288 Expedition to the 



We distinguish here in the uplands two varieties of soil. 

 That just mentioned, based upon a compact, hard sandstone, 

 and bearing forests of oakj and another resting upon a white 

 petrosilicious rock, with fragments of which it is much in- 

 termixed. This latter is often covered with pine forests. The 

 most common species, the yellow pine (P. resinosd) attains 

 unusual magnitude; the P. rigida and some other species 

 occur, but are not frequent. We also observed several spe- 

 cies of vaccinium, the Mitchilla, the Kalmia latifolia^ Hama- 

 melis virginica? Cunila mariana, and many other plants 

 common to this region, and the Alleghany mountains. 



No settlements occur betweeen those of the Cherokees, 

 about Dardeaai Eye, on the Arkansa, and the Hot Springs. 

 The blind path, which we followed, traverses a rugged and 

 mountainous region, having considerable resemblance, except 

 in the want of parallelism in the ranges, to the sandstone 

 portions of the Alleghanies. As the weather was rainy we 

 felt some inconvenience from encamping without tents. 



On the 28th we arrived at the Hot Springs. The country 

 near these, on the north and northwest, is high and rocky. 

 The sandstone, which extends from the Arkansa to within a 

 few miles of the Springs, becomes, toward the south, some- 

 thing inclined, and apparently of more ancient deposition, until 

 it is succeeded by a highly inclined argillite. Both these rocks 

 are traversed by large veins of white quartz. Their inclina- 

 tion is towards the south, and that of the argillite at a 

 great angle. In some localities it is but indistinctly slaty in 

 its structure, and its laminae are nearly perpendicular. It 

 contains extensive beds of a yellowish-white, silicious stone, 

 often somewhat translucent, and resembling some varieties 

 of hornstone. Its fracture is a little splintery, and sometimes 

 largely conchoidal. It is of a close texture, but the recent 

 surface is generally destitute of lustre. This rock affords the 

 stones called Washita oil stones. It may with propriety be 

 denominated petrosilex. This name is, however, to be un- 



