(leolixjii of Jliclini(ii((l ('oiiiilji, 3'. )'. 179 



RossA'ille DortliwHvd along Arthur Kill. The thickness of the 

 marshes is exceedingly variable, probably as much as thirty 

 feet in some places, and but a few inches in others. The dried 

 material consists of decaying fibres, mixed Avith a little clay, 

 sand, aiid oxide of iron; the latter substance produces the iri- 

 descent film commonly seen in the marshes, and populaidy sup- 

 posed to be oil. 



Sand Beaches and Points. — Sand beaches occur along all the 

 shores that are directly exposed to the waves ; the greatest ac- 

 cumulation of sand is on the shore of the LoAver Bay from 

 Clifton southward to the so-called Point of the Beach, near 

 Crifford's, at Seguine's Point, near Prince's Bay, and at Ward's 

 Point, Tottenville. The point near GifPord's is slowly length- 

 ening and curA'ing in toward the shore ; a similar point is in 

 process of formation at the mouth of New Creek ; and the ac- 

 cumulation of sand at Ward's Point is quite great. These 

 ])oints are produced by the combined action of the currents of 

 the Lower Bay and the streams flowing into it, Avhich carry the 

 sand along the coast until finally it is driven up on the beaches 

 by the AA'aves. 



Sands composed of magnetic iron ore occur Avitli the quartz 

 sand, and are genei'ally found in layers of a fraction of an inch 

 in thickness; but an accumulation of this material to a depth of 

 four inches has recently been found at Ioav Avater on the beach 

 near the Elm Tree Lighthouse, and has excited some attention 

 as a possible iron ore, but it contains titanium, and is not 

 likely to have any economic importance. All the sands have 

 originally resulted from the disintegration of rocks, and have 

 been carried by water doAvn the rivers emptying into the bays, 

 and also resulted in part from the direct disintegration of the 

 coasts. 



Feat Sioamps. — True peat occurs in but feAV places on Staten 

 Island. Some is found in the Clove Lake Swamps, in several 

 swamj)s near Eichmond and GifEord's, and towards Tottenyille. 

 In one locality near Eichmond, the peat deposit is at least ten 

 feet thick. The salt-marsh deposits may be regarded as a kind 

 of peat, but their vegetable matter comes principally from 



k 



