Ce ee ee, ee ee LE ON,” 
Mineralogy and Geology. 12} 
sink other wells, hoping to obtain a stronger brine. After digging 
fifteen feet, one of the negroes employed struck a hard substance with 
his pick-axe, and was desired by the owner to go on and throw out some . 
of the supposed rock. On washing off the excavated mass, it proved to. 
be pure, hard rock-salt. 
The area found, at which, by probing to the depth of from 15 to 18 
ft., rock-salt was struck, indicatés that the deposit underlies several square 
acres, perhaps four to six. The materials passed through, to reach it, 
are chiefly bluish clay, sand and gravel, with some lumps of micaceous 
sandstone. At the above depth, within that area, under every place at 
which they have bored or dug down, they reac ched the solid’ rock-salt. 
Through this solid scraban they bored twenty-six feet, and still found the 
salt deposit. 
In getting it out for sale, it was found necessary to blast in the usual 
manner for obtaining building rock; and, even after purchasing moderate- 
sized Jumps, the consumer has considerable difficulty in reducing them 
to asize fit for use. This compactness seems also to protect the salt from 
deliquescence, and even to enable it for a long period to resist solution 
when immersed in water. He was assured that large Jumps, packed in 
barrels, had been sunk in creeks and ponds for concealment, and taken 
up weeks esis scarcely at all diminished 3 in bulk. 
The accumulation of 15 to 18 feet of clay, sand, and gravel on the 
deposit ee evidently been the result of comparatively recent washings 
from the adjoining hills; and the deposit has, no doubt, been worked by 
the aborigines, as, at more than one place, on reaching the rock-salt, 
Indian relics were ‘found. He saw, at Mr. Henshaw’s, a basket, obtained 
from the surface of the rotates 15 feet below the surface of the soil, 
made of split cane; and was informed that they also found pieces of 
charcoal, apparently the remnants of fires or torches. . stg of bark, 
depositions of successive layers of sand and gravel; the latter entirely 
rounded by attrition, and chiefly quartzose. That thrown out at the old 
salt-openings was of the same character. 
The highest point - the ridge is 160 feet above the water in the 
Gulf at low tide. sea, occasional ly, from the combined influence 2 of 
ca 
was constructed ; and wagons came many miles to carry it off, at a cent 
and a half per pound, eaedice at the mouth of the excavation. . 
r an inspection of some hours, made, as remarked, rather unfavor- 
ably on account of rain, but still sufficiently in detail to be certain of 
Am. Jour. Sc1.—Sseconp Series, Vou. XLII, No. 124.—Juxr, 1866. : 
16 
