Descriptive Catalogue of Rocks and Minerals. 259 



This formation affords very numerous varieties of sand- 

 stone, (of which those transmitted are but a small part,) 

 including many kinds suitable for building, exhibiting va- 

 rious shades of red, gray and yellow. In several places 

 they are quarried for the p^irposes of architecture, for 

 grindstones, for whetstones, and, even (when they contain 

 pebbles) for millstones. On its western line the sandstone 

 passes at the foot of the hill on which the college of N. 

 Carolina is built; and fine red and gray sandstone, every 

 way suitable for building, may be obtained within less than 

 two miles of the college. 



15. Sandstone, of the alluvial country, from Waynesbo-. 

 rough. A similar kind is used in Fayetteville for building. 



16. Granite passing into Gneiss, from Raleigh. This 

 ridge of granite, which extends at least 50 miles, through 

 the counties of Warren, Franklin and Wake, and probably 

 much farther, affords abundant and most excellent materials 

 for building. Lying a little elevated above the neighbour- 

 ing grounds it is easily quarried ; and the universal diffusion 

 of the mica and fineness of the other ingredients give it a 

 looseness of texture which render it capable of being as 

 easily hewn as common sandstone. Its qualities are finely 

 displayed in the late additions to the State House at Ra- 

 leigh. On the west of Raleigh three miles, it passes deci- 

 dedly into Gneiss which appears capable of affording the 

 largest slabs ; but no quarry of it has yet been opened. 



1 7. Granite, from Person Co. — Granites of this descrip- 

 tion, containing a large share of felspar in a state of de- 

 composition, and affording materials for porcelain clay, are 

 very common in this upper country; and the complexion of 

 the otlier forms of granite is very various, including coarse 

 and fine-grained, red and grey of various shades, and all 

 degrees of hardness. 



18. Micaceous, or talcose slate, full of small veins and 

 crystals of pyrites, from Wake. See No. 86. 



19. Ta/c, with radiated crystals, from Rockingham. 



20. Indurated Talc, from Wake, susceptible of a good 

 polish and used for ornamental parts in architecture — both 

 the pieces are, in fact, very fine soap stones. 



Ta'cand soapstone. of various aspects and qualities, ap- 

 pear in every county of the primitive region in this state. 

 I hav^ aiieady ascertained most abundant formations of one 

 or both of these minerals in the counties of Wake, Gran- 



