Stevenson.] ^^^ [Jan. 21, 



interfere materially with agricultural operations. Between the mouth of 

 Stony creek and Gray's ford, four miles further up Clinch river, the rocks 

 show that they have described a fold. Along Stony creek, the calcareous 

 sandstones at the base of the Knox group are shown succeeded by shales 

 as near the North Fork of Clinch ; above these are massive magnesian lime- 

 stones containing much oxide of iron and covered with a red soil. But, 

 as in so many other localities, the limestones are so poorly exposed that the 

 structure cannot be made out. Near the river, the shales are shown again 

 and are vertical, giving evidence oi having been subjected to enormous 

 pressure. 



Copper ridge lies between Clinch river and Copper creek. It consists of 

 three narrow ridges formed by the branches of streams, which flow longi- 

 tudinally through it. The low divides occasionally render this subdivision 

 obscure, but such obscurity is usually of short continuance. The rocks 

 belong to the Knox and the Trenton and Nashville groups of Saflbrd. The 

 subdivision into ridges is mainly due to the thick cherty beds of the Knox 

 group. 



A pyritous calcareous sandstone, liolding some limestones, is shown at the 

 foot of the ridge along Clinch river. It bears close resemblance to the 

 calcareous sandstone at the base of the Knox group, so close, indeed, that 

 the writer at one time believed that it was the same and that its presence 

 is due to a fault. But it is not succeeded by shales such as are shown near 

 the Hunter Valley fault. 



The dip is abrupt near Clinch river, but becomes gentler within the ridge, 

 only to become abrupt once more toward the southerly side of the ridge. 



The cherty rocks of the Knox group carry brown hematites and oxide of 

 manganese, of which fragments occur plentifully along the crests of the 

 minor ridges. Openings have been made at several places to supply ore to 

 White's forge on Moccasin creek; but these have been abandoned for a 

 long time and only fragments of the ore could be found. The manganese 

 at some localities is decidedly good, as appears from Mr. McCreath's analy- 

 sis of samples from the Sailing property, which is as follows : 



Metallic manganese 51.495 



Metallic iron 0.567 



Sulphur 0.000 



Phosphorus 0.027 



Insoluble residue 3.030 



This ore contains 10,141 per cent, of baryta. The percentage of binox- 

 ide of manganese is 81.455. • 



V. Area Drained by the Holston River. 



No examinations were made in this area west from the Estillville and 

 Reedy creek road. 



The rocks of Moccasin ridge belong wholly to the Knox and the Trenton 

 and Nashville groups, but the higher beds of the latter group are reached 

 only on the northerly side of Clinch mountain. Very good exposures of 



