Miscellanies. 191 
much of it, passed yet out of the hands of the General Government, 
and can therefore be bought by any one, who mmiebes to own it, at 
$1.25 cents an acre. 
In the winter season, this coal is brought down thets river to Mobile 
from Tuscaloosa, in flat bottomed boats, and sold at the same price 
as the Liverpool coal, or at from $1 to $1.50 cts. a barrel. The 
strata of this rich and extensive coal bed, have an inclination of a few 
degrees, to the south south east. 
I presume you will ere long, receive a correct geological account 
of this extensive and interesting coal formation, from some gentle- 
man of the Alabama University at iaica ance which is a very fa- 
vorable point for observing it. 
The facts which I have communicated, were Uaitsaed from an 
eminent lawyer of this place who had visited the region and from a 
laboring man, who had worked the coal in a blacksmith’s shop 
which he owned in that region. He informed me, that having work- 
ed at the coal mines in Virginia, near Richmond, he considered 
this coal deposit the richest and as containing the best coal he had 
ever seen. 
16. Miscellaneous facts.—The diluvial region in the lower part 
of this state, contains numerous quarries of ferruginous sand stone, 
often including pebbles of pure quartz of various sizes. In many 
places, this sand stone is used for building; I have a specimen, 
obtained from a quarry within a few miles of Mobile. At Blakely, 
opposite to this place, are found some very interesting petrifactions, 
of different kinds of wood, among which, are specimens of petrified 
live oak. 
The region of country just around Mobile, is very rich in botani- 
cal productions ; many insects, are inhabitants of the swamps. This 
is a fine field, for the student of natural history, and as yet scarcely — 
explored or cultivated at all. 
17. India Rubber Carpets—Having some India Rubber varnish 
left, which was prepared for another purpose, the thought occurred 
to me, of trying it as a covering to a carpet, after the following man- 
ner.—A piece of canvass was stretched and covered with a thin coat 
of glue, (corn meal size will probably answer best,) over this was laid 
a sheet or two of common brown paper, or news paper, and another 
