VIRGINIA. 



8. Geology. The geological formations of tin's vast region, have as yet been but very par- 

 tiall)^ explored, and many erroneous notions have been entertained respecting them The low 

 country is called by the State geologist the tertiary marl region, and it consists of horizontal beds 

 of sand and clay, abounding in fossil marine shells and the remains of large marine animals ; a 

 band of the New Jersey greensand, or upper secondary formation, traceable across Maryland, 

 also appears here, but its limits have not been defined. West of the tertiary plain, is a belt of 

 primary rocks, the eastern edge of which is marked by a ledge of gneiss, which forms the lower 

 falls of the eastern rivers ; gneiss is the prevailing rock, but granite also occurs ; and what is 

 singular, a coal-field is here found, with the coal-measures resting immediately upon the primary 

 rocks. Still proceeding westward, we come upon a region of hornblende, micaceous, talcose, 

 chlorite, and argillaceous slates, containing veins of auriferous quartz, succeeded by a belt of 

 limestone, yielding, in some localities, a fine white marble, between which and the western base 

 of the Blue Ridge, are strata of altered sandstones and conglomerates, indurated by beds or 

 dikes of trap rocks. The floor of the great valley consists of limestone, sometimes organic, 

 and calcareous sandstones, and the vast region beyond is composed of numerous alternations of 

 various sandstones, slates, and limestones. 



9. JMinerals. The mineral wealth of Virginia is almost boundless ; gold, copper, lead, iron, 

 coal, salt, limestone, marls, gypsum, magnesia, copperas, and alum earths, excellent marbles, 

 granites, soapstones, freestones, &c., are among the treasures as yet, for the most part, lying 

 idle in the bowels of the earth ; and to this list must be added the thermal, chalybeate, and sul- 

 phuretted springs, unrivaled in number, variety, and powers, even by the famed brunnens of the 

 Rhine. Mining industry has, however, recently received an impulse, and will doubtless ere 

 long give lucrative employment to thousands. The first coal-field has been traced from the 

 South Anna to Prince Edward, south of the Appomattox ; the thickness of the seams ranges 

 from 4 or 5 to 30, 40, and even GO feet ; the coal is bituminous, and of an excellent quality. 

 There are extensive workings in this field, chiefly in the vicinity of Richmond. Anthracite is 

 abundantly disseminated in the mountainous tract beyond the great valley. On the North Branch 

 of the Potomac, there is a valuable bituminous coal-field, with 5 tiers of coal-seams, having an 

 aggregate thickness of 35 feet, and alternating with iron-ore. West of the Alleghany, there are 

 some of the most extensive and valuable deposits of bituminous coal in the world, which derive 

 additional importance from their being associated with not less valuable deposits of iron-ore and 

 rich salines. The seams are often laid bare by the excavations made by running waters, so that 

 the coal can be discharged from the river-clifis directly into boats or arks, and thus transported 

 with as little expense as it is quarried. At Wheeling, and for 14 miles down the river, the 

 bank presents an uninterrupted bed of coal, upwards of 16 feet thick. Another vast field 

 stretches from above Clarksburg, on the Monongaliela, to Pittsburg, and far beyond, northeast- 

 wardly, in Pennsylvania ; in some places the seams in this field are from 10 to 12 feet thick. 

 There are also coal-seams associated with salt springs on the Little Kanawha, Great Kanawha, 

 Guyandotte, and Sandy rivers. 



very striking imitation of the opossum, which could not 

 be surpassed by the most exquisite artist; we then return- 

 ed, passed Washington's Statue, and came to 3 large pil- 

 lars of a conical form, about 30 feel high, called the Pyra- 

 mids ; also another rather declining and about the same 

 size, called Pompey's Pillar. VVasIiington's Hall is abnut 

 91 yards in length, and 2(1 feet wide, the arcli is about fjO 

 feet high, the floor is level but gravelly. In the room I 

 fired a pistol, which, when its contents first exploded, pro- 

 duced a sound equal to the most severe clap of thunder, 

 and for some time there was a rumbling noise resounding 

 throughout the ditferent apartments; we repeated it seve- 

 ral times; the earth apparently shook. We then proceed- 

 ed through a difficult passage, by a numerous quantity of 

 crystalized spar, and entered a small apartment, (hat con- 

 tains an excellent and useful spring, with water pure and 

 limpid, and supplied with a tumbler. Next is the l^iarnond 

 Room which derived its name from the brilliancy of its 

 spars, and its resemblance to diamonds. We were here in 

 view of, but atsome distance from, a small white stalagmite 

 of petrifaction, resembling a pillar of salt, called Lot's 

 Wife ; which is difficult of access, on account of the irre- 

 gularity of the room. The Dining Room comes next, and 

 it is very lengthy ; the arch is about 80 feel above the 



floor; the representation of a Church Steeple, Jeflerson's 

 Salt Mountain, the Chandeliers, and height of the arch, in 

 this room, present the eye with sublime spectacles. 



" We then passed through a ruffged passage, called the 

 Wilderness, into Jefl'erson's Hall. This passage forms a 

 wild, grotesque scene, and whence the numerous broken 

 pillars came, appears to be a question unanswerable, and 

 excites much astonishment. In Jefl'erson's Hall, we first 

 saw a massive bod y of spar, which would weigh, probably, 

 thousands of tons, full of flutings regulatlv formed round 

 its front, which is semicircular, called the Tower of P)abel. 

 Facing this magnificent monument of supernatural agency, 

 is something that much resembles the new moon surround- 

 ed by stars. The Lantern, in this room, is also worthy 

 of notice ; it is a projecting rock, witli a number of small 

 sheets hanging to it, not much unlike saddle-skirts, which 

 emit the rays from the candle, when placed between them. 

 Next in our view, is the most beautiful piece of spar any- 

 where to be found in the cave, called the Lady's Toilet; 

 about 50 yards further is Elijah's Mantle, where this won- 

 derful scene finally terminates. We were now upwards 

 of a quarter of a mile from the entrance, and our c.'iidlea 

 nearly consumed, which induced us to return '' 



