142 Silicious Deposit. 



vinced that near Battle creek, about two or three miles from Ten- 

 nessee river, the coal and its associating strata rest upon the upper 

 transition, or mountain limestone. But that is not the case, (at 

 least, as I have been able to ascertain,) near the crab orchard and 

 near the Ohio river. There, an oolitic limestone, underlies the coal 

 formation. Such arrangement is uncommon ; it exists, as far as I 

 know, no where. It is my intention to investigate this matter, du- 

 ring our spring vacation. 



" 2. The primitive formation is a good distance from the coal. 

 The smoky mountains belong, principally, to the clay slate forma- 

 tion. 1 did not discover the least vestige of organized bodies in it. 

 Some of this slate, is the roofing slate, while other has a talcose ap- 

 pearance. You know that some rank this formation amongst the 

 transition, while others consider it as primitive. The formation east 

 of that range, is undoubtedly primitive, and belongs to North Caro- 

 lina. To the west, it forms an alternation of strata of graywacke, 

 limestone and sandstone on the lower transition. 



" 3. No limestone strata, are found amongst the coal strata. 



" 4. I do not know of any salt water, at least in quantity, in our 

 coal formation. Wells have been bored, and salt water sometimes 

 obtained, but soon failed. 



" 5. Only one stratum of coal, has been found in the Cumber- 

 land mountain, and that lies above the Tennessee and Cumberland 

 rivers. 



" 6. I have found only culmse and some remains of large mono- 

 cotylodonous plants in the sandstone, but no impressions in shale. 



" 7. I have not made any analysis of our coal — it is of a good 

 quality and resembles Richmond coal. 



" 8, Iron is the only metallic substance found near our coal, par- 

 ticularly on the eastern declivity of the Cumberland mountains, 

 where is found a large stratum of red oxide of iron. The coal, as 

 generally is the case, contains a small quantity of pyrites." 



" I have not met with any animal remains." 



Great Silicious Deposit. — Burrh Millstone. 



This interesting and valuable deposit, makes its most northeaster- 

 ly appearance, so far as I can ascertain, in Coshocton county, Ohio, 

 on the Tuscarawas river, and pursuing a southwesterly course, gen- 

 erally, near the westerly limits of the coal measures, crosses the 

 counties ,of Licking, Muskingum, Perry, Hocking and Jackson, 



