2B Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, i^c. 



Other facts respecting the Cove of Wachitta. 

 Since I was at the Cove of Wachitta, I understand thai 

 an Indian has found a piece of native copper of the size and 

 shape of an ear of Indian corn. He melted and doubtless, 

 used the copper, for some of the Cherokees on the Arkan- 

 sas are tolerable silver-smiths. Pyrites is found here in 

 abundance, so is native copperas, or vitriol ; this forms a 

 component part of some veins running through a largo 

 bed of a milk white and apparently talcose earth, which the 

 blow pipe, even when aided by borax, does not affect. 



Burr Mill Stones. 



On the hills surrounding the Cove there are among the 

 Spathose iron stone, and the fibntus and compact heavy 

 spar, some of the sihceous stones with which the French Burr 

 mill stones are made. They are pronounced by a good 

 judge to be of a superior quality ; this person caused to be 

 cut, from a solid block, a pair of stones twenty-two inches 

 in diameter. 



Alum Slate. 



Twenty four miles from the Cove between that and the 

 Arkansas, one hundred yards to the left of the road, after 

 crossing the third fork of the Saline river, and immediately 

 on its banks, there is an acclivity leading to a perpendicular 

 wall of about one hundred feet in height; this is composed of 

 a black slate, (aluminous shistus) rather inchning in its posi- 

 lion. The observer, on removing a few of the loose slates 

 under his feet, will discover the upper surface of many thou- 

 sand tons of Alum. It is the kind called Feather Alum 

 (plumose 2.\um.-Ed.) it is in large light cakes, matted in with 

 some pieces of slates and composed of long needle shaped 

 crystals of a bright whitish hue, between that of silver and silk 



perceive any thing, they bark or make a kind of clapping noise, on which 

 account they have been referred to the canine tribe, although tiiey appear 

 to resemble them in no respect : but, what I know of them is only by hear- 

 say. I have however seen their stamping ground, and their holes, which 

 appeared to be very deep. For this reason travellers can never catch Ihtm, 

 and rarely even get sight of them, except a few beaver trappers who venture 

 thus far with their traps, which they set at (he entrance of the holes. By 

 what I understood from the information which I have received, they ap- 

 peared to resemble the weasel more tiian any other animal, although they 

 are larger and have a long snout.* 



* .See Pike's JournaL 



