138 APPENDIX C. MINERALOGY. 



size and purity of the masses, it would appear to be a very abundant 

 mineral, even if it does not amount to a rock, throughout the region of 

 the Witchita mountains. 



Specimens were collected, bearing the same date, of a red cellular 

 limestone, which may have originated, if we suppose a soft ferruginous 

 clay to have been parted off by meshes, or cell-walls, of calcareous 

 matter, and the clay to have been subsequently washed away, or in 

 some manner mostly removed. 



"July 15, base of Witchita mountains." Reddish septaria, or a 

 mixture of peroxide of iron and calcite, traversed by veins of pure cal- 

 cite, surfaces of the masses somewhat botryoidal. A singular variety 

 of cellular quartz, said to have occurred in veins in the Witchita 

 mountains, was carefully examined for gold, but without the detection 

 of a trace of the precious metal, notwithstanding some of the specimens, 

 from the presence of hydrated peroxide of iron and iron pyrites, looked 

 very promising for gold. 



5. SOILS. 



"Sub-soil, Cache creek, May 14 ; the same as that found about the 

 Witchita mountains." The sample had been kneaded by the hand into 

 a ball. Its color was reddish brown ; it contained no organic matter. 

 Analysis gave the following result : 



Silica, (including some fine feldspathic grains) 82.25 



Peroxide of iron j 2.65 



Alumina 0.55 



Carbonate of lime 5.40 



Carbonate of magnesia 1.70 



Water (bygrometric moisture) 5.50 



Sulphate of lime and carbonate of potash traces 



98.05 



The soil contains no perceptible traces of chlorine, or any other sul- 

 phate besides that of lime. It would appear to have an excellent con- 

 stitution, as a sub-soil, for the cultivation of the grain crops, as well as 

 for cotton. It is eminently a calcareous soil, and probably has a suffi- 

 ciency of potash present also ; but the quantity of the material did not 

 enable me to determine the proportion of this constituent. 



"Sub soil, June 3." This sub-soil is fine grained, and has a clayey 

 appearance. Its color is a deep red. Little fragments of gypsum may 

 be detected scattered through its mass. It has the following rather 

 unusual composition : 



