Hiliiniiiioiis and Oil Rochs. — Broadhead. 35 
TIk' wall (if Mrdca. between the 'rijLjris and Euphrates was 
built of burnt brick laid in l)itunien. We are also informed 
that the J'ersians would dip their arrows in pitch, light them, 
and shoot upon the roofs of their enemies' houses. 
The Dead sea, or lake Asphaltites, is mentioned by most of 
the ancient writers as being very bituminous, and Diodorus 
states that near its middle, a mass of bitumen would rise up 
every year and float off, ai)])earing in the distance like an isl- 
and. This was gathered, taken oft' and sold to the Egyptians 
who used it in embalming their dead. 
In modern times the Arabs procure the bitumen from the 
shores of the Dead sea. and sell it to distant pcojilc. 
Bitumen is sjioken of by some of the ancient writers as 
pissasplialtum. and at Agrigenlum it was burned in lamps 
in place of oil, and called Sicilian oil. 
The oil from Baker is nuich valued fi^r making steam. 
The Texas oils are also nuich valued for both light and heat. 
THE NEWLY DISCOVERED ROCK AT SIOUX 
FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. 
By J. H. Toon, Vermilion S. Dak. 
The recent discovery of a dark granite, or gabbro. near 
Sioux Falls, has not yet been recorded in scientific journals. 
It is more truly a granite than the rock from that locality so 
called in ])opular prints and even in the reports on Mineral 
Resources publi.shed by the V. S. Geological Survey. 
It is rather remarkable that it should escape discovery so 
long in the vicinity of a metropolis specially interested in stone 
quarries. It had in fact been recognized as different from the 
common rock of the region some fifteen years ago by two or 
three workmen of stone, but not having the means to develop 
it they had discreetly held their tongues concerning it. ( )nly 
a few square yards had been- exposed in the bed of a small trib- 
utarv of the Big Sioux, until the unusual rains of this season 
had cleared out the channel of the brook more thoroughly. The 
Williams brothers and Mons B.lum. then fearing that their 
secret was in danger. ])ut in a blast and obtained a block which 
they polished and exhibited to some of the prominent business 
