126 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 



Webber's creek, but on Baker's bill, 2 miles from the springs, and on a 

 hillside, 7 miles north-west of Van Buren and 1 mile from the Dripping 

 springs. This rock will doubtless burn to lime, and yield an article which, 

 though dark, will probably make a good mortar for building purposes. 



It is very probable that this ferruginous, fossiliferous limestone may be 

 found about one-third of the distance up the high hill back of Van Buren; 

 for, being encrusted with a rusty external coating, it is difficult to distin- 

 guish it, in its native bed, from the associate sandstones. This limestone 

 varies from 3 to 8 inches in thickness. 



The Penny wit sulphur water was tested at the fountain head. Its prin- 

 cipal constituents are : 



Bi-carbonate of lime. 



Bi-carbonate of magnesia. 



Chloride of sodium, or common salt. 



Chloride of magnesium. 



Trace of sulphate of soda (Glauber salts.) 



Trace of sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts.) 



A trace of free sulphuretted hydrogen. 



The taste of this water, and the small, white, fibrous sediment, formed 

 in the gum log through which it rises, favor the view that there is some 

 sulphur in this water, combined either with some organic principle or other 

 substance. It will be observed that this water contains a notable quantity 

 of common salt ; this fact, taken in connection with the formation through 

 which it wells up, and the celullar nature of the sandstones in the vicinity 

 of the springs, renders it probable that, if the Sulphur branch of the Web- 

 ber fork of Lee's creek flows in a synclinal trough (as it very likely does, 

 from the dip of the strata being reversed towards the valley of the Arkan- 

 sas river), a good, profitable brine might be reached by putting down a 

 systematic boring in the neighborhood of these springs. 



For further remarks on this county, see the Report of the Assistant 

 Geologist. 



