No. 275.] 
101 
The quarry seems to be sofficient to supply the market, not only of our 
own country, but the world, with this kind of ornamental marble for a 
long time. It is really a beautiful material when polished, and it is 
hoped that it will be extensively used. I have seen no other locality 
where such a material can be obtained in so large blocks, sound and free 
from seams and cracks. A marble of this kind was used in ancient 
times in some of the old Spanish palaces, but it is exceedingly rare in 
Europe. Twenty acres of this rock belong to Mr Ferry H. Brown,* 
one acre to Mr. J. W. BrinkrufF, and the remainder to Mr. Fary, as the 
agent of the Hudson River Mining Company. 
IX. STEATITE. 
This, rock is rare in the counties under discussion. It occurs on the 
island of New- York at the serpentine bed, but it is believed not to be 
of good quality. It is there mixed with anthophyllite. Vide Dr. 
Gale's Report in the Appendix. 
Another locality was seen this year near Peckville, a little north of 
^ the line of Putnam county, and w^ithin Dutchess county. It is there 
intermixed with serpentine, and although abundant, and quarried in large 
blocks, it was found difficult to saw it well, in consequence of the dif- 
ferent degrees of hardness of the steatite and serpentine. It is beauti- 
fully spotted and clouded, and a steatite indurates by heat, it is possi- 
ble that it may at some future time be wTOught as an ornamental stone. 
Some of the masses of steatite are very pure, soft and easily wrought. 
In some parts of the bed the rock is granular, or scaly talc, either pure, 
or traversed in every direction by crystals of actynolite. 
Another locality was seen in Philipstown, Putnam county, on a Mr. 
McCabe's farm. It is near the serpentine rock before described as eight 
or nine miles NNE of Peekskill, and half to three-quarters of a mile 
east of Horton's pond. The rock here graduates through every variety 
of aspect, from talc, through steatite to serpentine. I did not see pro- 
per soapstone or steatite rock adapted for useful purposes, in place j but 
was assured that large blocks had been dug there, and that there was an 
abundance of it. I saw slaty steatitic rock in place, and small masses 
of beautiful steatite scattered over the ground. Good quarries of this 
rock are well known to be very valuable. The blocks are worth $20 
per ton in market. This bed graduates on the east into serpentine rock. 
* Mr. Brown sold his twenty acres a day or two after I had examined the locality, and had 
informed him of its value, for $10,000. He had, a short time before offered it for sale for $100. 
