1847, 848, 849] fossil shells near the sea-coast. 379 



low down as N. Marion, on Pearl River. These, however, might not bear 

 transportation to any great distance, being rather poor in lime as compared with 

 the marls cropping out on Pearl River below Jackson ; e. g., at By ram Station, 

 or Cook's ferry. These marls, when burnt, would be far preferable to Northern 

 lime, for the improvement of lands ; for the analyses show that besides the lime, 

 they contain notahle amounts of other useful ingredients. The same is true of 

 the marls of the Chickasawhay River, in N. Wayne county ; and I have little 

 doubt, that whenever these marls shall become properly known and appreciated, 

 they will call into life a regular system of shipment during the proper season. 

 What would be too expensive for any one to undertake, single-handed, at the 

 present time, will assume a very different aspect when once the channel has 

 been opened and the path marked out. We may then hope that the lands of 

 the Pascagoula and lower Pearl will no longer be neglected ; and that the ex- 

 tensive plains now covered with marsh rushes, will be made to bear lucrative 

 crops of Sea Island Cotton, or at least, Rice. 



847. It has already been stated (in the Geological Report, (if ), that deposits 

 of fossil shells have been found to exist on the Bayou Bernard, and on Wolf 

 River ; and have been struck in wells at West Pascagoula and on the Ilabolo- 

 chitto, in Hancock county. — There can be little doubt therefore, that such 

 deposits underlie a notable portion of the sea-coast counties ; and if a more 

 special Survey should show them to exist within convenient reach, they may 

 prov« highly valuable to the agriculturist of the coast. The calcareous clay in 

 which these shells are found imbedded, would of itself be a great improvement 

 to the sandy marsh soils and hommocks ; and in places where, as at Pass 

 Christian, the gray clays are found at a moderate depth (8 to 10 feet) they might 

 be made to serve for the improvement of the gardens, which at the present 

 time will not produce a number of vegetables, for which there would be an 

 excellent market on the spot. It is always advisable, however, before applying 

 these clays to the soils, to allow them to " cure " or disintegrate in the air for 

 sometime. They sometimes contain iron pyrites, copperas, etc., which are 

 noxious to plants, but are destroyed by exposure to the atmosphere, especially 

 if some burnt lime be added to the pile. In composting manure, they might be 

 made very -serviceable, inasmuch as the manure does not require transportation 

 to any great distance. 



848. In traveling from West Pascagoula to Ocean Springs, we 

 pass almost entirely through wet Pine Meadows of the character 

 heretofore described. Occasionally, where a stouter growth of 

 pine occurs, coal-burning is carried on, on a considerable scale. 

 Approaching Ocean Springs, the soil changes ; instead of the 

 usual yellow sand, the subsoil consists of a pale yellow loam which 

 also forms the bank at the beach. The growth likewise, differs 

 from that of the " sand hommocks " ; oaks are very scarce, and the 

 "pitch pine" prevails almost exclusively, near to the beach. 



Bellefontaine Island, which forms the promontory between Biloxi and Pasca- 

 goula Bays, possesses considerable tracts of very fertile hommocks, and several 

 plantations are situated on it. I have not, however, visited the region as yet. 

 Fine " shell hommocks : ' are also found at the upper portion ("Back Bay") of 

 Biloxi Bay ; with these, also, I am not as yet personally acquainted, having 

 passed from Ocean Springs to MississippiCity (Tegarden's) by water. 



849. Between Biloxi Bay and Bay St. Louis, the pine meadow lands do not, 

 as a general thing, approach so closely to the beach as is the case further E. 

 Between the two, there intervenes a tract of level pine woods, the soil of which 

 is very sandy, and the undergrowth intermediate in character between that of 

 the " Meadow" and the "Pine Hills". The soil of the sea-shore hommocks 

 also is extremely sandy ; close to the beach, the "pitch pine " invariably prevails, 



