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F. V. Hayden on the Geology of Northeastern Dakota, 17 
growth of grass; for the soil which is composed of the eroded 
materials of this group is quite fertile, and in ordinary seasons 
produces excellent crops, and is especially adapted to the growth 
of cereals. 
From Yankton our course was nearly forth, up the west side 
of James river. Our path led over a gently rol! ling prairie for 
sixty-five miles, with not a tree or a bush to greet the eye. 
There were no cut bluffs along ibe little streams over which we 
passed ; the sides of the hills bordering the valleys sloping at 
avery toderate angle, and bee covered with a thick growth 
of grass. No rocks were seen in place until we arrived at Fort 
James, about twelve miles below the mouth of Firesteel creek, 
a branch of James river. Erratic rocks of all sizes and texture 
were visible on the surface everywhere, more especially in the 
valley of James river and its tributaries. 
At this point on James river, uncovered by the scooping out 
of the valley, is a large exposure of reddish eniauak 4 uartz- 
ites, differing somew hat in structure and appearance ttee any 
rocks hitherto observed by me on the Upper Missouri. They 
cover a considerable area in the valley of the James at certain 
localities, but nowhere are they exposed at a thickness of more 
than twenty or thirty feet. Indeed they have been much worn 
y water, so that they project above the surface in large squa 
masses, suggesting to one in the distance a village of log “borate 
The rocks are mostly reddish and esh-colored quartzites, so 
a 
izontal as well as a vertical fracture, and the Lieisilieea iets 
breaks across what appear to be original laminze of deposition. 
These lines or bands are seldom horizontal; but much wave 
and meaatee as if the siecle had been deposited i in shoal or 
troubled waters. The illustrations of ripple or wave segrom 
in these west are very numerous and beautiful. There is con- 
siderable variety in the texture of the rock; some of it is a very 
fine, close-grained quartzite, so that when worn by water it pre- 
sents a smooth glistening surface like glass. Again it is filled 
with small water-worn pebbles, forming a fine pudding stone ; 
again there are layers of siliceous sandstone, which separate into. 
slabs varying from one fourth of an inch to several inches in 
thickness. This rock is very useful for building purposes, and 
as been employed at this point by the U.S. army officers in 
erecting the numerous buildings that constitute the fort. I 
looked diligently wherever the rock had been quarried, for some 
traces of organic remains, but none were visible. Resting upon 
the quartzite at bee locality, i is a Mea of black plastic clay, ae 
cisely like No. 2 Cretaceous, as seen along the Missense rive 
near the mouth of the Vermilion. I found no 
_ Am. Jour. Scr—Seconp Srntes, Vou. XLIII, No. 127. Sagal 
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