considerable village, containing more than two 

 hundred houses. In the year 1773, this and Saint 

 Louis were the only villages on the western side 

 of the river. At a short distance below is a small 

 settlement, called the Saline, where large quanti- 

 ties of salt are made, and sold at the works for 

 about one dollar per bushel. Not far from Saint 

 Genevieve, in a western direction, a large number 

 of lead furnaces are worked, producing great 

 quantities of lead, where it may be purchased at 

 three or four cents per pound. In various parts 

 of a large tract of country south of the Missouri, 

 numerous lead mines are to be found. Many of 

 them are not more than two or three feet below 

 the surface, and may be worked with great ease. 

 Were the inhabitants sufficiently numerous to 

 work the mines, it is supposed a quantity of lead 

 might be obtained from the ore, equal to the sup- 

 ply of all Europe. 



The principal mines which have yet been 

 worked, are near the head waters and branches of 

 the river Marameg. This river is of considera- 

 ble size ; it enters the Mississippi about twenty 

 miles below Saint Louis ; it comes in nearly in 

 the direction of the Missouri ; and its widely 

 extended branches reach far back into the country. 

 About forty miles from Saint Genevieve, on a 

 branch of the Marameg, is Barton's mine, discov- 

 ered by Francis Barton, who obtained a grant of 

 the land, and began to work the ore nearly fortv 

 years ago. It is now in the possession of a Mr. 

 7 



