324 Mineralogy of Orange County, JV. Y. 



belong, and the dip is uniformly to the west, varying from 40° and 

 sometimes under, to a position nearly vertical. The Blue Limestone is 

 nearly horizontal, though occasionally thrown up at a pretty high an- 

 gle, as in one or two spots south of the village of Edenville. The 

 superficial extent of these formations within the district under consid- 

 eration, may be viewed from a glance at the geological map. Suf- 

 fice it to say of the White Limestone, (the only rock which here in- 

 terests the mineralogist) that it commences at Mount Eve, and ex- 

 tends in an uninterrupted line twenty-five miles south-east to Byram, 

 with a width varying from two and a half miles to that of a few rods. 

 Its greatest breadth is at the states' line. Its elevation, except at its 

 northern extremity, upon Mts. Adam and Eve, is low, often falling 

 below the adjoining Limestone of a more recent date. It crops out 

 only here and there in large masses, and its continuity is often to be 

 made out solely by scattered bowlders and loose stones of a smaller 

 size, scattered over the surface of the ground. Although Byram is 

 spoken of generally, as the southern limit of the formation, yet it is 

 highly probable it extends, with occasional breaks perhaps, to Easton 

 upon the Delaware. 



The first mineral deposit, of which I have to speak, is situated 

 upon the southern base of Mount Eve, on the land of Isaac Allison. 

 It is marked No. 12 on the map. Like another locality to which I 

 shall have occasion to allude in this paper, and indeed many others 

 in our country, it owes its discovery to the want of mineralogical in- 

 formation. An ignorant foreigner, calling himself an old country- 

 man, (a declaration which has until lately been too sure a passport to 

 confidence among our people in all matters relating to metallurgy,) 

 persuaded some persons in the neighborhood to commence mining 

 operations here, under the idea of obtaining gold and silver. The 

 only metallic substance afforded by ihe place was Iron Pyrites. A 

 pit was accordingly sunk to a very considerable depth, and a reduc- 

 tion forge erected. How long their operations were persevered in, 

 I am unable to say, but the degree of success it is easy to imagine. 

 The result was, that immense heaps of Limestone, abounding with 

 crystallized minerals, were thrown out ; and though they have been 

 considerably culled, they still continue to reward the mineralogist 

 with many substances worthy of his attention. The principal of 

 these in interest is a distinctly crystallized Hornblende, disseminated 

 through an aggregate of Limestone and Scapolite. The crystals vary 



