268 
GEOLOGY OF THE FIRST DISTRICT. 
The facts stated in the note on the brown clays and the marls of New-Jersey, together 
with the observations and investigations of Prof. H. D. Rodgers and others, demonstrate that 
the position of the marl deposits is above the white and mottled clay beds, with their reddish 
of lumps of pyrites tending to indurate the clay around them. This clay, in the part below the lignite stratum at Mata- 
van point, contains balls and ovoidal masses of indurated clay, unlike any of the clay balls I have ever seen. The pyrites 
in the brown clay frequently contain some organic body as a nucleus. These occur more abundantly one quarter of a 
mile west of Mata van point, than at any other locality I have seen. Scales of mica, as far as I have observed, are always 
to be found by close examination in the brown clay. 
At Matavan point, the following section was obtained when fresh exposed, after the fall of the cliffs during the great 
storm of November twenty-ninth, 1830. 
6. Section of Matavan point, on the left of the mouth of Middletown creek into Raritan or New-York bay. 
(1) . Vegetable soil, sand, etc. 1 to 1 
(2) . Yellow gravel, frequently aggregated,. 5 to 6 
(3) . Ashy and buff-colored clay, sometimes yellow and highly ferru¬ 
ginous, .. 2 to 6 
(4) . Conglomerated sandstone,. 1 to 2 
(5) . Sand, clay and lignite in numberless strata, from one-twentieth of 
an inch to several feet thick,.. 30 to 33 
(6) . Ferruginous conglomerate passing into ferruginous sandstone,... 1 to 2 
(7) . Brown clay containing indurated clay balls, pyrites and iron 
crusts, to high-water mark, where it is concealed by the beach,. 8 to 8 
48 to 58 
The lignite in stratum (5) is generally more abundant near the bottom than above. In one place near the bottom, the 
lignite was a foot thick; and above, in layers from an inch to one-twentieth of an inch thick. The clay in some parts 
forms the principal part of the stratum, with sand in very thin layers ; in others the sand forms the mass, with thin layers 
of clay and lignite. These strata present a pleasing view to the observer; beautifully white and yellow sands, alternating 
with the brown clay and black lignite in almost countless strata. The lignite bed at the lower part of the stratum consists 
of the fragments of plants, from the size of large trees, to small plants, intermixed with limbs, branches and twigs. 
Many of the fragments are bored by the Teredo; and in many of the pieces, the holes are filled with crystallized pyrites. 
The sand, clay, and lignite of this stratum are all impregnated with copperas, so much so as to give these materials in 
some places a greenish color; and a ferruginous sandstone is forming on the beach, in consequence of the leaching of this 
salt into the sand of the beach, and its change of composition. 
Travelling southeast from Middletown point and Mount-Pleasant, the brown clay is found in the gullies by the 
road-sides, in crossing the ravines. Proceeding higher in the hills and in geological level, we see only reddish sand and 
sand mixed with clay ; and above this, grey and black marls are found. Sand and gravel overlie the marl at Holmdell 
or Baptistown, or Middletown Academy (as the village is called), a few feet in depth. Shark’s teeth, gryphste, exogyrae, 
terebratula; and belemnites, with bones of saurians and fishes, are common in the marl pits. Some Ostrea falcata and 
Terebralula sayi were found. 
7. Section of J. Holmes' pit, half a mile north of Holmdell. 
(1) . Clay. 4 
(2) . Grey marl,. 5 
(3) . Blue and black marl, depth unknown, exposed,. 5 
Small pieces of lignite are found in this pit. Belemnites were very numerous in some parts of this pit, and large 
exogyraj. Some of the latter, when entire must have weighed several pounds (five or six at least). The convex part of 
