers, and also the 

 Journey of Mr. H. R. Schoolcraft in 1819, 1820. and mentioning 

 that the conclusion arrived at by exploration thus far, had been 

 that the copper deposits to be found would be too inaccessible to 

 be profitably worked — the authors allude to the investigations of 

 Dr. Douglass Houghton, State Geologist of Michigan, and ob- 

 serve that *' in his annua! report, presented to the legislature of 

 Michigan, February 1, 1841, the great features of the country 

 Were sketched with a masterly hand, and the first definite infor- 

 mation with regard to the occurrence of the deposites of native 

 copper in the rocks was laid before the world." This geologist 

 ^ad just planned a system for a thorough survey of the whole 

 region, and had entered upon the prosecution of it, when, in the 

 niidst of his laborS; he suddenly died by drowning, in October, 

 1847. Since this period, the region has been explored by Dr. C. 



T< JacksoUj as already stated, and by the authors of the present 

 report. 



The Lake Superior Land district is bounded on the north by 

 Lake Superior, east by St. Mary's river, south by Lakes Huron 

 jnd Michigan, and west by the Montreal and Menomonee rivers, 

 oeing situated between 45^ and 49^ north latitude and 83^ 45' 

 and 90° 33' west longitude. A striking feature in the topography 

 of the region is the parallelism of the northwest shore of Lake 

 Superior, the south shore, west of Keweenaw Point, and the 



