tlie head Mines of Missouri, ^-c. 67 



its characters should be indubitably fixed. We have not 

 been so fortunate as to see Mr. Schoolcraft's specimens : 

 possibly a view of them would have rendered the prece- 

 ding remarks, in part at least, unnecessary. 



The difficulty of conceiving that this lime stone is really 

 primitive, is increased by the very remarkable position of 

 most of the lead ore hitherto obtained in the Missouri mines, 

 and which, it appears, is still obtained in the same situa- 

 tions, although some of the mines have been wrought for a 

 century. 



We allude to the vast deposit of alluvion with which this 

 lime' stone is covered, and in which, to the depth of many 

 feet, the lead ore lies, often in loose pieces of several pounds 

 weight. 



Leaving the Geological features of the lead mine district, 

 we proceed to cite some interesting and important fact.s 

 from Mr. Schoolcraft's work: — " The soil, he remarks, is a 

 reddish coloured clay, stiff and hard, and full of fragment;^; 

 of flinty stone, quartz and gravel; this extends to the depth 

 of from ten to twenty feet, and is bottomed on lime stone 

 rock. It is so compact in some places, as almost to resist 

 the pick-axe ; in others it seems to partake of marl, is less 

 , gravelly, and readily penetrated. Tiie country is particu- 

 larly characterized by quartz, which is strewed in detached 

 pieces over the surface of the ground, and is also found im- 

 bedded in the soil at all depths. This is here called blos- 

 som of lead. Iron ores and pyrites are also scattered over 

 the surface of the ground, and occasionally lead ore." The 

 mineral productions of the country, in addition to lead, are, 

 zinc, iron, ochre, red chalk, salt-petre, sulphur, alum and 

 salt." 



The number of lead mines is forty-five ; and there are 

 certain points in which they resemble each other. " The 

 ore is found in detached pieces, and solid masses, in veins 

 and beds, in red clay, and accompanied by sulphuret ofba- 

 rytes, calcareous spar, blende, iron pyrites, and quartz.'''' 



The ore (the author remarks) is the lead glanee, galena, 

 or sulphuret of lead. It is very rich and beautiful, and 

 specimens in our possession fully confirm Mr. Schoolcraft's 

 account ; they have a very broad, and perfectly foliated 

 fracture, and a high degree of metallic lustre ; they break in 

 cubical fragments, and the minutest portions still retain this 

 form. 



