182 Geology of J\icTnnoial (hiDity, N. Y. 



(5) Serpentine Bock. — The compact variety has not yet been 

 used for any economic purpose; it is too soft and weak to be used 

 for building; it might be employed in the manufacture of mag- 

 nesian salts, or for some purposes where refractory materials are 

 required. 



The fibrous serpentine, erroneously called asbestos, has been 

 mined near Tompkinsville Landing to the extent of 25 or 30 

 tons, and used for the puri)oses for which asbestos is employed. 



(6) Beach Sands. — Thousands of tons of this material are annu- 

 ally taken from the southeastern coast, and used in New York 

 and Brooklyn for building. In some places so much sand has been 

 removed that property along the shore has been seriously damaged, 

 by exposing roads and meadows to the action of the waves. 



(7) Beat has never been used as a fuel to any extent on Staten 

 Island, and has little economic value. 



(8) Gravel occurs extensively along the beaches, and at the local- 

 ity already noted on Todt Hill. It is valuable as a road-making 

 material, where only light traffic is employed. 



AROH.iiOLOGY. 



Implements used by the aborigines have been found abundant- 

 ly on the sands of the Cretaceous near Tottenville, in association 

 with scattered oyster-shells. These Indians are supposed to 

 have belonged to the Delaware nation ; they visited the sea-coast 

 at certain seasons, and oysters appear to have been a prominent 

 article of food with them. These shell-heaps are found much 

 more extensively on the sand-hills between 8outh Amboy and 

 KeyiJort, New Jersey, and hence most of the Indians are sup- 

 posed to have remained there, while a few crossed to Staten. 

 Island. The stone implements have also been found at other 

 places in the county, but nowhere so abundantly as at Totten- 

 ville. Mr. W. S. Page, of that place, has a collection of 4 stone 

 hammers, 2 pestles, 5 spear-heads, 15 arrow-heads and 12 flint 

 chips, — nearly all picked up in his garden. Others have found 

 similar implements in the same neighborhood. Mr. Arthur 

 Hollick, of Port Kichmond, has two stone hammers, three spear- 

 heads, and seven arrow-heads, found in various parts of the 

 county. 



