Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 55 



The great saving in time, too, would be an additional advan- 

 tage of this route. It is open so early in the spring, that lead 

 would get to New York as soon as from Galena, although it would 

 be on its way first from the latter port. 



A charter has been obtained for a canal to be constructed from 

 Milwaukie to Rock river, by which a means of cheap transpor- 

 tation thus far would be afforded ; but this is not likely to be 

 soon completed. When it is, the Peccatolica will, no doubt, be 

 cleared and opened for slack-water navigation, and boats will go 

 from the vicinity of Mineral Point down that stream, and either 

 up Rock river, and across to the lake, or down it to the Missis- 

 sippi. 



To treat of all the resources of this favored region, besides its 

 lead and copper and iron ores, would demand the limits of a vol- 

 ume rather than an article for a scientific journal. Blessed with a 

 delightful climate, rich soil, fine streams, its surface and natural 

 growth admirably adapted for grazing, it promises soon to become 

 the most important part of the great western country. Its in- 

 habitants are industrious and enterprising, and the emigrants that 

 are gradually filling the territory, are principally hard working 

 farmers from the eastern states. 



Near St. Louis, within six miles of it to the west and south- 

 west, occur the bituminous coal measures ; these are also found 

 opposite the city in Illinois, on Muddy Creek to the south, and 

 at various points up the river, as far as the mouth of Rock River ; 

 on leaving St. Louis and proceeding to the south one comes im- 

 mediately to the great calcareous formation beneath them, that 

 is here so productive in lead ore. Heavy beds of sandstone are 

 interstratified with the limestone, and the formation in places 

 partakes more of the arenaceous than calcareous character. The 

 dip of these rocks varies with local causes, for the most part ; 

 they appear to lie horizontally. Ledges of granite and ranges of 

 granite hills often intersect the limestone strata, running in a 

 direction nearly north and south. They seldom seem to have 

 affected the dip of the stratified rocks in contact with them, as is 

 usually the case where they have been projected through them, 

 and this would lead to the supposition that the limestone and 

 sandstone had been deposited subsequently to the time when the 

 granite was in its present position. But from the altered nature 

 of the limestone, and from the fact of metallic veins, copper and 



