OP THE UPPER MISSOURI. 
4 
o 
o 
The fact that several of the fossils seen here in bed No. 4 are the same species found in 
No. 5 of the section at Leavenworth landing, would seem to indicate that these beds 
occupy the same geological horizon. It is very difficult, however, to identify the same 
beds at different localities amongst these formations in consequence of the fact that the 
fossils found in them usually have a great vertical range, and exactly similar strata are 
often repeated in various parts of the series. Should it prove to be the case that they do 
occupy the same geological horizon, it would show that there is here a gentle eastward 
dip; for the lowest bed of this section on Grasshopper creek cannot he less than 100 feet 
higher than the base of the section at Leavenworth city. 
Still we incline to the opinion that the strata near here, if not almost horizontal or 
merely undulating, have a general inclination towards the west, or somewhat north of 
west, and that the exposure on Grasshopper creek is composed of much more modern beds 
than those near the landing at Leavenworth city. At any rate we saw an exposure at 
Lawrence landing, on the Kansas, composed of ledges of limestone, overlaid by clay, and 
having a decided dip to the west or north of west, at a rate of not less than fifty feet to 
the mile. This limestone consists of an upper hard gray layer, about three feet in thick¬ 
ness, resting on a soft gray arenaceous bed, of which some one or two feet were visible 
above the surface of the river when examined by us. In these beds we saw Spirigera 
subtilita, Product us splendens ?, and Myalina subquad rata. Above these, about eleven feet 
of gray laminated clay were exposed, the upper part of the bed having a more yellowish 
tinge, and containing more arenaceous matter than the lower. 
If these beds continue to rise at the same rate towards the east, they must of course run 
out on the summit of the highest part of the country not far east of Lawrence; and the 
same inclination to the west or northwest would take them far beneath the horizon of the 
base of the section seen on Grasshopper creek. 
Above this exposure at Lawrence landing, there is a space of about 160 feet in which 
no outcrops were seen excepting some red and blue clays near the upper part of the hills, 
back of the town. Just above these clays, some ledges of gray limestone were seen, 
apparently altogether about eight feet in thickness, containing Fusulina cylindrical Spiri¬ 
gera subtilita , and Spirifer cameratus. 
West of Grasshopper creek, on both sides of the Kansas, the country becomes lower 
near the river, but at a distance of some ten or twelve miles back, on the north side, it 
appears to be nearly as elevated as on the east of Grasshopper creek. Between this higher 
country and the Kansas there is a plateau, apparently elevated not more than sixty feet 
above the broad level prairie bottoms along the river; while on the south of the Kansas, 
some hve or six miles southwest of Topeka, there are some isolated hills, apparently of the 
same elevation as the high country north of the Kansas. 
