208 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



number of similar short, descriptive reports appeared in these 

 volumes.^ 



Between the years 1804 and 1807 the Lewis and Clarke^ and 

 the Pike ^ expeditions were conducted for the United States gov- 

 ernment. These expeditions added much to our knowledge of 

 the geography of the country traversed, but their geological 

 results were meagre, and limited to a strip of country adjacent 

 to the lines of travel. 



The year 1 8 1 5 is worthy of note as marking the beginning of the 

 Land Office surveys in the state. These surveys continued until 

 1850, and supplied an admirable basis for future areal work in 

 geology. Of interest in this connection is the fact that, during 

 the first two or three decades of operations, the surveyors were 

 required to report to the Land Office, along with their other 

 field notes, the presence or absence of mineral on the land 

 traversed. Drusy quartz, known as " mineral blossom," and 

 other superficial phenomena of wide occurrence, were used as 

 criteria, and, as these notes formed the basis for local classifica- 

 tion, complaints soon became loud that so much land was being 

 withdrawn from occupation on account of its being classed as 

 " mineral land," that the settling of the country was seriously 

 interfered with. This led eventually to the abandoning of the 

 early, crude attempt at accomplishing some of the objects of a 

 geological survey. 



Schoolcraft's well known tours throughout the western coun- 

 try were made between the years 18 16 and 18 19, and the three 

 volumes ^ of his observations contain much excellent statistical 



^ For specific references see Bull. No. 2, Geol. Surv. of Mo., 1890, Bibliography 

 pp. 46 and 48. 



'^ Travels to the Source of the Missouri River. By Capts. Lewis and Clarke, 1809 

 and 1814. 



3 Expeditions to the Sources of the Mississippi, etc. By Maj. Z. M. Pike, 1810 

 and 1811. 



"• Reference to the geographical results of this and other early explorations and 

 surveys w^ill be found in a paper by the writer entitled, " The Mapping of Missouri," 

 Trans. Acad. Science of St. Louis, No. 8, Vol. VI., 1893. 



5 Views of the Lead Mines of Missouri, etc., 1819. 



Journal of a Tour into the Interior of Missouri and Arkansas, etc., 1821. 

 Scenes and Adventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mts., etc., 1853. 



