T598, 599, 600] springs of flatwoods hills. 285 



ledges ; at others, and especially near the eastern edge of the Flatwoods, no 

 water is struck before passing through some of these. Such is the case on the 

 heads of Tallahatchie Mud Creek, where a number of bored wells exist, some 

 of which I shall mention : 



Silas II. Wood's, S. 5, T. 10, R. 2 W. Marl was struck at a moderate depth, 

 but no hard or water-bearing stratum down to 204 feet; below this came 

 alternating ledges, 6 to 18 inches in thickness, of limestone and sandy material, 

 for 56 feet ; then two ledges of(calcareous) sandstone, with yellow sand beneath, 

 which yielded water, rising to within 60 feet of surface. Whole depth about 

 270 feet. 



N. of Mr. Wood's, along the W. side of Mud Creek, bored wells average from 

 240 to 270 feet, with about the same rise of water. 



At Mr. Laban Grisholm's, S. 26, T. 9, R. 1 E., limestone was struck at 300 

 feet ; the ledges were several feet in thickness. Whole depth 410 feet ; water 

 within 70 feet of surface. 



There appears to be, on the whole, more regularity in the uniformity of depth 

 of wells situated N. and S. of each other, than in the increase of depth west- 

 ward ; in which direction, the material of the cretaceous strata seems to be very 

 variable. 



598. The above facts and generalities, it will be recollected, 

 refer to the Flatwoods region to the N. and N. W. of Houston. 

 At Houston, and in its neighborhood, water is obtained at depths 

 between 120 to 160 feet, rising to within 40 to 50 feet of the sur- 

 face ; it is probable therefore, that in the Flatwoods W. and S. 

 W. of Houston, water could be reached at corresponding depths, 

 allowing - <;5 to 30 feet for every mile in a S. W. direction. 



I am not aware of the existence of any bored wells in this portion of the 

 Flatwoods. In S. W. Chickasaw, on the waters of Tibby, bored wells reach to 

 great depths — 1,000 feet and more, as mentioned under the head of the North- 

 eastern Prairie Regions (^570) ; it is probable therefore, that corresponding 

 depths would be required in the Flatwoods of Ocktibbeha ; and judging by the 

 depths of wells in Noxubee county, the same would be the case in the Flat- 

 woods of Winston, Noxubee and Kemper. In this southern region, the upper 

 part of the cretaceous formation which contains so many alternating strata of 

 hard and soft materials, does not exist, but has given way to the stage of the 

 Rotten Limestone, whose strata continue without essential changes for 800 to 

 1,000 feet. Whenever, therefore, in this western edge of the lime region, this 

 rock is reached without obtaining water, there is no further chance for it within 

 the depth just mentioned. 



599. On account of this difficulty, cisterns have come into general use in the 

 section of country referred to. As in the prairie region itself, they are usually 

 hewn into the Rotten Limestone itself, which in the level Flatwoods of Noxu- 

 bee, is reached at depths from 20 to 40 feet. Down to this depth, therefore, a 

 narrow shaft only, like that of common wells, is sunk ; while a cavity of the 

 shape of a jug is hewn into the Rotten Limestone, whenever it is reached. The 

 water of these subterranean cisterns is much cooler than that of the cisterns in 

 the Prairie Region, whose arch touches the surface ; and whenever it has been 

 used for some time, it nearly loses its limyness, and could not ordinarily be 

 distinguished from freestone well water. 



In a few cases, where a sandy soil prevails on the surface, shallow 

 wells have been obtained before reaching the limstone. These, 

 however, usually give out during the dry season. 



OHO. Wells and Springs in the Hills of the Flatwoods Region. — 

 As might be supposed, springs are not plentiful in a region whose 

 soil, as well as the main mass of the hills, consists of impervious 



