Faets relating to certain parts of the state of Ohio. 3 
the greatest extent are alluvial, are in the neighbourhood of 
rivers, and appear to have been at some remote period 
their beds. There is a large one at Belpre; one at Union 
on the Muskingum river; and one at Marietta, on which 
a considerable part of the town is located, and those ancient 
works are built. The surface of that at Marietta, ts 65 feet 
above the present bed of the river. Insinking wells on this plain, 
you first pass through a stratum of gravel of considerable 
thickness; after which it is loose sand, until you come ona 
Jevel with the bed of the river, when you again find gravel, 
and other appearances, much resembling its present state. 
The water in many of our wells, is supplied by the rivers; 
more particularly in those on the bottom lands, and it rises or falls 
in accordance with the rivers; others are supplied by springs, 
and not influenced by the fluctuations of the streams. In that 
part of the town of Marietta, subject to be flooded, the water 
is sometimes for two or three days together from six to eight 
feet deep over the tops of the wells. All this time there is a 
continual whirlpool over the well’s mouth; and while it is 
rising, and only a foot or two deep on the adjacent surface, 
the water rushes with great violence and noise down the well. 
A bystander would think the well must soon be full; but so 
far from this, there is a continual draft of the water, so long 
as it remains above the surface of the earth at the well, and 
it passes off through the gravel, and sand at the bottom, and 
finds its way to the river again; some wells are much injured 
by the floods ; their walls viving way, or settling; and all re- 
_ quire cieansing after the water subsides. The water in most 
weils is hard, and not good for washing ; while the springs and 
rivulets have generally soft water. The water of the Musk- 
ingum is impregnated with lime, while the water of the 
Ohio is softer, and mixes readily with soap. A great part of 
the inhabitants, living on its banks, make use of it for drink- 
Ing and culinary purposes, both summer and winter. 
No caverns, of any great extent, have as yet been discover- 
ed in this county. There are some of considerable magni- 
tude, near the heads of the west branch of the little Hock- 
hocking. It was formerly a noted place for bears, and was 
much frequented by hunters. The most extensive that | 
have heard of in the Ohio Company’s purchase, are on the 
head waters of Raccoon creek. ‘The rocks are sandstone, 
and form cliffs and precipices of vast height and magnitude, 
for this country. Saltpetre-earth is found in inost of them, 
