66 Molkt oj Mr. SchoolcrafVs View of 



would of course decide the lime stone not to be primitive, 

 and therefore to be transition or secondary ; but both these 

 latter kinds of lime stone are often found without shells, 

 vegetable impressions, or any other trace of organized be- 

 ings. 



The minerals mentioned by Mr. Schoolcraft as accompa- 

 nying the lead ore, in and above the supposed primitive 

 lime stone, are not such as are decisive of a primitive coun- 

 tr)' — for crystalized quartz, sulphate of barytes, calcareous 

 spar, blende, hornstone, flint and pyrites, &ic. are found 

 along ViMth lead ore in the Peak of Derbyshire, a transition 

 country ; and they are found also in secondary countries. 

 Primitive lime stone also, we believe, (at least this is the 

 fact in the magnificent formations of it in Connecticut, Mas- 

 sachusetts, and other northern States) usually occurs, form- 

 ing beds in the primitive rocks, especially in gneiss, mica 

 slate, and clay slate ; and we are not aware that it often 

 forms the basis of a country ; whereas transition and secon- 

 dary lime stone form immense masses, and pervade exten- 

 sive regions, without necessarily forming beds in other 

 rocks. 



It would then have been more satisfactory to have had 

 the mineralogical character of this lime stone described 

 with more precision, and especially to have had the order. 

 of succession, (if any exist) with respect to contiguous rocks 

 dehneated. 



We should have liked especially to have had the relations 

 of this lime stone with that remarkable granite region, point- 

 ed out. As that granite ridge is said to be surrounded by sec- 

 ondary lime stone, does this secondary lime stone repose on 

 this other, called primitive, and does this latter repose on 

 the granite, where it dips obliquely under, as it probably 

 does, in order to find its way beneath the other rocks, and to 

 vindicate its claim to a fundamental position ^ But, per- 

 haps we are asking more than is reasonable, for, it may be 

 that there are no such sections in the strata as would expose 

 all these facts to view, and enable the observer to decide. 



These hints we have dropped, not, we trust, from a cap- 

 tious disposition, (which we ablior) but because we have 

 found a real difficulty in conceiving clearly of the geological 

 nature o^ this lime stone, wljich, it seems, is the basis of the 

 lead mine country, and therefore it is very important that 



