82 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 



survey was undertaken. The encrinital and marble limestones are well 

 exposed in the bed of the Dry branch, near the foot of the Judah peak, 



north of Jasper. 



The strata exposed immediately on the banks of the Hudson fork of 

 Buffalo, below Jasper, are alternations of limestone and sandstone. The 

 sandstone has a peculiar porous or honey-comb structure ; on this rests a 

 lio-ht bluish-gray limestone. Near the mouth of this stream, a high escarp- 

 ment of sandstone and limestone forms a prominent feature in the land- 

 scape ; most of the ledges are probably of lower silurian date, but the per- 

 pendicular nature of this cliff, prevented a critical examination of the 

 individual members at this point. 



Further down Buffalo fork, at the mouth of Cave creek, rocks still lower 

 in the series, but belonging to the same group, are exposed ; indeed, if the 

 hard quartzose sandstone, which forms the base of the bluffs at this place, 

 belongs,'as there is reason to believe, to the age of the Potsdam sandstone 

 of the New York system, then there is, at this point, a greater elevation 

 of the geological formations than at any locality in northern Arkansas ; 

 and we must look here for one of the principal anticlinal axes of Searcy 



county. 



By reference to a map of Arkansas, it will be perceived that the two 

 main branches of White river take their rise amongst these high peaks of 

 Newton and Madison counties ; the longest branch, deflected around this 

 great axis of upheaval, pursues a circuitous course through the latter 

 county into Benton county, and thence making a great sweep to the north, 

 traverses Barry and Taney counties, in Missouri, before it again waters 

 the State of Arkansas, in the northeast corner of Carroll; while the 

 smaller branch, taking a more direct course to the north-east, through 

 deep gorges of the mountains, empties into the main fork in the south- 

 west corner of Fulton. The geographical features of the country are 

 thus strongly impressed by geological forces, that date back to a period 

 long previous to the existence of the water courses, which now conform to 

 the contour of this disturbed country. 



Lead ore has been found in several places in Newton county, as on Big 

 creek and other branches of the Buffalo and Hudson fork of White river ; 

 but the only attempt at tracing this ore to its origin in the rock formations, 

 was undertaken near the line between sections 1 and 2, of township 15 

 north, range 19 west, not far from the mouth of Cave creek, adjoining 

 Hill's mill-tract. At this place Jesse Gunt explored for lead ore, and 

 finally sunk a shaft of forty-five feet. He obtained some 60 to 70 pounds 

 of lead ore, but finally abandoned the prospect. He might have been 

 more successful, had he made search in the calcareous rocks that lie higher 



