rALCorr.l TENNESSEE. 141 



the north of that mountain chain another formation commences, which is the Silurian 

 system of Murchison, and extends northward as far as the line which separates this 

 State from Virginia — in fact, it continues into that State. 1 



In his description of Sevier County the roofing slate and other slaty 

 rocks and the non-fossiliferous limestones are referred to the Cambrian 

 group. 2 



Dr. Troost identified the Cambrian group in Tennessee with that of 

 Wales entirely upon the lithologic characters and the absence of organic 

 remains ; and upon the fact that it was succeeded by a series of lime- 

 stones from which he obtained and identified Silurian fossils. Although, 

 in the light of our present knowledge, there were many inaccuracies in 

 this correlation it exhibits a comprehensive grasp of the views ex- 

 pressed by Messrs. Murchison and Sedgwick and unusual clearness in 

 the correlation of the groups of rocks in the two countries. 



In a sketch of the general geology of the Hiwassee copper region 



Prof. J. P. Lesley describes the primary region of the Hiwassee and 



Ocoee Rivers as a southern prolongation of* the metamorphic rocks 



of the Blue Kidge, South Mountain, and Highlands of the Middle and 



Northern States. 



It greatly resemhles in every important geological particular the range of the White 

 Hills in New Hampshire. * * * * They are not primary rocks, granites or por- 

 phyry, hut the Primal and Matinal sandstones, shales, and limestones and conglom- 

 erates at the base of the older secondary series, baked, crystallized and upturned in 

 collapsed synclinal and anticlinal axes. 



He describes the section on the line of the Ocoee Eiver as formed of 

 slightly metamorphosed conglomerate strata. 



In places these rocks are a simple pea conglomerate, quartzose, and interstratified 

 with the hardest homogeneous blue and gray grits and scarcely altered. 3 



The preceding correlation was based upon the view that the strata 

 now referred to the pre-Cambrian Algonkian series were metamor- 

 phosed Primal and Matinal rocks, corresponding in age to the unal- 

 tered Primal and Matinal rocks to the westward. That they might 

 form a great group of strata beneath the Primal and superjacent to the 

 Primary proper, or Archean, was not at the time entertained by the 

 writer. 



In 1856 Prof. J. M. Safford published his first report of "A Geological 

 Reconnaissance of the State of Tennessee," in which he classified the 

 formations as follows : 4 



Formation I. — The mica slate group. 



II. — The Ocoee conglomerates and slates. 

 III. — The Chilhowee sandstones and shales. 

 IV. — The Magnesian limestone and shale group. 



1 Op. cit., pp. 5, 6. a Op. cit., p. 28. 



3 First annual report of the board of directors of the Hiwassee Mining Companj-, made May 11, 1853. 

 New York, 1853, p. 16. 



4 A. Geological Reconnaissance of Tennessee ; first biennial report. Nashville, 1856, pp. 151-154. 



