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A VIEW 
 
 Of THE 
 
 subab him m§ ©» mass©wBn s 
 
 , INCLUDING 
 
 SOME OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, 
 
 ANTIQUITIES, SOIL, CLIMATE, POPULATION, 
 
 AND PRODUCTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 MISSOURI AND ARKANSAW, 
 
 t X II 
 
 OTHER SECTIONS OF THE WESTERN COUNTRY. 
 
 ACCOMPANIED BY THREE ENGRAVINGS 
 
 BY HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT, 
 
 CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OF 
 NEW-YORK. 
 
 NEW-YORK: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CHARLES WILEY fy CO. NO. 3 WAL&-STREET. 
 
 J. Seymour, primer. 
 
 1819, 
 

 
 Southern District of New-York, ss. 
 
 BEIT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-seventh day of November, in tiiefony* 
 fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, HENRY ft 
 SCHOOLCRAFT, of the said District, hath deposited in this Olbce the title of a Book, 
 the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit: — 
 
 " A View of the Lead Mines of Missouri; including some observations on the Mine 
 ralogy. Geology, Geography, Antiquities, Soil, Climate, Population, and Productions ol 
 Missouri and Arkansaw, anii other sections of the Western Country. Accompanied by 
 three Engravings. By Henry R. Schoolcraft, corresponding memberof theLyceumof 
 Nitural History of New- York." 
 
 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled " An Act for 
 the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to 
 the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And 
 also to an Act, entitled " an Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the en- 
 couragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the 
 authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and ex- 
 tending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical 
 and other prints.'' 
 
 GILBERT LIVINGSTON THOMPSON, 
 Clerk of the Southern District of New-Yorl' 
 
 f^ 
 iA 
 
 
TO 
 
 JOHN G. BOGERT, ESQ. 
 
 MEMBER OF THE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS ; 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL, AND OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF 
 
 NEW-YORK ; 
 RUSSIAN CONSUL FOR THE STATES OF NEW-YORK, CONNECTICUT AND 
 
 NEW-JERSEY, fcc. 
 
 THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR, 
 IN TESTIMONY OF ESTEEM FOR HIS 
 
 CHARACTER 
 AS A CITIZEN, AND A FRIEND ; 
 
 AND AS 
 
 A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT 
 FOR HIS ZEAL IN THE PROMOTION OF 
 
 Sl&WUIBMi S(B!I12S9(B]£.S3 
 
 ESPECIALLY 
 
 MINERALOGY, COMVHOLOGY, 
 
 AND THE COLLECTION OP THE 
 
 EXTRANEOUS FOSSILS OF THE UNITED STATES 
 OF AMERICA. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 When we reflect upon the history of our own country, — the 
 rapidity with which its natural resources have been developed, — 
 its attainments in the arts of civilized life, in commerce, and in 
 agriculture, — its increase in population, and the progress of its 
 settlement, the mind is with difficulty brought to believe that 
 scarcely two centuries have elapsed, since it was the unmolested 
 seat of barbarity, and intellectual night. But whatever may 
 have been our advances in civil refinement, mechanical, and po- 
 lite arts, useful inventions, public works, agriculture, jurispru- 
 dence, naval architecture, the endowment of literary institutions, 
 and other momentous objects, evincing a matured state of socie- 
 ty, vet, in no respect is our national growth so apparent, as in 
 the increased population, and the astonishing progress of the 
 settlement of our country. A new world has recently been dis- 
 covered within the bosom of our land, and the region west of the 
 Alleghany Mountain, is already the seat of legislation, and the 
 arts of civilized life. So rapid has been the emigration into that 
 section of the Union, and so sudden its transformation from bar- 
 barism to refinement, that it seems rather the effect of magical 
 power, than of human exertions, operating in the ordinary way. 
 No sooner had the fertility of the soil in that region become known, 
 and the advantages it presented to the industrious and the enter- 
 prising of all classes, than a universal desire for emigration was 
 manifested, and information concerning it was sought after with 
 the utmost avidity. But the first travellers who passed down 
 the valley of the Mississippi, did little more than glance at the 
 varied and extensive country, bordering that stream. A general 
 outline of its geographical features, — of its soil and climate, — of 
 its extent and resources was, however, given, with many interest- 
 ing particulars concerning its antiquities, and physical produc- 
 tions ; but the detail has been left as the subject of succeeding 
 inquiry and remark. Much of the information published at an 
 early day, being founded on an imperfect acquaintance with the 
 country, has proved fallacious, other facts of moment have since 
 been disclosed by the progress of settlement, and notwithstanding 
 the appearance of several works of merit concerning that country, 
 a wide field is still left tor observation and research, both to the 
 
man of business, and the man of science, and an increased desire 
 is manifested for further information. The period has in fact 
 already arrived, when men begin to seek for scientific and ele- 
 mentary information on the various subjects connected with the 
 vegetable, animal, and mineral resources of that country, — with 
 its soil and climate — its streams and mountains — its towns 
 and settlements — its mines and minerals — its trees and plants — 
 its antiquities and reliqua — its birds — fishes — insects — rep- 
 tiles — animals, living and extinct — the fossils imbedded in the 
 earth — the physical constitution of its rocks and soils, and the 
 changes which they have undergone from heat, air, water, light, 
 attrition, and other constantly operating and powerful causes — 
 the temperature of the atmosphere — the. course of the winds — 
 the diseases prevalent — its natural phenomenon, and other mat- 
 ters, equally concerning the learned, and the unlearned. On 
 some of these heads, we are already in the possession of much 
 valuable information ; on many of them nothing has been written, 
 and all present subjects for consideration, replete with the high- 
 est interest, and intimately connected with the wants, comforts, 
 happiness, and security of ourselves and our posterity. The 
 soil, climate, population, and agricultural advantages of the wes- 
 tern country, have been the subject of frequent description, and 
 several meritorious works have been published concerning it. 
 Jefferson, Volney, Breckenridge, Darby, and Evans, have succes- 
 sively added to our stock of useful knowledge, and contributed 
 largely to perfect and extend the sphere of our acquaintance with 
 the moral, physical, and political condition of that country, par- 
 ticularly with regard to its topography, statistics, antiquities, 
 and commercial resources. But its mineralogy remains almost 
 wholly unuoticed, and we look in vain, either for a general out- 
 line of its mineralogical character, or a description of its mines. 
 Travellers seem to have hastened with so eager a pace, in the ex- 
 ploration of its fertile fields and extensive prairies, and to have 
 been so completely absorbed in the contemplation of its bold 
 geographical outlines, and the interminable length of its rivers, 
 that they have entirely overlooked the humble, but not less at- 
 tractive minerals, by which it is so strongly characterized. The 
 mines of Missouri, especially, have failed to attract the considera- 
 tion which they merit.— Breckenridge has, indeed, given us 
 some interesting details on the subject ; but the value of what he 
 has written, is not uniform ; much of the information given, is 
 
vague or hypothetical, and upon the whole, he stops short of the 
 desired point. Schultz wrote nothing- of value on the subject. 
 Austin's pamphlet was the most valuable document of its time, 
 but being- written for a specific purpose, is not sufficiently diffuse 
 in regard to the situation and extent of the mines, method of 
 working, &c. Stoddart, too much inclined to credulity, did not 
 always write from personal observation, and many of his conclu- 
 sions are drawn from assumed premises. We are, therefore, still 
 in want of a detailed account of the mines, the extent and quali- 
 ty of the ore, the character of the accompanying minerals, the 
 methods of mining, the nature of the contiguous country, its 
 character, value, population, and resources, its advantages for 
 water-mills and manufactories, thp facilities it affords by its 
 streams for internal navigation, with other facts necessary in es- 
 timating the collective value and importance of those mines. A 
 want of information is also felt in regard to the physical history 
 of the western country, particularly its minerals, fossils, geology, 
 antiquities, &c. To supply this deficiency, I have written the 
 following work, in which I have endeavoured to present a con- 
 densed body of facts in a small compass, and in a plain way, 
 omitting the introduction of technical phraseology, in all instan- 
 ces where it was consistent with the utility or perspicuity of de- 
 scription. 
 
 What I have written on these subjects, is the result of personal 
 observation, during a tour through the states and territories west 
 of the Alleghany Mountains, performed in the years 1818 and 
 1819, including a year's residence in Missouri Territory. In 
 passing down the valley of the Mississippi, I embraced every op- 
 portunity to acquire a knowledge of the mineralogical character 
 of the country, and have been enabled to form a considerable 
 collection of ores, spars, fossils, &c. illustrative of its physical 
 geography, and natural resourses. A catalogue of these will be 
 found in the ensuing pages. To acquire information on the sub- 
 ject of the mines, I visited them, and fixed my residence there. 
 I have made a personal examination of every mine of consequence, 
 with a view to ascertain its general character and value, and its 
 peculiarities. I have travelled on foot over the whole mine coun- 
 try, exploring its minerals, its geological structure, its geographi- 
 cal position, soil, climate, productions, towns, streams, settlements, 
 and whatever else appeared to me to be necessary to describe. 
 
explain, and illustrate the subject before me. If, therefore, I have 
 failed to collect a body of facts worthy public approbation, it can 
 neither be attributed to a want of industry, or a want of oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 The historical facts recorded respecting' Renault's operations, 
 have never before appeared in print. They were elicited in the 
 course of a legal investigation, recently instituted between the 
 heirs at law of Renault and sundry individuals, who claimed the 
 lands in xYTissouri and Illinois, granted to him, A, D. 1723, in 
 consideration of his services. During these inquiries, many facts 
 hitherto unknown respecting the early history of Louisiana, were 
 brought to light ; and some new matter has been drawn from the 
 obscurity of private life, both in France and America, which 
 completely developes the views, and transactions of that day. Of 
 this information, I have been presented with an opportunity to 
 avail myself, through the friendship and politeness of those per- 
 sons, in whose possession the original papers, documents, and 
 certificates remain. 
 
 The drawings I give of the lead furnaces, are from actual 
 measurement, done under the eye, and corrected by an operative 
 builder of approved skill at Potosi, and are conceived to be mi- 
 nutely correct. 
 
 Henry R. .Schoolcraft. 
 
 New-York, 25th Nov. 1819, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 A View of the Lead Mines of Missouri, 
 
 page 
 
 Sec. 1. Historical Sketch of the Mines, 9 
 
 Sec. 2. General Outline of the Mine Country, 26 
 
 Sec. 3. Of the different Mines, Ores, and accompany- 
 ing Minerals, C4 
 
 Sec. 4. Method of working the Mines, 90 
 
 Sec. 5. Annual Produce, and number of Men employed, ..113 
 Sec. 6. On the uses of Lead, -. 131 
 
 PART SECOND. 
 
 Observations on the Mineralogy, Geology, Geography, Sfc. of 
 the Western Country. 
 
 page 
 Art. 1. Geographical Outline of Missouri Territory, ... .151 
 Art. 2. A Catalogue of the Minerals of the Western 
 
 Country, 177 
 
 \rt. 3. Journal of a Voyage up the Mississippi River, ... .221 
 
 Art. 4. Topographical account of White River, 246 
 
 Art. 5. Miscellaneous Information, 258 
 
PART I. 
 
 A VIEW OF THE LEAD MINES OF MISSOURI. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 Historical Sketch of the Jllines. 
 
 The rage for adventures, which the brilliant ex- 
 ploits of Pizarro, Cortez, and other Spanish ad- 
 venturers, had excited throughout Europe, conti- 
 nued for a long time to agitate the public mind ; 
 and had not abated at the commencement of the 
 eighteenth century, Avhen an idea of the mineral 
 riches of Louisiana had become prevalent. Gold 
 and silver were then the chief objects which en- 
 grossed attention ; and in search of them, the ear- 
 liest discoverers were led to penetrate into the in- 
 terior. The physical aspect of the country was 
 in general such as to flatter the most sanguine ex- 
 pectations of mineral wealth ; and the further 
 the country became known, the more interest- 
 ing was found its mineralogical character. To 
 men whose pre-conceived ideas of a country 
 were already high, such appearances must have 
 had the most inspiriting effect, and lightened the 
 embarrassments they encountered in exploring a 
 wilderness. Many of the useful metals were thus 
 met with, and gold and silver mines were reported 
 to have been discovered in several places. Red 
 
 2 
 
10 
 
 River, the Arkansaw, and the river La Platte of the 
 Missouri, were particularly mentioned; and from 
 the evidence which is daily afforded by the disco- 
 very of ancient furnaces, &c. there is reason to 
 conclude that those metals were wrought at a very 
 early period, and that bodies of the ore still exist. 
 Judging from what was found, they were ready to 
 conclude the country exhaustless in mines ; and 
 the most exaggerated accounts of them appear to 
 have been transmitted to Europe, particularly to 
 France, where a lively interest was felt in the 
 prosperity of the infant colonies in Louisiana and 
 Illinois; and in the descriptions published at that 
 day, the lands are reputed to equal in fertility the 
 banks of the Nile, and the mountains to vie with 
 the wealth of Peru. 
 
 It was in this supposition of the immense wealth 
 of Louisiana, both in the vegetable and mineral 
 kingdoms, that the renowned Mississippi scheme 
 originated, and which, from the imposing charac- 
 ter it was made to assume under the guidance and 
 direction of M. Law, drew upon it the eyes, not 
 only of France, but of all Europe, and produced 
 one of the most memorable disappointments re- 
 corded in the annals of commercial specula- 
 tion. 
 
 Louis XIV, by letters patent, bearing date Sep- 
 tember 1 4th, A.D. 1712, granted to Anthony Crozat, 
 Counsellor of State, Secretary of the Household, 
 &c. the exclusive privilege of commerce of thai 
 district of country, now known as the States of 
 Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Illinois, 
 and the Territories of Missouri and Arkansaw. 
 
11 
 
 with the propriety of the mines and minerals he 
 should discover in the country, reserving the fifth 
 part of all bullion of gold and silver, and the one- 
 tenth of the produce of all other mines. The ex- 
 clusive privilege of commerce was granted for a 
 term of fifteen years; but the propriety of the 
 mines was conveyed in perpetuity to him and his 
 heirs, on the condition that such mines and mine- 
 rals should revert back to the crown of France, 
 whenever the working of them was discontinued 
 for three years together. The bounds of Louisi- 
 ana, as granted to Crozat, are described in these 
 words: — " Bounded by New Mexico, (on the west,) 
 and by the lands of the English of Carolina, (on the 
 east,) includingallthe establishments, ports, havens, 
 rivers, and principally the port and haven of the 
 Isle of Dauphine, heretofore called Massaere ; the 
 river of St. Louis, heretofore called Mississippi, 
 from the edge of the sea as far as the Illinois, to- 
 gether with the river of St. Philip, heretofore call- 
 ed Ouabache, (Wabash,) with all the countries, 
 territories, lakes within land, and the rivers which 
 fall directly or indirectly into that part of the river 
 of St. Louis." 
 
 In the month of August, A. D. 1717, M. Crozat 
 solicited permission to retrocede to the crown his 
 privilege of the exclusive commerce and the 
 mines of Louisiana, which was granted by an ar- 
 ret of the Council of State, during the minority of 
 Louis XV. In the same month, letters patent 
 were granted by the Council of the Regency to an 
 association of individuals at Paris, under the name 
 ef The Company of the West, by which they were 
 
12 
 
 invested with the exclusive privilege of the com- 
 merce of Louisiana, and the working of the mines, 
 to the same extent as it was enjoyed under the 
 grant ofCrozat. These letterspatent were dated on 
 the 23d of August, A. D. 1717, registered 6th Sep- 
 tember, of the same year, and were to be in force 
 on the 1st of January, 1718, and to continue for a 
 period of 25 years. By them, not only such grants 
 and privileges were conveyed as had previously 
 been enjoyed by Crozat, but they were invested 
 with additional powers, rights, and privileges. 
 The territory was granted in free allodium, (en 
 franc allien^) in lordship and in justice, the crown 
 reserving; to itself no other rights or duties but 
 those of fealty and liege homage, which the Com- 
 pany was required to pay to the King, and to his 
 successors at each mutation of kings, with a crown 
 of gold of the weight of thirty marks. The boun- 
 daries were the same as described in the grant to 
 Crozat, and the mines and mining grounds, opened 
 or discovered during the term of its privilege, were 
 declared to belong to the Company incommuta- 
 bly, without being holden to pay any rents or pro- 
 ceeds whatever. The Company was also in- 
 vested with the right to sell and alienate the lands 
 of its concession, at whatever price or rents they 
 might fix, and even to grant them en franc allieu, 
 without reserving the rights of justice or lordship. 
 It was also provided that if, after the expiration of 
 25 years, for which the exclusive privilege of com- 
 merce Avas granted, the King should not see proper 
 to continue the privilege by a new grant, all the 
 lands and islands, mines,and mining grounds, which 
 
13 
 
 The Company of" the West should have inhabited, 
 worked, improved, or disposed of on rent, or any 
 valuable consideration whatever, should remain to 
 it for ever in fee simple, to use and dispose of as a 
 proper inheritance, on the simple condition, that 
 the Company should never sell such lands to any 
 other than the subjects of France. 
 
 A Company, incorporated with such ample 
 rights and privileges, did not fail to draw upon it 
 the attention of the speculative, or to enlist the aid 
 of the enterprising capitalists of the French me- 
 tropolis. The country of the Illinois was reput- 
 ed rich beyond comparison : the financial esti- 
 mates submitted to the view of the public, offered 
 prospects of unusual gain, and capitalists tlocked 
 with avidity from all quarters, to enrol themselves 
 as members of the Company, and partake of the 
 promised wealth. If any thing had been wanting 
 to accelerate the pace of adventurers, or to fan the 
 ardour of hope, it was the genius, the financial 
 abilities, and the commanding influence of M. Law, 
 who was placed at the head of the Company, and 
 was the moving power in every transaction. Men 
 have been nearly alike in all ages. The Grecians 
 are characterized for manly integrity and submis- 
 sion to the laws ; the Romans are renowned for 
 for their bravery in war and their refinements in 
 the arts of civilized life ; the English for their ac- 
 quirements in science and literature ; the Ameri- 
 cans for the equality of their laws : but in matters 
 of interest, they are all alike, and when money is 
 the object of pursuit, we forget every local dis- 
 tinction of language and country, in the similarity 
 
14 
 
 of sentiment which actuates them, their hopes of 
 success, ami the uniform means which are taken to 
 acquire a similar object. Nor do men always, 
 when a scheme of sudden wealth or aggrandize- 
 ment is presented, duly consider the chances of 
 success, in opposition to the probabilities of a fail- 
 ure. Hence it is no subject for surprise, that the 
 most extravagant anticipations were entertained 
 by the members of The Company of the West, or 
 that the unusual splendour of the Mississippi 
 scheme was only equalled by the signal disap- 
 pointment in which it eventuated. 
 
 In the year after The Company of the West had 
 been instituted by the royal patent of the King, 
 they formed an establishment in the country of the 
 Illinois at Fort Chartres ; and in order to promote 
 the objects of their institution, and to encourage 
 the settlement of the country, held out the most li- 
 beral inducements to French emigrants, and made 
 them donations of all lands which they should cul- 
 tivate or improve. Miners and mechanics were 
 also encouraged to emigrate, and the city of New- 
 Orleans, which had been founded during the last 
 year of the authority of Crozat, (1717,) received a 
 considerable accession to its population in the fall 
 of the same year, and settlements began to extend 
 along the banks of the Mississippi, and in the 
 country of the Illinois. Among the number of ad- 
 venturers to Illinois, was Philip Francis Renault, 
 (the son of Philip Renault, a noted iron-founder at 
 Consobre, near to Mauberge, in France,) who 
 came over as the agent of the Company of St. Phi- 
 lips, an association of individuals which had been 
 
15 
 
 formed under the patronage of the western com- 
 pany, for prosecuting the mining business in the 
 upper country of Louisiana and Illinois. It ap- 
 pears also that he was a member of the Company 
 of the West, and he is spoken of as Director General 
 of the JMines of the Royal India Company in Illinois ; 
 a name by which not only the present state of 
 Illinois, but a vast district of the adjoining country, 
 appears then to have been known. 
 
 Renault left France in the year 1719, with two 
 hundred artificers and miners, provided with tools, 
 and whatever else was necessary for carrying the 
 objects of the company into effect. In his passage 
 he touched at the Island of St. Domingo, and pur- 
 chased five hundred slaves for working the mines; 
 and entering the Mississippi pursued his voyage 
 up that river to New Orleans, which he reached 
 some time in the year 1720, and soon afterwards 
 proceeded on his way to Kaskaskia, in Illinois. 
 Kaskaskia was then inhabited solely by the 
 French, and was one of the earliest posts occupied 
 by them when they began to extend their posts 
 from Canada along the great western Lakes, and 
 down the Ohio and Mississippi. Renault esta- 
 blished himself in the vicinity of this town, near 
 Fort Chartres, at a spot which he named St. Phi! 
 lips, (now called the Little Village?) and from this 
 sent out his mining and exploring parties into va- 
 rious sections of Illinois and Louisiana. These 
 parties were either headed by himself, or M. La 
 Motte, an agent versed in the knowledge of mine- 
 rals, whom he had brought over with him. In 
 «ne of the earliest of these excursions La Motto 
 
It) 
 
 discovered the lead mines on St. Francis, which 
 bear his name ; and at a subsequent period Re- 
 nault made a discovery of those extensive mines 
 north of Potosi, which continue to be called after 
 the discoverer. Other mines of lead were also 
 found, but their distinctive appellations have not 
 survived; and a proof of the diligence with which 
 Renault prosecuted the object, is furnished by the 
 number and extent of the old diggings which are 
 now found in various parts of the country. These 
 diggings are scattered over the whole mine coun- 
 try, and hardly a season passes, in which some 
 antique works, overgrown with brush and trees, 
 are not found. 
 
 Renault being probably disappointed in the 
 high expectations he had formed of finding gold 
 and silver, turned his whole force towards the 
 smelting of lead, and there is reason to conclude, 
 that very great quantities were made. It was con- 
 veyed from the interior on pack-horses, (the only 
 mode of transportation which was practicable at 
 that early period.) The lead made by Renault 
 was sent to New Orleans, and from thence chiefly 
 shipped for France. That he also discovered 
 copper is beyond a doubt, and a grant of land 
 made to him at Old Piora, on the Illinois river, 
 embraces a Coppermine. 
 
 Renault's operations were, however, retarded 
 and checked, from a quarter were it was least 
 expected. By an edict of the king, made at ParU 
 in May, 1719, the Company of the West was united 
 to the East India and Chinese company, under the 
 title of the Company Royal of the Indies ; (Lo, 
 
17 
 
 Compagnie Royalc dcs Indies.) And in 1731, the whole 
 territory was retroceded to the crown of France, 
 the objects of the company having totally failed ; 
 and Renault was left in America, without the 
 means of prosecuting the mining business. His 
 exertions in behalf of the company were not, how- 
 ever, overlooked by the government, and four 
 several grants of land were made to him in con- 
 sideration of his services. These grants bear date 
 June 14th, A. D. 1723, and cover the Mine La 
 Motte, and some other very valuable tracts, which, 
 after having laid dormant for a period of about 
 sixty years, have recently been claimed by the re- 
 presentatives of his heirs at law. 
 
 Renault, however, remained in Illinois several 
 years after the explosion of the Mississippi scheme, 
 and did not return to his native country until 
 A. D. 1742. With him the greater part of his 
 workmen returned; the slaves were sold, and the 
 mining business fell into neglect. Here is a pe- 
 riod to the first attempt at mining in Louisiana. 
 
 After Renault's departure, little or nothing ap- 
 pears to have been done in the way of mining, and 
 even after the Spanish had acquired possession of 
 the country*, the lead mines were but little attend- 
 ed to. The force which Renault had with him 
 was sufficient to protect him from the attacks of 
 the savages ; but after his departure, the settle- 
 ments on the Mississippi, feeble in themselves, 
 could not furnish protection to such as might be 
 
 * Louisiana was ceded to Spain by Fiance A. D. 1762, and taken posses 
 lion of by Spain, 1769. 
 
18 
 
 disposed to work at the mines. The Spanish, 
 however, in a few years after taking possession of 
 the country, did something, and in process of time 
 new discoveries were made, and the mining busi- 
 ness began to assume a more respectable charac- 
 ter. The principal discovery made under the 
 Spanish authority was, Mine a Burton, which takes 
 its name from a person of the name of Burton*, 
 who being out on a hunt in that quarter, found the 
 ore lying on the surface of the ground. This man. 
 who is now still living in the vicinity of St. Gene- 
 vieve, at the advanced age of one hundred and 
 nine years, had been employed while a youth 
 under Renault. The period of this discovery it 
 would be very difficult now to ascertain, Burton 
 
 * The following sketch of the life of Burton is given by Colonel Thomas 
 II. Benton, of St. Louis. "He is a Frenchman, from the north of Fiance. 
 In the forepart of the last century, he served in the low countries under the 
 orders of Marschal Saxe. He was at Fontenoy when the duke of Cum- 
 berland was beat there by that Marschal. He was at the seigc of Bergen- 
 op-Zoo7n, and assisted in the assault of that place when it was assailed by a 
 division of Marschal Saxe's army, under the command of Count Lowendahl. 
 He has also seen service upon the continent. He was at the building of 
 Fort Chart] es on the American bottom, afterwards went to Fort Du Quesne. 
 (now Pittsburgh) and was present at Braddock's defeat. From the life of a 
 soldier, Burton passed to that of a hunter, and in this character, about half 
 a century ago, while pursuing a bear to the west of the Mississippi, he dis- 
 covered the rich lead mines which have borne his name ever since. His pre- 
 sent age cannot be ascertained. He was certainly an old soldier at Fort 
 Chartrcs, when some of the people of the present day were little children at 
 that place. The most moderate computation will make him an hundred 
 and six. He now lives in the family of Mr. Micheaux at the little rock ferry, 
 three miles above St. Genevieve, and walks to that village almost every Sun- 
 day to attend mass. He is what we call a square built nnn, of five feel 
 eight inches high, full chest and forehead ; his sense of seeing and hear- 
 ing somewhat impaired, but free from disease, and appaiently able to hold 
 out against time for many years to come. 1 ' [St. Loxiis Enquirer, October 
 16, 1818.] 
 
19 
 
 himself being unable to fix it. It has been knowii 
 about forty years. ( 1 8 1 9.) 
 
 The processes of mining pursued under the 
 Spanish government, appear to have been very 
 rude and imperfect, not more than fifty per cent, 
 of lead being got from the ore. The common 
 Open Log Furnace was the only one employed, and 
 the lead-ashes were thrown by as useless. Neither 
 was shot, or any other manufacture of it, attempted 
 by native Spaniards. 
 
 In A. D. 1797, Moses Austin, Esq. performed a 
 journey from the lead mines in Weythe County, 
 Virginia, to the Mine a Burton, in Louisiana, and 
 obtained a grant of land of one league square, 
 from the Spanish authorities, in consideration of 
 erecting a reverberatory furnace, and other works, 
 for prosecuting the mining business at those mines. 
 This he commenced A. D. 1798, and previous to 
 that time no furnace for smelting the ashes of lead, 
 made in the Log Furnace, had been erected. Mr. 
 Austin sunk the first regular shaft for raising the 
 ore, and introduced some other improvements 
 which were found beneficial. 
 
 He also, A. D. 1799, erected a shot tower, under 
 the superintendance of Mr. Elias Bates, and pa- 
 tent shot of an approved quality were made. A 
 manufactory of sheet lead was completed during 
 the same year, and the Spanish arsenals at New- 
 Orleans, and Havanna. drew a considerable part 
 of the supplies for their navy from this source. 
 
 About this time a few other American families 
 crossed over into Louisiana territory, and settled 
 in the neighbourhood of the mines. These, from 
 
20 
 
 their more enlightened views, and enterprising spi- 
 rit, were certainly an acquisition to the mining in- 
 terest, and as their earliest attention was directed 
 to this, the lead business began to revive ; and at 
 the time the territory was taken possession of by 
 the United States, were pretty extensively and ad- 
 vantageously worked*. The Mine a Robino, Mine 
 a Martin, and many others were shortly afterwards 
 discovered; and since the year 1804, the number 
 of mines has been astonishingly multiplied; Shib- 
 boleth, JVeiv Diggings, Lcbaum's, and Bryan's mines, 
 are among the latest discoveries of consequence. 
 
 The lead mines did not fail to attract the ear- 
 liest attention of the American government, and 
 immediately after the occupation of the territory 
 by General Wilkinson, measures were taken to 
 ascertain the situation and extent of the mines; 
 the method of working them; with their annual 
 produce, and such other information as was neces- 
 sary in forming an idea of their importance. 
 Several laws have since been enacted on the sub- 
 ject, and a reservation made of all discoveries 
 upon public lands. 
 
 The emigration to Louisiana, which had par- 
 tially commenced under the Spanish govern- 
 ment, took a more decided character after the 
 
 * The following is a list of the principal mines worked under the Spanish 
 overnment: 
 
 Mines. Si I nation. 
 
 Mine La Motte, ... Head of St. Francis River. 
 
 Mine a Joe, on Flat, River. 
 
 Mine a Burton, ... on a branch of Mineral Fork. 
 
 Old Miner, .... do. do. 
 
 Renault's Mines, ... on Mineral Fork, or Fouche Arno. 
 
2i 
 
 Session of the country to the United States ; but has 
 been particularly great within the last few years. 
 
 In 1812 that part of Louisiana bordering on the 
 Gulph of Mexico, including New-Orleans, and ex- 
 tending up the Mississippi to the 33° of north la- 
 titude, was erected into a state under the name of 
 Louisiana, and the remainder formed into a Ter- 
 ritorial Government by the name of Missouri. 
 There is a petition now before Congress (Feb. 
 1819) for the admission of Missouri into the Union 
 on a footing with the original states. By this pe- 
 tition it is contemplated that White River will form 
 the southern boundary, and the country between 
 that and the northern line of Louisiana, including 
 our claims on the Spanish, will be erected into a 
 Territorial Government under the the name of Ar- 
 kansaw*. 
 
 Respecting die present state of the lead mines, 
 it is only necessary here to add, that they are work- 
 ed in a more improved manner than at any for- 
 mer period; that they are more extensive than 
 when the country came into the hands of the 
 United States, and of course giving employment to 
 a greater number of miners, while every season is 
 adding to the number of mines; and that the ores 
 may be considered of the richest kind. Every day 
 is developing to us the vast resources of this coun- 
 try in minerals, and particularly in lead ; and we 
 cannot resist the belief that in riches and extent, 
 the mines of Missouri are paralleled by no other 
 
 * A law creeling the Territory of Arkansaw from the southern part of 
 Missouri, lias since past, but its northern boundary is extended so as to in- 
 clude all White River, arid the principal part of Lawrence county. 
 
22 
 
 mineral district in the world. In the working of 
 the mines — in raising the ore, and smelting it, — 
 and in the establishment of the different manufac- 
 tures dependent upon it, there is much to be done. 
 Though the processes now pursued are greatly 
 superior to those in use under the French and 
 Spanish governments, there is still ample room for 
 improvement. The earth has not yet been pene- 
 trated over 80 feet ! we know not what may be 
 found in the lower strata of the soil. There is 
 reason to believe that the main bodies of ore have 
 not yet been hit upon, that they lie deeper, and that 
 we have thus far only been engaged upon the spurs 
 and detached masses. There is also reason to 
 believe that large bodies of the ores of Zinc, exist 
 in the district of the mines; and that Copper will 
 be afforded by the lower strata of earth. It is 
 found overlaid by lead ores in many of the Euro- 
 pean mines, and the geognostic character of the 
 country leads us to conclude it may also be found 
 here. 
 
 The want of capitalists in the mine country — of 
 scientific knowledge in those by whom mining i* 
 conducted, and of practical skill in the boring, 
 blasting, sinking shafts, and galleries, draining and 
 ventilating — these oppose obstacles to the success- 
 ful progress of mining. There is but one regular 
 hearth furnace for smelting in the whole district, 
 and that is not on the modern plan of English fur- 
 naces. There are not over four or five regulai 
 shafts out of about 40 mines, — there is not an en- 
 gine either by horse, steam, or water power, for 
 removing water from the mines, several of which 
 
23 
 
 have been abandoned on this account with the 
 richest prospects of ore in view. In fine, there is 
 little of that system, skill, industry, and precaution, 
 which characterize the best conducted European 
 mines, and which, by an application of the most re- 
 cent discoveries in mechanics, chymistry and philo- 
 sophy, render them the admiration of every intelli- 
 gent visiter. By and by, it may attract the atten- 
 tion of some mining capitalists of Great Britain and 
 other parts, and such a circumstance would form a 
 new era in the history of the mining operations of 
 this country. Something also remains to be done 
 by the government, the existing laws are inade- 
 quate to the purposes for which they were enacted. 
 That feature restricting leases to three years is in- 
 judicious ; the period is so short that it deters those 
 whoare most able, from engaging in it at all. Itisalso 
 desirable that such a system should be established, 
 as would enable us to get at the annual produce 
 of the mines, number of hands employed, and such 
 other facts as are necessary in forming a series of 
 statistical tables on the subject. The want of such 
 data has hitherto prevented us from setting a true 
 value upon the mines, and of properly estimating 
 their importance in a national point of view. The 
 acquisition of a scientific knowledge of minerals 
 should also be facilitated by the establishment of 
 a seminary in this quarter. There should be a 
 mineralogical school located in the mine country, 
 where students might be instructed in that useful 
 science. In a country so rich in minerals and fos- 
 sils, and whose wealth will always so much depend 
 upon a proper deveiopement of these resources. 
 
24 
 
 the knowledge of minerals should be laid open to 
 every one. and it should be within the reach of such 
 as do not wish, or cannot get the other branches 
 of a liberal education. To obtain this knowledge 
 now, even were there a prevelent taste for it, a 
 person would be compelled to travel to remote 
 parts of the union, and to incur an unreasonable 
 expense. No one who is conversant with the ad- 
 vantages which various parts of Germany, and par- 
 ticularly Saxony, has derived from such a seminary, 
 will deny the utility of a similar one in the United 
 States ; and as to its location there can be no ques- 
 tion, for, compared with any other section of the 
 union, this will be found the land of ores — the country 
 of minerals. 
 
 Yet with all the disadvantages under which the 
 lead mines have been viewed, and others which it 
 would be superfluous to detail, there are many 
 who may be surprised to find their annual pro- 
 ducts (from the best information) stated at three 
 millions of pounds : and from this some idea may be 
 formed of their vast riches and extent, and, when 
 they come to be properly and regularly worked, 
 how greatly they will contribute towards our 
 wealth and independence. 
 
25 
 
 The following are the principal Historical Epochs of 
 Louisiana, chronologically arranged. 
 
 Discovered by Ferdinand de Soto, and 
 
 named Florida, A. D. 1539 
 
 Visited by the French from Canada „ 1674 
 
 Settlement made by La Salle „ 1683 
 
 A settlement made at Bolixi „ 1699 
 Granted to Crozat by Louis XIV. 14th 
 
 Sept. „ 1712 
 
 New-Orleans founded by the French „ 1717 
 
 Retroceded to the crown by Crozat „ „ 
 
 Granted to the Company of the West „ „ 
 
 Retroceded by the Company of the West „ 1731 
 
 Ceded to Spain by France „ 1762 
 
 First occupied by the Spanish „ 1769 
 
 Ceded to the United States „ 1803 
 
 Taken possession of by the U. S. 20 Dec. „ „ 
 
 Louisiana became a State, August „ 1812 
 
 Missouri Territory erected, 4th June „ I8i2 
 
 Territory of Arkansaw erected, March „ 1819 
 
26 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 General Outline of the Mine Country. 
 
 The district of country which is characterized 
 by affording lead ore, and formerly known as the 
 lead mines of Louisiana, comprises the present coun- 
 ties of Washington, St. Genevieve, Jefferson, and 
 Madison : Missouri Territory. It extends in length 
 from the head waters of the St. Francis, in a north- 
 west direction, to the Merrimack, a distance of 
 70 miles ; and in breadth from the Mississippi in a 
 southwest direction to the Fourche a Courtois, a 
 distance of about 45 miles, and covering an area of 
 3150 square miles. 
 
 This tract is generally characterized by yield- 
 ing lead ores, and is the seat of such mines as now 
 are, or have formerly been wrought. It is not on 
 every particular section of it that the existence of 
 lead is to be traced, nor is the mineral character 
 of the soil, rocks, and other earthy and stony 
 bodies uniformly preserved. And, on the contra- 
 ry, there is no considerable tract, on which ore isr 
 not to be found. The general aspect of the coun- 
 try is sterile, though not mountainous : the lands 
 lie rolling, like a body of water in gentle agitation. 
 In some places the hills rise into abrupt cliffs, where 
 the great rock formations of the country may be 
 seen ; in others, they run into level plains : a kind 
 of highland prairie. The soil is a reddish coloured 
 clay, stiff and hard, and full of fragments of flinty 
 stone, quartz, and gravel: this extends to the 
 
27 
 
 depth of from 10 to 20 feet, and is bottomed on 
 limestone rock. It is so compact in some places 
 as almost to resist the pickaxe ; in others, it 
 seems to partake of marl, is less gravelly, and 
 readily penetrated. The country is particularly 
 characterized by quartz, which is strewed in de- 
 tached pieces over the surface of the ground, and 
 is also found imbedded in the soil at ail depths. 
 This is here called blossom of lead. Iron ores, and 
 pyrites are also scattered over the surface of the 
 ground, and occasionally lead ore. Such is the 
 general character of the mineral hills, which are 
 invariably covered by a stinted growth of oaks, 
 and what are here denominated post oaks. They 
 are seldom found to grow higher than 30 feet, and 
 40 is the highest, seldom exceed a foot in diameter, 
 and stand scattering. In some places walnut is 
 found; and there is a ridge of yellow pine running 
 the whole extent of the mine tract, from the St. 
 Francis to the Merrimack, but it is not more than 
 six or eight miles wide, and no discovery of lead 
 has been made upon it, — at least, no quantity has 
 been found. The mines lie generally cast of it. 
 This ridge of pine traverses the country in a gener- 
 al course from S. E. to N. W. a fact which may 
 also be observed in regard to the veins of lead, 
 viewed in connexion with each other, and as they 
 are to be traced from mine to mine. The hills 
 also yield sassafras, and the slopes which are rich- 
 er soil, afford buckeye, black walnut, papaw, and 
 percimmon, and some other trees, shrubs, and wild 
 fruits; and the whole is covered in summer by a 
 luxuriant growth of grass, even the poorest hills,- 
 
28 
 
 which hides the flinty aspect of the country, and 
 gives it a very pleasing and picturesque appearance. 
 The vallies have always a stratum of alluvial 
 soil, which is more or less deep, according to their 
 extent, but there are few which are not adapted 
 for cultivation, and the bottoms on the streams, and 
 lowland prairies, consist of several strata of black 
 alluvial earth, affording some of the richest farm- 
 ing lands in the western country. The strong 
 quality of the soil is shown in the heavy growth of 
 trees with which it is covered. The principal of 
 these are sycamore, elm, cotton wood, onks wal- 
 nut, maple, buckeye, hackberry, ash, papaw, per- 
 cimmon, spicewood. mulberry, sassafras* and .. *- 
 wood. A rank growth of vines and shrubs also 
 overruns the bottom land ; and in no other coun- 
 try is there to be found so great a variety and 
 abundance of wild fruits; of these, the following 
 is a catalogue : 
 
 Grape, Hackberry, 
 
 Red plumb, Hazlenut, 
 
 Percimmon, Strawberry, 
 
 Cherry, Blackberry, 
 
 Black haws, Whortleberry, 
 
 Thornberry, Crab apple, 
 
 Walnut, Gooseberry, 
 
 Mulberry, Papaw. 
 
 These are generally to be found in all parts of 
 the country, and where they occur are abundant. 
 The grape, in particular, which is of a delicious 
 kind, abounds every where. It is very common 
 about the mines, as may be observed at Mined 
 Burton, old mines, and Shibboleth. 
 
29 
 
 The soil thrown out of the pits sunk in search 
 of ore, also produces several plants and trees which 
 are not peculiar to the surface. Such are the pop- 
 lar, or cotton wood, and beach grape, which are only 
 found to flourish on the rich alluvial lands compo- 
 sing the hanks of rivers. Nevertheless, I have seen 
 these growing about the mouths of long neglected 
 pits, the soil of which had been raised thirty or 
 forty feet, and where, previous to digging, no such 
 trees or vines existed. This fact is to be referred 
 only to a difference in the quality of the soil at the 
 depth alluded to, and warrants us further in the 
 conclusion, that all soils are impregnated with the 
 seeds of the trees and plants peculiar to them, as 
 well at great depths as on their surfaces, and that 
 they only require exposure to the sun, the air, and 
 the light, to enable them to vegetate. 
 
 Respecting the botanical character of the min- 
 eral soil, it may be further observed, that although 
 it yields but few forest trees, and they are not of a 
 vigorous growth, yet a botanist might find his la- 
 bours well rewarded by the profusion of shrubs 
 and wild flowers which are every where found on 
 the barrens. Some of these possess a singular 
 beauty and fragrance, and 1 have particularly no- 
 ticed a fine leaved plant, which is highly sensitive. 
 It shrinks from the touch: it bears a very fragrant 
 red flower in summer, and its stem is thorny. It 
 has been called the sensitive brier. There are also 
 some plants from which colours have been extract- 
 ed for dyeing ; such are peterswort crab-apple, 
 shumac, upland dock, and smartweed, and a skill- 
 ful botanist would probably discover many more. 
 
30 
 
 The savages are in possession of some secrets in 
 dyeing, the discovery of which is matter of moment. 
 They dye a very beautiful and permanent red from 
 some vegetable which is the production of this 
 country. And the subject assumes a character of 
 national importance, when we consider the im- 
 mense sums we are annually paying to foreign na- 
 tions for dyeing ingredients. Do not the western 
 woods afford some substitutes ? 
 
 The district of the lead mines is well watered, 
 affording in all parts innumerable springs and 
 rivulets of the most pure and wholesome water ; 
 and as the lands are high and airy, it is found one 
 of the most healthy parts of the territory. Epi- 
 demics are unknown. Those diseases which 
 prevail more or less every summer on the Ameri- 
 can bottom, and other rich and level tracts of Illi- 
 nois, Ohio, and Indiana, have not found their way 
 into the interior of Missouri, where there is no stag- 
 nant water, — no repositories for mud and slime, 
 brought down by the annual floods, as is the case 
 on the immediate banks of the Mississippi, Ohio, 
 and other great western rivers, — and no pestilen- 
 tial airs from decaying vegetable, and drying ponds. 
 The fever and ague is a very rare thing at the mines. 
 Billious complaints are the most common, but they 
 are not fatal. During a residence of ten months 
 at the mines, I have not witnessed a single death, 
 or heard of any happening in the country. At the 
 same time, the margin of the Mississippi, on both 
 sides, has been the scene of frequent deaths, and, 
 during the summer months, of almost continued 
 disease. There are, however, some losses annu* 
 
ally sustained by the inhabitants of the mine tract, 
 from the death of cattle, who die of the mine sick- 
 ness. Cows and horses are frequently seen to die 
 without any apparent cause. Cats and dogs are 
 taken with violent tits, which never fail in a short 
 time, to kill them. This has been accounted for, by 
 supposing that they inhale the sulphur which is so 
 abundantly driven off in smelting lead, and cattle 
 are often seen licking about old furnaces. It is 
 more probable that it arises from the sulphate of 
 barytes, which accompanies the lead ore. This 
 Consists of the sulphuric acid united to barytes — • 
 a poison to animals. The mine sickness is wholly 
 confined to quadrupeds. 
 
 The Merrimack and St. Francis are streams of 
 the mine country, the former washing its north- 
 western boundary, and deriving much of its water 
 from it, and the latter, originating in broken lands 
 ten or fifteen miles south of Mine a Burton. Big 
 River, Terre Bleau, Mineral Fork, Fourche a 
 Courtois, and Indian Creek, are also considerable 
 streams. Of a lesser size, are Flat River, Mine, 
 Cedar, Wolf, Rock, Apple, Saline, Platten and 
 Joachim Creeks, the four last falling into the Mis- 
 sissippi successively as you ascend the river from 
 Cape Girardeau to St. Louis. These streams, with 
 their tributary waters, afford farming lands of an 
 excellent quality, both bottoms and uplands, and 
 present a pleasing contrast to the sterile mineral 
 hills on which they border. Indeed, in no other 
 part of the western country is there to be found 
 so remarkable a contrast, for the traveller is alter- 
 nately presented with poor flinty hills, rich alluvial 
 
bottoms, barren plains, towering cliffs, and level 
 prairies, all mixed in a very novel and surprising 
 manner,and affording some of the most picturesque 
 scenes of rural beauty. The traveller, after' he has 
 viewed the rich uplands of Ohio — the heavy forests 
 of Indiana — the woodless barrens of Kentucky — 
 the craggy cliffs of Tennessee — and the unbounded 
 prairies of Illinois, has still something to desire, for 
 he may see them all together in one dciy's ride in 
 the interior of Missouri. The whole country, after 
 you cross the Mississppi, seems to have been pro- 
 jected on a different scale, the very rock forma- 
 tions are different, and the masses of granite, quartz, 
 and green stone porphyry met with, attest its claims 
 to antiquity. The western bank of the Mississippi 
 from the head of Tyawapaty Bottom to St. Louis, 
 is, with some exceptions, an almost perpendicular 
 wall of limestone from one hundred to two hun- 
 dred feet high, and affording in many places, some 
 of the sublimest views of nature. The Grand Tow- 
 er, Dormant Wall, Hanging Dog, and ' ornice Rock, 
 may be mentioned as instances of this. At this 
 height the mineral soil commences, still rising by 
 imperceptible degrees as you advance into the inte- 
 rior, and the whole Missouri shore seems to be suf- 
 ficiently elevated to have served as a barrier to an 
 ocean, which may have rested on the ground now 
 occupied by the states of i ^inois, Indiana, Kentucky, 
 and Ohio. These are manifestly countries of newer 
 formation, bearing innumerable marks of submer- 
 sion, in the impressions of shells and animals found 
 in their rocks, in the remains of animal bones, and 
 in various other evidences, which a geologist 
 
33 
 
 would consider conclusive of secondary forma* 
 lion. 
 
 The Lead mines are situated between the 37th 
 and 38th degree of north latitude, and between 
 the 89th and 92d degree of west longitude. 
 The climate is mild and pleasant. It is not so 
 hot as the same latitudes in Kentucky and Vir- 
 ginia. The last summer, (1818,) was considered 
 unusually warm, yet I experienced no inconvenient 
 ces from the heat, although from a country situ- 
 ated six degrees further north. The heat was 
 manifestly great, but a gentle breeze was almost 
 constantly stirring ; and the uneven surface of the 
 country is favourable for keeping up a current in 
 the atmosphere. The fall was pleasant and serene, 
 and the weather continued mild, until about the 
 middle of December, when cold and disagreeable 
 weather commenced, which continued nearly a 
 month ; during which, we had some flurries of 
 snow, and it fell at one time three inches deep ; 
 the atmosphere then resumed its usual serenity, 
 and continued about the temperature of April 
 weather in New- York, until the middle of Febru- 
 ary, when chilly winds, slight snow flurries, and 
 rains and sun-shine alternately characterized the 
 days for a month more, and the spring opened, 
 giving us a serene sky and mild warm weather. 
 The weather is, however, subject to very sudden 
 changes; a circumstance that will induce an emi- 
 grant to exclaim on the great heat one day. 
 and on the great cold the next. The old people 
 have very kw signs by which they can foretel 
 the weather. 
 
34 
 
 The climate is well adapted for the raising of 
 corn and wheat, which are the staple articles of 
 the Missouri farmer. Rye also succeeds, but is 
 not much cultivated. Oats, peas, turnips, flax and 
 hemp do very well, but there is little of either 
 raised. Irish potatoes, do not succeed well ; the 
 sweet, or Carolina potatoe was raised last year in 
 considerable perfection. The soil and climate is 
 well adapted to the culture of tobacco, and this is 
 an article which is just beginning to excite universal 
 attention. There will be a considerable quantity 
 raised the ensuing summer in the county of Wash- 
 ington, and the country is said to be as well adapt- 
 ed to it, as Kentucky. 
 
 The farmer here encloses no meadows — cuts no 
 hay. — The luxuriant growth of grass in the woods 
 affords ample range tor his cattle and horses, and 
 they are constantly kept fat. Hogs also are suf- 
 ferred to run at large, and in the fall are killed 
 from the woods ; I have seen no fatter pork than 
 what has been killed in this way. There is, per- 
 haps, no country in the world, where cattle and 
 hogs can be raised with so little trouble and ex- 
 pense as here ; and this is an advantage this coun- 
 try possesses which is likely to be permanent ; 
 for the country will never admit of a dense po- 
 pulation : (I allude particularly to the mine coun- 
 try:) here and there will be an excellent planta- 
 tion, and the intermediate lands being too barren 
 for cultivation, will never be taken up, but still 
 afford a range for hogs and cattle. In Illinois, 
 Indiana, and other parts, where such advantages 
 now exist, they will shortly be curtailed, for the 
 
35 
 
 lands being, generally speaking, all good, will be 
 bought up, and every fanner confined to the 
 limits of his own farm. The same advantage also 
 renders the country particularly worthy of the at- 
 tention of the shepherd. There is no country better 
 adapted to the raising and keeping of large flocks 
 of sheep, who would find excellent pasturage in 
 the prairies and woods, and only require a hand 
 to drive them to fresh pastures during the day, and 
 guard them from wolves by night. Hay to feed 
 them during the winter, might be cut any where 
 in the post oak woods and prairies, and their wool 
 would always bring a good price in the market ; 
 for the country affords every facility by its streams 
 for erecting manufactories of cloth on an extensive 
 scale. There are kw sheep at present raised in 
 the country ; wool, and woollen goods of all sorts, 
 are high and scarce, and I consider the subject 
 worthy of the particular attention of the Missouri 
 farmer. Horses are raised in considerable num- 
 bers by the inhabitants generally, and with little 
 labour. They subsist themselves in the woods, 
 both summer and winter, nothing more being re- 
 quired than to look after them, to see that no beils 
 are lost, that they are duly salted, and that they do 
 not go astray. They may be considered among 
 the exports of the country, considerable droves 
 being annually driven off to Kentucky, Red River, 
 and other parts. It is to be observed, however, 
 that a proper attention is not paid to improving 
 the breeds, and though there are some elegant 
 horses, the generality have a mixture of wild horse ; 
 
36 
 
 they are small, thick-set, and low priced. A good 
 horse of this kind is sold for thirty dollars. 
 
 Respecting the wild quadrupeds in this part of 
 the country, it may be observed, that they are an- 
 nually decreasing, both in number and kind, and 
 hunting is every year becoming less an object. 
 Those, therefore, who are attached to this kind of 
 life, are almost imperceptibly withdrawing further 
 into the woods. The principal hunting ground 
 near this is White River, some account of which 
 will be given at the end of this work. The deer is 
 still frequently met with in the mineral woods, and 
 from the great body of waste lands, will probably 
 long keep possession of them. The Beaver has 
 been driven off. This shy animal is the first to 
 abandon a country on the approach of men. He 
 is generally succeeded by the Otter, who, from the 
 natural enmity between them, is never found to 
 inhabit the same stream. 
 
 The following is a list of such animals as ar* 
 still to be met with : 
 
 Deer, 
 
 Otter, 
 
 Bear, 
 
 Muskrat, 
 
 Wolf, 
 
 Racoon, 
 
 Fox, 
 
 Opossum, 
 
 Wild-cat, 
 
 Rabbit, 
 
 Panther, 
 
 Pole-cat, 
 
 Hedgehog, 
 
 Fox-squirrel, 
 
 Weasel, 
 
 Grey-squirrel, 
 
 Mink, 
 
 Red-squirrel, 
 
 Gohar, 
 
 Mole. 
 
 Of birds there is an endless variety. The wild 
 turkey is still very common on the bottom lands,, 
 
37 
 
 and during the heat of the day in the open post 
 oak woods. The wild goose, duck, brant, and 
 swan, are to be found on the streams. The peli- 
 can is occasionally seen on coming up the Mis- 
 sissippi, but never ventures into the interior. The 
 prairie hen is common, so are quails and pigeons ; 
 the latter, in some parts of the interior, are so nu- 
 merous that the woods seem alive with them. Of 
 singing birds there is a numerous tribe ; some of 
 them are strangers to me, and there is a great pro- 
 portion whose colours are beautiful, and who sing 
 sweetly. I think an ornithologist would find this 
 a very interesting field. The parakeet is a beauti- 
 ful bird ; it is a kind of parrot ; its colours are 
 green, yellow, and red, all bright colours, and it is 
 a pleasing sight to see a flock of them suddenly 
 wheel in the atmosphere, and light upon a tree ; 
 their gaudy colours are reflected in the sun with 
 {he brilliance of the rainbow : they are a noisy 
 bird, but their notes are disagreeable. This bird 
 is first met with on descending the Ohio, about the 
 falls, after which they become plenty ; are con- 
 stantly to be seen on the Kentucky or Indiana 
 shore, and add to the delight a traveller feels in 
 descending that beautiful river. Of birds of prey, 
 the eagle, the turkey buzzard, and the raven, may 
 be noticed ; but I forbear to increase the cata- 
 logue, for the subject is exhaustless, and to do it 
 justice would require a greater limit than I pro- 
 pose to allow myself in this entire view. The 
 mineral productions of this country are very nu- 
 merous and interesting ; for a catalogue of them 
 see the miscellaneous part of this work. 
 
38 
 
 The agricultural character of the mine country, 
 although poor in the general estimate, is far less 
 so than mining countries generally are ; and viewed 
 in detail presents a great deal of the most valuable 
 farming lands. A spirit of husbandry is now ge- 
 nerally prevalent; this has been yearly increasing 
 since the United States acquired possession of the 
 country, but has been particularly visible within 
 the last 5 years. Farms are better tilled, and 
 both the theory and practice of agriculture better 
 understood than formerly. This is chiefly attri- 
 butable to the emigration, which, within the last 
 few years, has flown in so rapidly. Among the 
 number has been several men of wealth and in- 
 telligence — practical farmers from the old states, 
 who, at the same time that they have disseminated 
 the principles of agriculture, have increased the 
 respectability of the farming class, and taught 
 them to appreciate, in a proper light, the farming 
 interest. Perhaps, during this period, the mining 
 business has been less attended to than formerly, 
 and it would appear as if the increase of the one 
 has kept pace with the decline of the other, but 
 perhaps they both flourish best together. 
 
 Washington County, which is the richest in lead 
 ore of all the mineral counties, and at the same 
 time contains a great proportion of good farming 
 land, now produces, over and above all home con- 
 sumption, a considerable quantity of grain for dis- 
 tillation and for flouring; and beef and pork for 
 foreign markets ; — yet, there is a period in the 
 history of the mining operations of this county, 
 
39 
 
 when its annual produce did not equal its annual 
 consumption. 
 
 With the advances in agriculture, a correspond- 
 ent improvement has been effected in the manners 
 and morals of the people. A large proportion of 
 those formerly engaged in mining were persons of 
 the most abandoned character, refugees from jus- 
 tice in the old States ; and the mines were a con- 
 tinued scene of riot and disorder, and many atroci- 
 ties were committed. Many of those persons have 
 fled, others have been restrained from evil prac- 
 tices by the influence and example of virtuous and 
 intelligent men, and it is but justice to the inhabi- 
 tants of the mines to observe, that in morals and 
 manners they are surpassed by no other district 
 in the Territory. It would be difficult to point 
 out a town or village west of the Mississippi where 
 there is a greater attention to industry, morality, 
 and religion, than at Mine a Burton. There are 
 many of the refinements, and even elegancies of 
 life ; and in the courtesy and hospitality of the 
 gentlemen, and the dress, conversation, and de- 
 portment of the ladies, a proof is afforded of the 
 great improvement which a few years has effected 
 in society. 
 
 There are but few Spaniards remaining in the 
 district of the mines, or in the Missouri Territory ; 
 they generally withdrew on the occupation of the 
 country by the United States. The French con- 
 stitute a considerable proportion of the whole 
 population, and it is but repeating a common ob- 
 servation to say, that in morality and intelligence 
 *hey are far inferior to the American population, 
 
40 
 
 The French are uniformly members of the Roman 
 Catholic church. The religion most prevalent in 
 other parts of the community is Methodism ; the 
 Baptists are next in number, and the late emigra- 
 tions have brought in several Presbyterians, who 
 are daily acquiring an accession of strength; and 
 a few Episcopalians. There are but few regular 
 buildings for public worship, and of those few I 
 am unable to mention a single piece of respectable 
 architecture. Worship is generally performed in 
 private houses, and buildings erected for county or 
 other public purposes ; but considering the infan- 
 cy of the settlements, perhaps more could not be 
 expected. The benefits of common schooling are 
 but partially felt, there is no system of school 
 education. This is a business left to individual 
 exertion and patronage. I believe there is no 
 considerable settlement without a school, at least 
 a part of the year. 
 
 Slavery was introduced into this Territory at a 
 very early period, and previous to the occupation 
 of the country by the United States. There are a 
 considerable number at present ; nearly every 
 good plantation, and many of the mines being 
 wrought by them. This observation has no allu- 
 sion to the settlements on the Missouri at Boon's 
 Lick, St. Charles, and other places, where emigra- 
 tions are flowing in very rapidly, where there are 
 many New England farmers who are averse to 
 slavery in principle, and where indeed it is under- 
 stood that slaves have been but partially intro- 
 duced. This is a subject which excites some in- 
 ferest here at the present moment, when a petition 
 
41 
 
 is lying before Congress for the admission of Mis- 
 souri into the Union, and some fears are entertain- 
 ed that a Legislative restriction, with regard to 
 slavery, may be introduced into the organic Law. 
 Without inquiring into the constitutionality of such 
 a restriction, it may here be observed, that from 
 the temper of the people, it may be concluded that 
 it is a privilege which will be hardly relinquished. 
 It is not to a country like this, that we are to 
 look for internal improvements ; it has been too 
 recently the empire of savage ferocity, to admit 
 of the amassment of superfluous wealth. There 
 are few able to contribute great sums towards the 
 construction of permanent roads, bridges, and 
 canals. The subject is, however, kept in view; 
 there are many who see with pleasure what other 
 States are doing in this way, and the jYew-York 
 Canal is a subject of frequent conversation among 
 the intelligent part of the community. They are 
 in the expectation of ultimately deriving a benefit 
 from it, and anticipate with solicitude the con- 
 nexion of Lake Michigan with the Illinois River, 
 by which a water communication will be formed 
 between Missouri and the city of New-York, by 
 way of Detroit, Buffalo, and Utica. The river Plein, 
 the main head fork of Illinois, approaches so near 
 the head of Chicago River, which enters Lake 
 Michigan at Fort Dearborn, that a communication 
 exists in high water. I conversed with a trader 
 last summer at St. Louis, who had come through 
 in the spring, and afterwards saw his boat lying at 
 the wharf. It carried from 4 to 6 tons, and was 
 built skiff- fashion, with a flat bottom. He repre- 
 
 6 
 
42 
 
 scniecl the undertaking as easy of execution, not 
 requiring an artificial cut of more than 2 miles, 
 and this through an alluvial soil. The roads 
 through the mine tract are generally good, the 
 mineral soil is well adapted for a road, and little 
 labour is required to keep it in repair. When 
 heavy and long continued rains have softened the 
 ground, and the roads become gullied, such is the 
 open nature of the woods, that the waggoner may 
 drive aside, and pursue his way with very little 
 inconvenience. From this circumstance the main 
 roads from Herculaneum and St. Genevieve to the 
 mines, have assumed a surprising width. A wag- 
 gon loaded with lead, (and these are the principal 
 ones who make use of the road) is particularly in- 
 jurious in cutting up a road. On passing over a 
 stick or stone it never rebounds, it is a dead fall, 
 and it generally sinks to the strata of gravel. 
 There are few bridges ; that over the Joachim near 
 Herculaneum, is a substantial wooden bridge. 
 Ferries are kept at St. Genevieve, fjerculaneum, 
 Merrimack, Vetepush, St. Francis, and other 
 places. 
 
 The culture of fruit trees, has not received a 
 general attention in this country, if we except the 
 Peach tree, which is found on almost every farm, 
 and succeeds very well. The apple tree does 
 very well where it has been tried, and some ex- 
 periments also show the soil and climate adapted 
 for Quince, Plum, and Cherry. 
 
 The country is also represented as adapted to 
 the growth of Indigo. A gentleman of Bellevieu 
 f Mr. Hutchins) raised this plant last summer in 
 
43 
 
 great perfection. Madder, as is said, also suc- 
 ceeds. That useful vine, the Hop, grows spon- 
 taneously on the bottom lands, and is to be seen 
 in great abundance, in the proper season, on the 
 banks of the Flatten, Apple Creek, and other 
 places. 
 
 The manufactures of the Mine country, in addi- 
 tion to its grand staple, Lead, are not numerous. 
 There are 3 shot towers, a like number of tan- 
 yards, several flouring mills, and distilleries, and 
 a few saw mills, where pine and oak boards and 
 plank are made. There are several saltpetre 
 caves worked, 1 powder mill, and pretty exten- 
 sive salt works on Saline creek, St. Genevieve 
 county. There are also 2 other salt works in 
 Jefferson county, but they are on a smaller scale. 
 Some tow cloth is made in families, and also cot- 
 ton cloth for summer wear, and a carding machine 
 and fulling and clothiers' works, have lately been 
 erected on Big River. 
 
 The exports of Missouri Territory may be set 
 down as follows : 
 
 Pig and Bar Lead, Horses, 
 Shot, of all sizes, Beef, 
 
 Whiskey, Pork, 
 
 Flour, Dried Venison, 
 
 Wheat, Deer Skins, 
 
 Corn, Furs and Peltries, 
 
 Hemp, Butter, 
 
 Flax, Pecans. 
 
 Tow Cloth, 
 When its resources are properly drawn forth, 
 the list will be greatly augmented, and a few years 
 
44 
 
 will add the following articles, some exportation 
 of which have already taken place : 
 Iron, Nitre, 
 
 Zinc, Salt, 
 
 Manganese, Marble, 
 
 Sulphur, Emery, 
 
 Arsenic, Red Chalk, 
 
 Antimony, Pumice, 
 
 Oil Stones, Soap Stone, 
 
 Alum, Gypsum, 
 
 Chalk, Serpentine, 
 
 Plumbago. Tobacco, 
 
 Flints, Hops. 
 
 Commerce is now carried on chiefly with the 
 cities of New-Orleans, Philadelphia, New- York, 
 and Pittsburgh. The lead is taken down the 
 Mississippi in boats to New-Orleans, and there 
 either sold, or shipped to Philadelphia or New- 
 York. The dry goods with which this country 
 is supplied are principally purchased at Philadel- 
 phia, and waggoned across the Alleghany moun- 
 tains to Pittsburg, and thence taken down the Ohio 
 and up the Mississippi in boats. The groceries 
 are principally purchased at New-Orleans, and 
 brought up in boats. Steam Boats have lately 
 engrossed this business, and should the) continue 
 to multiply at the rate now indicated, will in a few 
 years throw keel boats and barges entirely out of 
 the question.* Cutlery, glass ware, nails, red and 
 white lead, castings, rope, paper, carpenters' and 
 
 * A list of Steam boats on the Mississippi and its tributary streams, will 
 be found in the miscellaneous part of this work. 
 
4* 
 
 blacksmiths' tools, plough irons, and innumerable 
 other works in brass, iron, and copper, are brought 
 from Pittsburgh. Drugs, medicines, and dye 
 stuffs, and sometimes dry goods, particularly for 
 the Indian trade, are chiefly laid in at New-York, 
 and thence shipped to New-Orleans. This trade 
 has probably increased within late years. 
 
 The principal towns in the district of the Lead 
 mines are, St. Genevieve, Herculaneum, Potosi. 
 and Mine a Burton, and St. Michael. Some ac- 
 count may be given of each of these. 
 
 St. Genevieve is situated on the west bank of the 
 Mississippi, 120 miles above the mouth of the 
 Ohio, and 60 miles below St. Louis. The town, 
 consisting of about 300 houses, including a Roman 
 Catholic chapel, lies a mile from the landing at the 
 mouth of the Gabbarie, and on ground which is 
 handsomely elevated. Immediately below the 
 town commences the great field, one of the richest 
 tracts of bottom lands on the Mississippi. It ex- 
 tends five miles along the banks of the river, and 
 is still held in common. This town was originally 
 settled by the French from Kaskaskia,and although 
 a considerable part of the inhabitants are now 
 Americans, the French character still predomi- 
 nates. This is particularly observable in their 
 amusements, dress, morals, and religion. St. 
 Genevieve is one of the principal lead markets, 
 and before the settlement of Herculaneum, all the 
 lead made at the mines was shipped from this 
 place. It is situated 30 miles below Herculaneum, 
 is 45 miles distant from Potosi, 30 from mine La 
 Motte, and about the same distance from Bryan's 
 
46 
 
 mines and mine a Joe. Kaskaskia, the present 
 seat of government for Illinois, is situated 7 miles 
 from St. Genevieve, on the opposite side of the 
 river. 
 
 Herculaneum, lies on a high bank of the Missis- 
 sippi at the mouth of Joachim creek, and at equal 
 distances from St. Genevieve and St. Louis. This 
 town has been selected as the seat of justice for 
 the new county of Jefferson, and being commo- 
 diously situated for business, and several miles 
 nearer to the mines, is thought to possess advan- 
 tages on that account. The town now consists of 
 between 30 and 40 houses, including a court-house 
 and jail, 4 stores, a post office, and school. There 
 is also a commodious warehouse for storing lead 
 and merchandise, kept by Elias Bates, and the 
 town enjoys a considerable share of the lead trade, 
 which has increased within a few years. In the 
 vicinity of the town are 3 shot towers, where shot 
 is made by letting it fall down the banks of the 
 Mississippi, which here consist of high bluffs of 
 limestone rock. The scites chosen for these 
 towers is where the top of the rock overhangs the 
 bottom a little. On this a building is erected, and 
 other works prepared for smelting and casting the 
 lead, and they are dropped through copper sieves 
 into a receptacle with water below, where there is 
 another building, and the operation of polishing is 
 performed. For a detailed account of the pro- 
 cesses of making shot as practised here, see sec- 
 tion VI. on the uses of lead. 
 
 The following statement, of lead exported from 
 Herculaneum, from December 31st, 1816, to June. 
 
4 
 
 1818, a period of 18 months, places its advantages 
 in a handsome light. It is copied from ah official 
 paper published by the proprietors of the town. 
 
 2,008,404 lbs. of Pig and bar lead, 
 deposited at, and exported from 
 Elias Bates' warehouse $ 100,420.00 
 
 517,495 lbs. of lead, deposited with 
 and shipped by sundry other per- 
 sons 25,874.75 
 
 668,350 lbs. of Patent shot, manu- 
 factured by Elias Bates, and C. 
 Wilt 46,784.50 
 
 5,500 barrels of Flour, manufac- 
 tured by J. Horine, A. Van Zandt, 
 and J. Bryan 41,250.00 
 
 44,924 gallons of Whiskey, manu- 
 factured by Horine, Van Zandt, 
 and Bryan 32,192.62,! 
 
 500 bushels of Wheat, shipped for 
 
 N. Orleans 500.00 
 
 400 barrels of Beef and Pork 5,000.00 
 
 40,000 wt. of Bacon 4,000.00 
 
 66,000 feet of Pine boards, from 
 
 Washington County 2,640.00 
 
 214,000 ft. of Oak boards and scant- 
 ling 64,200.00 
 
 60,000 lbs. of Gunpowder, manu- 
 factured by Ashley & Brown, 
 Washington County 3(,.000.O:j 
 
 $352,861.87,! 
 
48 
 
 There are, within 4 miles of Herculaneum, 2 
 saw mills, 2 grist mills, 3 distilleries, and a tan 
 yard, where considerable quantities of leather are 
 made. It is situated 36 miles from Mine a Burton, 
 30 from mine Shibboleth, 25 from Bryan's mines, 
 and 25 from Richwood's. 
 
 Potosi, and Mine a Burton, form one connected 
 village, which may altogether consist of 80 build- 
 ings, including a court house, jail, and academy. 
 When the County of Washington was erected by 
 a division of St. Genevieve, a tract of land of 40 
 acres was laid off for the county seat, and named 
 Potosi. This lies on a handsome eminence a 
 little north of the principal mines, and separated 
 only from mine a Burton by the mine creek. 
 This village is pleasantly situated in the centre 
 of the mining district, and surrounded also by 
 several fine bodies of lands. It is built in a bet- 
 ter style than the villages in the country generally, 
 has a neat and thriving appearance, and contains 
 several handsome edifices. Among these are the 
 seat of M. Austin, Esq. and the court house, a 
 building erected at an expense of $7000, and 
 decorated with columns of the Doric order. It 
 has 3 stores, 2 distilleries, (one by steam) 2 flour 
 mills, 9 lead furnaces, 1 saw mill, and a post 
 office, where a mail from St. Genevieve and St. 
 Louis is received once a week, one from Arkan- 
 saw once a month, and one from Boon's Lick on 
 the Missouri, once a fortnight. It is 65 miles dis- 
 tant from St. Louis, 45 from St. Genevieve, 36 
 from Herculaneum, and 45 from St. Michael. It 
 lies in the centre of about 40 lead mines, all situ- 
 
49 
 
 aied within a circle of 20 miles. The quantity of 
 lead made at Mine a Burton has been very great. 
 Jn a report made by Mr. Austin to the commis- 
 sioner of the general land office, in 1816, the fol- 
 lowing estimate of the quantity of lead made, is 
 given : 
 
 From 1793 to 1804, 360,000 lbs. per ann 2,160,000 
 
 1804 1808,800,000 3,200,000 
 
 1808 1816,500,000 4,000,000 
 
 Total amount for 18 years 9,360,000 
 
 See the perspective view of this village facing 
 the title page. 
 
 St. Michael is situated on a plain on Village 
 Creek, which falls into the river St. Francis a mile 
 below. It is an old French village, of about fifty 
 houses, including several stores, and a post office ; 
 andlies in the centre of the richest farming district in 
 Madison county. The seat of justice for the coun- 
 ty, has lately been fixed on rising grounds, about six 
 hundred yards south of the village, and a town laid 
 out there called Fredericktown. Several emigrants 
 have lately located themselves in St. Michael, and 
 since the county seat has been fixed in its vicini- 
 ty, it has assumed a thriving appearance. The 
 Mine La Motte lies two miles north of the village. 
 
 New-Bourbon, Caledonia, and Madansburgh, are 
 also towns of the mine tract, but they are at pre- 
 sent small. The last two have lately been laid 
 out, and bid fair to have a rapid increase. 
 
 Having now taken a general survey of the Mine 
 country, there are a few remarks which may be 
 made on the counties separately. 
 
 7 
 
50 
 
 $/. Genevieve County. The mineral productione 
 of this county are lead and salt. Bryan's mines, 
 and IViine a Joe, are the most noted. Salt is made 
 on Saline Creek, a stream winch falls inio the 
 Mississippi eight or nine miles below the great 
 field of St. Genevieve. The works are at a village 
 called Madansburgh, and are on a respectable 
 scale ; and much of the salt consumed in the in- 
 terior, is the produce of these works. The springs 
 are considered lasting, and the water strongly im- 
 pregnated, and preparations are now in forward- 
 ness to enlarge and improve the works. 
 
 There is a large white body of silicious sand in the 
 interior of this county, and which, from examina- 
 tion, I think adapted for the manufacture of flint 
 glass. It lies eight miles on the road to Potosi, 
 where it is found in a cave of unexplored extent. 
 The sand is in the aggregated form, i. e. sand 
 stone ; is very white, easily crushed between the 
 fingers, and falls into a very fine, even-grained, 
 transparent, quartzose sand. It appears to me, 
 from external character, to possess the property 
 of easy fusibility, one of the most desirable quali- 
 ties in glass-sand ; and from an acquaintance with 
 the subject, I am led to conclude, that it will prove 
 a very valuable material in the manufacture. 
 
 One of the most noted bodies of farming land 
 in St. Genevieve county, is Bois Brula Bottom, ex- 
 tending for near twenty miles on the margin of the 
 Mississippi. This bottom is covered with the 
 heaviest growth of trees, shrubs and vines, such 
 as are peculiar to the richest Ohio bottoms. The 
 settlements on it, are considerable, and daily in- 
 
Si 
 
 Creasing, and it yields in perfection most of the 
 productions which have already been mentioned 
 as the produce of the mine country, particularly 
 corn, which attains an almost incredible height, 
 and yields a heavy crop. 
 
 The principal farming tracts in the interior, 
 are Murphy's Settlement, and Cook's Settlement, both 
 extending along the main road that leads from 
 St. Louis to Arkansaw and Red River. At Mur- 
 phy's Settlement there is a post office. This coun- 
 ty sends five members to the territorial legislature. 
 
 Washington County. This county, although the 
 seat of the principal lead mines, is at the same 
 time not deficient in farming land. Bellevue, 
 Stout's settlement, Richwoods, and Old mines, may 
 be mentioned as instances of this. The southern 
 banks of the Merrimack, Big River, and Fourche 
 a Courtois, also yield handsome tracts of the most 
 fertile bottom lands. The lands in Bellevue, are 
 particularly noted for their fertility, beauty, and 
 extent, and the population in this township is nu- 
 merous, and very rapidly increasing. Caledonia 
 is in this township, where several buildings are 
 now going up, and among them, a house for pub- 
 lic worship. Stout's settlement, lies south of this, 
 on the tributary waters of the St. Francis, and is 
 represented as a body of choice land. O . the 
 Fourche a Courtois there are a number of planta- 
 tions, and the lands will admit of many more. A 
 tract of bottom land now in the possession of the 
 Delaware and Shawnee Indians, is often noticed 
 for its beauty and fertility. Big River, in its 
 whole course, which is long and devious, and al- 
 
52 
 
 most completely subtends the north, east, and south 
 boundaries of Washington county, affords the finest 
 of farming lands. Such are the principal farming 
 tracts of this county, which although detached, 
 with ridges of poor land intervening ; yet taken 
 in the aggregate, bear a respectable proportion to 
 its whole number of square miles, and exalt its ag- 
 ricultural character above that of the other mining 
 counties, St. Genevieve excepted. 
 
 The traveller can no where go into Washington 
 county, keeping the main roads, without passing 
 over some of the most sterile soil in it. For the 
 sake of getting good roads, they have been carried 
 along the tops of the most sterile flinty ridges, 
 running in the required direction, and when one 
 deviated too far, it has been left, and another as- 
 cended. This is the character of the country ; it 
 lies rolling, and is in no places better instanced, 
 than in the great roads from St. Genevieve and 
 Herculaneum to the mines. The traveller riding 
 along these, is so impressed with the almost un- 
 varied barrenness of the county, that by the time 
 he reaches Potosi, he is ready to exclaim against 
 it, and without stopping to inquire into its particu- 
 lar advantages, rides back with the most unfavour- 
 able impressions. From such causes it has gene- 
 rally been underrated by former tourists and 
 travellers, who may have had but a few moments 
 to spare, and even improved those by making 
 inquiries of the most illiterate part of community. 
 A man who merely rides through a country, can- 
 not be expected to publish much valuable infor- 
 mation concerning it. The inquiry of a moment. 
 
33 
 
 the surmises of ingenuity, and the probability of 
 things, can never atone for sound statistical in- 
 formation, practical remarks, and acknowledged 
 facts. It is necessary to enter into details, before 
 We can arrive at a general result — to establish 
 small facts in order to render larger ones certain — 
 to view in detached bodies, as well as collectively, 
 and indeed before we can pretend to decide on 
 the character of a country to collect, compare, 
 and contrast all its advantages and all its disad- 
 vantages ; and this cannot be done in a moment. 
 A man may have a glimpse, and not a view — he 
 may see, and yet not understand — he may believe, 
 and yet be mistaken. It is from these facts, and 
 knowing how deep first impressions, however er- 
 roneous, sink, that I have been induced to hint at 
 the superficial accounts of preceding tourists ; and 
 however exceptionable the remark may be in a 
 general sense, it applies forcibly in a particular 
 one. I allude to some works on the western coun- 
 try now generally read at the eastward — to some 
 who are even referred to as text books — to la 
 bours of mercenary pamphleteers, and catch-penny 
 printers, where we are served up with surmises 
 instead of facts, with bloated descriptions instead 
 of simple accounts; and the authors of which, 
 in many instances, know not the countries they 
 describe, and have neither admired the beauties, 
 or shrunk at the deformities, which they picture. 
 
 In adverting to the agricultural character of this 
 county, its advantages for raising cattle, sheep, 
 horses, and hogs, may claim particular attention, 
 The growth of prairie grass in the open post oak 
 
54 
 
 woods and prairies, is of the most luxuriant kind, 
 and stock may be raised at a trilling expense. 
 The barrens are also covered with a profusion of 
 wild fruits, (grapes particularly) and wild flowers, 
 and in the fall there is abundance of acorns, on 
 which hogs fatten. Its mineral productions, in 
 addition to lead, are zinc, iron, ochre, red chalk, 
 saltpetre, sulphur, alum, and salt. There is in the 
 township of Bellevue a salt lick called Chicago, 
 where some attempts have been made to find salt, 
 but the rock was only penetrated about 10 feet, 
 and quite brackish water found at that depth. 
 The lick is on public land, and as no one will run 
 the risk of losing his labour, it remains unex- 
 plored ; little doubt, however, can exist, that salt 
 water would be found at no great depth. There is 
 also in Bellevue a very extensive Buffalo Lick^ 
 called Bates' Lick, (being partly on a tract of land 
 owned by Moses Bates) which covers about 12 
 acres of ground, and is in some places 10 or 12 feet 
 deep. Strong indications of salt have been found 
 at this place. 
 
 Bellevue abounds in granite and iron ore, par- 
 ticularly on its southern boundary, which is the 
 poorest part of it ; and on Cedar creek, which is a 
 fork of Big River. A piece of antimony was found 
 in this part of the township several years ago, but 
 no body of it has yet been brought to light. There 
 is a singular cave where alum is procured near 
 McCormick's. 
 
 The iron of Bellevue is a subject of universal 
 notoriety. In the richness of the ore, and extent 
 of the beds or mines, it is no where paralleled. 
 
The most noted place is called the Iron Mountain, 
 where the ore is piled in such enormous masses 
 as to constitute the entire southern extremity of a 
 lofty ridge, which is elevated 5 or 600 ieet above 
 the plain. Immediately at its base commences a 
 tract of the richest bottom lands, through which a 
 stream called Chartier Creek meanders, and pass- 
 ing round the western side of the mountain, falls 
 into Cedar Creek a few miles below. A seat for 
 working the ore is situated about 7 miles to the 
 N. W. on Cedar Creek, and another sufficient to 
 drive any number of forges 8 miles distant on Big 
 River. Within 2 miles from this, on a small creek, 
 there is a sufficient fall and plenty of water for 
 establishing an extensive foundery. 
 
 The iron mountain is claimed under a conces- 
 sion to Col. Valley, the last Spanish commandant 
 at St. Genevieve, but has not been confirmed by 
 the American government, and some doubts are 
 entertained whether it will. 
 
 Respecting the quality of the ore, it may be 
 added, that it is probably of the richest kind, and 
 such as is well adapted for the manufacture of 
 bar iron. It is very heavy and brilliant, and is of 
 that kind denominated micaceous oxyd of iron, in 
 mineralogy. Mr. Miller, an iron-master of Au- 
 gusta county, Virginia, on visiting this place last 
 fall, thought the ore of an excellent quality, and 
 seemed absorbed in astonishment by the immensi- 
 ty of the body. The ore has been tried by Maj. 
 J. Hawkins of Potosi : it ran easily in a slag fur- 
 nace, and without any flux ; and Mr. Robert C. 
 Bruffey, an intelligent mechanic of the same place. 
 
56 
 
 has experimented upon the iron obtained from 
 the ore, by heating, hammering, hardening, &c. 
 He found it very malleable, and easily worked, 
 and considers it iron of the best quality. 
 
 There is another remarkable body of iron ore, 
 in Stout's settlement, 5 miles west of the Iron 
 Mountain, scarcely inferior to it either in the ex- 
 tent or riches of ore. It has also a seat for water 
 works near it. Several other beds exist in the 
 same neighbourhood, but none equal to the sur- 
 prising bodies already mentioned. 
 
 Ores of zinc are found at several of the lead 
 mines in Washington; the principal bodies are at 
 Mine Renault, and Elliott's mines. It is also fre- 
 quently met with at the numerous diggings on the 
 mineral fork. I have some specimens from Brushy- 
 run, and New Diggings, both within 2 miles of 
 Potosi. It is also occasionally met with in small 
 bodies, at several other mines in this county ; and 
 considering the rarity of this metal in America, 
 and its extensive usefulness, which is yearly in- 
 creasing, I have no doubt it will shortly attract 
 the attention of some capitalist, and become a 
 source of much profit. The ore generally accom- 
 panies the lead ; is of that kind called Blende by 
 mineralogists, and is the sidphuret of Zinc of chemis- 
 try. 
 
 In addition to the amount of lead annually made 
 in Washington county, there is a considerable 
 quantity of flour, whiskey, and other articles ma- 
 nufactured. The following is a list of the differ- 
 
57 
 
 ent mines and manufactories now established, 
 (Feb. 1819.) 
 
 38 Lead Mines, 
 34 Lead Furnaces, 
 16 Grist Mills, 
 8 Saw Mills, 
 10 Distilleries, (one by steam) 
 3 Salt petre caves, (worked) 
 1 Powder Mill, 
 1 Alum cave, (not worked) 
 6 principal Iron Mines, (not worked) 
 1 Tan yard. 
 Washington sends 4 members to the Legisla- 
 ture. 
 
 Madison County. This is a small county lately 
 erected from a division of St. Genevieve and Cape 
 Girardeau, and forming the southern limits of the 
 mine tract. Its mineral products are lead, iron, 
 granite, and Plumbago. There is but one lead 
 mine in the county ; it is mine La Motte. Lead 
 has, however, been found in several other places, 
 though no mines have been opened. The granite 
 is employed for mill stones, and bears the test of 
 experiment. The only vein of granitic rock in 
 the Mine country, (so far as 1 have had opportu- 
 nity to observe,) passes across the south western 
 end of this county, and runs into Bellevue, 
 (W. Co.) It is 4 or 5 miles wide, and extends al- 
 together from 20 to 30 miles in a direction from 
 S. E. to N. W. Considering the rarity of this rock, 
 and the strong geognostic affinity which some of 
 the more valuable metals have for it, it is not un- 
 reasonable to suppose that such metals may exist 
 
 8 
 
in it, and which a better acquaintance with the 
 country may discover. On a visit there lately, f 
 found several rare and beautiful specimens of 
 greenstone porphyry ; the colour a greenish black, 
 spotted with flesh red, passing into green on the 
 edges. Unmagnetical pyrites of iron is common, 
 so is quartz, and several spars. The principal 
 district of good farming land in this county lies 
 along village creek, and the eastern shore of the 
 St. Francis, which runs through this county in a 
 course nearly north and south. This river enters 
 the Mississippi 500 miles below, pursuing its 
 meandering, and is about half that distance in a 
 direct line. A raft of trees, brush, &c. obstructs 
 the navigation for boats, which would otherwise 
 be uninterrupted to within 14 miles of St. Michael 5 
 and whenever this is removed, the produce of this 
 county will find a ready way to New-Orleans, and 
 foreign merchandise be brought up at a cheaper 
 rate. Goods are now wagoned over from St. Ge- 
 nevieve. Madison is entitled to send one member 
 to the Territorial Legislature. 
 
 Jefferson County. The general mineralogical 
 character of Jefferson county, though less flatter- 
 ing than the preceding, is nevertheless interesting. 
 The rock formations in this county are, so far as 
 observed, chiefly limestone, which, although less 
 metalliferous than granite, yet yields several of 
 the useful, and in some cases, the precious metals. 
 It runs into a kind of marble at Herculaneum. 
 which is overlaid by a stratum of secondary lime- 
 stone, bearing impressions of marine shells, ani- 
 malcula, &c. The Rock Fort, a remarkable ledge 
 
59 
 
 on the Mine a Burton road, consists of a coarse 
 grey sand stone, and the vein may be traced S. as 
 far as Rock Creek, a distance of 60 miles. Lead 
 has been found in several places in this county, it 
 has only been worked at Gray's mine, and McKtmc's 
 mine, the latter situated on Dry Creek, a stream 
 running into Big River from the Jefferson side. 
 Lead has further been found on the head of Joa- 
 chim Creek, 1 8 miles on the road to Potosi ; on 
 Col. Hammond's plantation, 4 miles from Hercu- 
 laneum ; on the Flatten near McCormick's ; and 
 on the Joachim near Conner's. Iron ore is found 
 in Big River township, near the ford at Todd's, 
 and on Platten and Sandy Creeks. Salt was for- 
 merly made at works on the Merrimack. The 
 water is represented to be strong, but the works 
 have been suffered to lie idle, in consequence, it is 
 understood, of a dispute respecting the land title. 
 Other works 8 or 9 miles from Herculaneum on 
 the road to St. Louis, are now in operation, and 
 salt of a good quality manufactured. 
 
 The sulphur springs in Jefferson county are some- 
 times resorted to by persons suffering from bilious 
 complaints. They are thought to give relief in 
 such cases, and an idea of their beneficial effects 
 is generally prevalent among the inhabitants, 
 who drink the water in large quantity. No analy- 
 sis has been made to determine the medicinal 
 properties of this water. It appears to me to be 
 less impregnated with sulphur than those I have 
 been acquainted with in the Genesee country, 
 New-York. 
 
 Jefferson county has several saw and grist mills, 
 
60 
 
 3 shot manufactories, a tan yard, and 3 distille- 
 ries. The principal farming districts are the banks 
 of the Platten, Joachim, and Sandy Creeks. The 
 southern shore of the Merrimack and the eastern 
 banks of Big River also afford good lands. This 
 county is represented in the Legislature by one 
 member. 
 
 In this general outline I have confined my re- 
 marks to that district of country extending from 
 the Mine La Motte on the St. Francis, to the Rich- 
 woods on the Merrimack, and from the Mississip- 
 pi west to the Fourehe a Courtois, making an ob- 
 long square of about 70 miles by 45, and compris- 
 ing a tract of a little upwards of 3,000 square 
 miles; but although this is properly speaking the 
 seat of the lead mines, ores of lead have been 
 found at several other places, and we arc warrant- 
 ed in the conclusion, that when the interior comes 
 to be properly explored, the lead district will be 
 found much larger; and I doubt not but some of 
 the richest mines remain yet undiscovered. 
 
 I have considered Madison County as the south- 
 ern extremity of the mine tract, but lead ore has 
 been found in the adjoining county of Wayne, on 
 Otter Creek, and recently it has been discovered 
 on Strawberry River, in Lawrence county. It is 
 also found on the head waters of White River, on 
 James River, on the head of the Merrimack, on the 
 Arkansaw, Gasconade, Osage, and Mine River of 
 the Missouri, and also on the Desmoine of the 
 Mississippi ; but the quantity has been little at 
 many of these places, and no furnaces for smelting 
 in the large way have been erected. The appear- 
 
61 
 
 ances in some places are however flattering, and 
 such as to warrant the expenses of searching for 
 bodies of the ore. On the Arkansaw in particular 
 the quantity of ore in view is represented as very 
 great, and from a series of experiments made by 
 Messrs. La Fitte and Bronsheaux of New-Orleans, 
 the ore is found to contain a sufficient per cent, of 
 silver to render the separation in the large way a 
 work of profit. 
 
 The mineralogical character of the country on 
 James River* is also such as to render it extremely 
 probable, that large bodies of lead exist in that 
 quarter. This stream is one of the head forks of 
 White River, entering from the north west, and on 
 a tour I lately made through that country, I brought 
 away samples oi lead ore which bear a comparison 
 with the best Mine a Burton ores ; and as I since 
 find on assay, they are equally rich. Lead has 
 also been found at the Bull Shoals, and on Trimble's 
 plantation on White River, but no pains have been 
 taken to ascertain the extent of the ore. At the 
 former place it is found adhering to the rock on 
 the margin of the river, and accompanied by such 
 stony substances as are common at the lead mines. 
 The place is further rendered interesting by some 
 remains of ancient works found in the banks of the 
 river, which consists of alluvial soil, 15 or 20 feet 
 deep, reposing on limestone rock. In this bank 
 pieces of metallic lead, oi earthen pots, &c. have been 
 discovered imbedded in the firmest part of the soil, 
 at the depth of 15 feet ; the surface being covered 
 
 * For an account of this stream, fee the annexed description of White 
 River. 
 
62 
 
 by a heavy growth of forest trees. A few miles 
 lower down, Indian arrow heads chipped out of 
 flint, are found imbedded in the bank in the same 
 situation, accompanied by small animal bones. In 
 descending the river a month ago, (Jan. 18 J 9.) I 
 stopped at this place, and brought with me a bit of 
 lead in the metallic state, dug out of the earth, and 
 which is manifestly the production of art. It is not 
 perfectly malleable, though it may be cut with a 
 knife. 
 
 The lead mines at Prairie du Chien, are situated 
 in the North Western Territory, and do not fall 
 within the view here proposed to be given. It 
 may however be remarked, that they are consider- 
 ed the richest yet found. They are still in the 
 possession of the Sacs and Foxes, the original 
 owners of the soil, by whom they are worked in a 
 very imperfect manner. They were formerly 
 wrought by M. Dubuque, under the authority of a 
 Spanish grant, and with consent of the Indians, 
 but since his death they have manifested an un- 
 willingness to allow any white man to work 
 them, and appear to entertain a high sense of 
 their value. M. Dubuque dying in debt, the 
 mines were afterwards sold for the benefit of his 
 creditors, but the Indians denied all former con- 
 cessions, and thus a dispute originated, which is 
 itill unsettled. According to Lieut. Pike (the 
 late General Pike) they are situated 450 miles 
 above St. Louis, pursuing the meanderings of 
 the Mississippi, and six miles from the river's 
 banks. From the information given to Lieut. 
 Pike by M. Dubuque, the mines extend 27 or 28 
 
63 
 
 leagues in length, with an average breadth of 
 about 3 miles ; they yield (on the scale then 
 worked, A. D. 1805) from 20 to 40,000 pounds of 
 lead per annum, and the crude ore yields seventy- 
 five per cent, of metallic lead. It appears also 
 that some copper accompanies the lead, but on 
 this head no satisfactory information is afforded, 
 and the mines have not been explored with a 
 mineralogical eye. 
 
 In order to convey a just idea of the mines, I 
 thought a general description of the country in 
 which they lie, would be proper : — some facts 
 relative to the soil, climate, productions, state of 
 agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and general 
 mineralogical character of the country. To aid 
 the reader in forming an estimate of these, is the 
 object of the foregoing details, and I shall now 
 proceed to an enumeration of the different mines ; 
 the method of working them ; the quality of the 
 ore; accompanying minerals ; annual produce, &c\ 
 To acquire this information I have spent much 
 time and attention. 1 have visited every mine 
 of consequence, with the view of learning its par- 
 ticular character and extent ; and to notice its 
 peculiarities. I have made a personal e7iamination 
 of the whole mine tract during several journies, 
 undertaken with the sole view of learning its 
 physical geography — its principal streams, moun- 
 tains, mines, farming lands, and other prominent 
 features. If, therefore, I have failed to collect a 
 body of useful information on the subject, it can 
 neither be owing to a want of industry or oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
SECTION HI". 
 
 Of the different Mines, Ores, and accompanying Minerals.' 
 
 Since the first discovery of lead in this territory * 
 the number of mines has been constantly increas- 
 ing, and hardly a season passes, in which some 
 new discovery is not made. As the prospects of 
 ore, in such cases, are generally very flattering, a 
 number of miners are soon drawn together, and the 
 older mines, are either partially deserted, or 
 wholly abandoned. Thus a constant scene of bus- 
 tle and discovery is kept up, and the change of 
 situation, with the constant hope of falling sudden- 
 ly on a great body of ore, gives a perpetual relish 
 to their labours. The miners generally work on 
 their own account; they are constantly on the 
 alert, and when a new discovery is announced, 
 eagerly exchange the slow but sure profits of work- 
 ing in an old pit, for the prospect of finding larger 
 bodies near the surface. Many old mines are, 
 therefore abandoned, which are not exhausted ; 
 the progress of discovery is ever advancing, and 
 when a company of miners have once forsaken a 
 pit on account of its depth, or some difficulties ex- 
 perienced in raising the ore, they are seldom 
 known to re-occupy it; and should the discovery 
 made not prove valuable, which is sometimes the 
 case, the concourse collected, generally make it 
 so, for, unwilling to be disappointed, they fall to 
 
65 
 
 Work, and leaf up the whole surrounding com; 
 try. It must be an extraordinary thing if, 
 with such a search, a large body of ore is not 
 found. The very extensive district over which the 
 ore is scattered, affords ample scope for the indus- 
 trious and enterprising, and keeps a number al- 
 ways in search. This alluring hope — this constant 
 itch for discovery, although productive of the 
 greatest advantages to the public, has, at the same 
 time, one pernicious tendency, for much time is 
 thus consumed, in hunting new beds of ore, which 
 if spent in labour upon the old ones, would be 
 found infinitely more advantageous. Thus a kind 
 of laziness is created, habit is powerful, and as the 
 pleasures of labouring people arise chiefly from 
 their employments, many become attached to this 
 kind of life, and they who spend the most time in 
 hunting for ore, spend the least in digging it. 
 
 The following is a catalogue of the Mines. It 
 comprises those of most note, which are now 
 worked, or have been at some former period. 
 Mines. Situation. 
 
 1 . Mine a Burton, Burton To wnship, Washington Co, 
 
 2. Mine a Robino, 
 
 3. Mine a Martin, 
 
 4. New Diggings, 
 
 5. Citadel Diggings, 
 
 6. Perry's Diggings, 
 
 7. Hawkins' Mine, 
 
 8. Rosebury's Mine, 
 
 9. Austin's Shaft, 
 
 10. Jones' Shaft, 
 
 11. Rocky Diggings, (Prairie de Roche) do 
 
 9 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
JlfinCS. Situation. 
 
 12. Gravelly Diggings, Burton Township, Wash. Co. 
 
 13. Brushy-run Diggings, do do 
 
 1 1. Stricklin's Diggings, do do 
 
 15. Bibb's Diggings, do do 
 U). Tebault's Diggings, (Pinery} do do 
 
 17. Mine Astraddle, do do 
 
 18. Masson's Diggings, alias Partney's, do do 
 n>. J, Scott's Diggings, do do 
 20. T. Scott's Diggings, do do 
 2\. Micheaux's Diggings, do do 
 '1*2. Henry's Diggings, do do 
 
 23. Moreau's Diggings, do do 
 
 24. Tapley's Diggings, do do 
 2!>. Lambert's Diggings, do do 
 66. Old Mines, Union Township, do 
 
 27. Mine Shibboleth, do do 
 
 28. RllioCs Mines, do do 
 
 29. Belle Fountaine, do do 
 tO. Cannon's Mines, do do 
 31. Little Diggings, do do 
 
 12. Becquet's Diggings, do do 
 33. Mine Liberty, LibeHy Township, do 
 > 1. Renault's Mines, do do 
 \5 Miller's Mine, do do 
 
 16, Mine Silvers, do do 
 .<?. Fourche a Courtois do do 
 
 3a Pratt's Mine, Big River, do 
 
 39. Lebanon's Mine, Richwoods, do 
 
 it). Mine a Joe. Flat River, St, Genevieve Co. 
 
 ■11. Bryan's Mines. Ei&zle \\un< do 
 
 |2. Dogget's Mine, do do 
 
 13. Mine U Mbtte 9t Michael, Madison Co. 
 
*i7 
 
 ii Gray's Mine- Big River, Jefferson Co 
 
 45, M' Kane's Mine, DryCreek, do 
 
 J he numerous mines or diggings in W ;; >hington 
 County, are chiefly situated in the vicinity of Poto- 
 sj, and have generally been considered under the 
 bead of Mine a Burton- Thej are, however, itu 
 ated at different places, at considerable distances 
 asunder, and from their extent, and mineral cha- 
 racter, appear to be entitled to individu I consider- 
 ation. Several others of less importance, hav< 
 he en omitted. 
 
 These mines possess one general mineralogical 
 character, although there are some peeuliaritit 
 which i shall afterwards mention. The ore u 
 found in detached pieces, and solid ma < , in veins 
 and beds, in red clay, and accompanied by mfohu- 
 rate of barytes^ calcareous '.pur. blende^ iron pyrites^ and 
 quartz. The ore is oi that kind called by mineralo- 
 gists, lead-glance^ or galena, and is the sulpkuret of 
 lead, oi chymistryi Asiti dug up, or quarried from 
 the adhering spar, it presents a veryrich appear- 
 ance, it has a broad glittering grain, oi a lead-gray 
 colour, which sometimes passes into a bluish 
 shade. This particular colour may not be recog- 
 nised on a superficial riew, for when the ore is piled 
 in shining heaps at the mouths of the mines, there is 
 so rich and dazzling a reflection oi light, that if 
 appears uxAilfe, and a person unacquainted with 
 
 ores, might readily mistake it for silver. '] be ore 
 
 i$ easily broke by the hlow of a hammer, and may 
 
 be pounded to a fine powder; it still preseres its 
 glittering appearance, and i-. sometimes used in 
 
 this state a« paper-saw/ . for which it is an c-Jer^rjf 
 
68 
 
 substitute. In breaking it, a mathematical law is 
 observable ; it always separates in cubes, which 
 are more or less perfect, and on pounding, it con- 
 tinues to preserve this figure, until the particles 
 become too minute to discover their particular 
 shape. Sometimes detached lumps of four or five 
 pounds weight, of a cubical form, are found imbed- 
 ded in the clay. Its primitive figure of crystalli- 
 zation, is particularly observable after the ore has 
 been desulphurated by heat, which, at the same 
 time, increases its splendour, and renders the lines 
 of intersection between the the facets in which the 
 ore is crystallized, more plainly discoverable. 
 
 The clay, or red earth in which the ore is found, 
 appears to partake largely of marl, and a difife- 
 rance in the quality, is to be observed at the differ- 
 ent mines. It all, however, operates more or less 
 as a manure on being thrown out of the pits, and in 
 a few years, is covered with a very rank growth of 
 trees, vines, &c. This is so characteristic a trait of 
 all old diggings, that it will not escape the observa- 
 tion of the most superficial visiter. Mixed with 
 the clay are innumerable pieces of radiated quartz, 
 very beautiful in appearance, and sharp fragments 
 of flinty stones. These form the first stratum, and 
 are about fourteen inches in depth, then succeeds 
 a stratum of red clay, four or five feet thick, and 
 sparingly mixed with substances of the same kind, 
 and after this a layer of gravel and rounded peb- 
 bles of asilicious character, is struck; these are 
 about a foot in depth, and lead ore, in small detach- 
 ed lumps, is then found. The thickness of the bed 
 of ore, is generally a foot; and the lumps of ore 
 
69 
 
 appear to have been rounded by attrition, like 
 common gravel. This is the character of what is 
 called the gravel ore, and no spars are found accom- 
 panying it. The greatest proportion of lead ore, 
 is, however, found imbedded in, and accompanied 
 by the sulphate of barytes, resting in a thick stra- 
 tum of marly clay, bottomed on limestone rock. 
 The rock is invariably struck, at a depth of from 
 fifteen to twenty feet, and puts a stop to the pro- 
 gress of the miner in a common way. To go fur- 
 ther, it is necessary to drill and blast, and this cre- 
 ates an expense, which the generality of diggers 
 are unwilling to incur, if not unable to support. 
 
 The most valuable substance accompanying the 
 lc.;d ore, is blende, an ore of zinc, which is found at 
 several of the mines; and there is reason to con- 
 clude, that large bodies of it exist. This is the 
 sulphuret of zinc of chymistry, and is the same sub- 
 stance called black-jack by the English miners, and 
 sometimes also called pseudo-galena, and mock-lead, 
 in writings on the subject. As few are acquainted 
 with its nature or properties, and no one appears 
 to be aware of its uses, no search has been made 
 for it, and, indeed, in digging, they have rather 
 avoided places where it was most abundant, con- 
 sidering it an useless thine;. 
 
 The other substances found with the ore, though 
 not very useful in themselves in the present state 
 of our knowledge, will be sought with avidity by 
 the American mineralogist, as affording specimens 
 which are seldom met with in any other part of the 
 Union ; and they certainly tend to increase the 
 gratification which a person feels on visiting the 
 
70 
 
 mines. The sulphate of barytes, (called tiff, by 
 the lead diggers here,) is the same substance call- 
 ed cawh by English miners. These are both local 
 terms, invented by the miners, who as they read 
 few books, cannot be presumed to make use of the 
 terms proposed by mineralogical writers, and ac- 
 cordingly make use of their own terms, which it is 
 nevertheless necessary that scientific readers 
 should become acquainted with. Tiff, cawh, and 
 sulphate of barytes, are therefore one substance, 
 consisting of the earth barytes united to the sul- 
 phuric acid. It is a very white, and a very heavy 
 spar, and may be considered as the proper matrix 
 of the lead ore, as it is found imbedded in, and of- 
 ten completely enveloped by it. It is exten- 
 sively useful as a chymical re-agent, or test, and is 
 recommended as one of the best fluxes for iron ores, 
 in smelting in the large way. 
 
 Calcareous spar, is merely a carbonate of lime, 
 in the crystallized form, and the figure of the crystal 
 is a rhomb. This it invariably assumes, how- 
 ever broken, and may be observed, when no big- 
 ger than a grain of sand. Its colour is either white, 
 or honey-yellow; it is transparent in a considerable 
 degree, and very much resembles sparry-gypsum, 
 for which it has been mistaken by several travellers 
 who have visited the mines. This spar is here 
 known, under the name of glass-tiff. Some speci- 
 mens have the transparency of the Iceland spar, and 
 exhibit double refraction. Iron pyrites, is a 
 combination of sulphur and iron, and though class- 
 ed as an ore of iron, is never wrought in the large 
 way. It is, however, largely employed in several 
 
71 
 
 parts of Europe, in the manufacture of green vitri- 
 ol, and sulphur is sometimes procured from it, by 
 sublimation. In this process, a red oxyde of iron is 
 left, which is used as a pigment. Pyrites are com- 
 mon at the mines, sometimes crystallized in regu- 
 lar cubes of a beautiful brass-yellow colour, and 
 at others, found in tabular masses, or mixed with 
 blende, sulphate of barytes, or calcareous spar. 
 The former variety has generally been mistaken 
 in this region for gold, and many of the stories in 
 circulation of the existence of this metal in the 
 interior of Missouri, have no better foundation. I 
 have disappointed several miners and hunters who 
 brought in specimens, by telling them it was mere- 
 ly a combination of sulphur and iron. Quartz 
 is found throughout the whole mine district, both 
 on the surface of the ground, and at all depths be- 
 low. It is generally in the form of tabular pieces, 
 whose surfaces are thickly studded over with 
 small pyramids of transparent rock crystal, and 
 presenting an appearance of the utmost beauty and 
 splendour, looking like so many diamonds set over 
 the surface of white stone. These crystals are 
 frequently grouped in the form of a hemisphere, 
 circular, or oviform, solitary or in clusters, form- 
 ing the different varieties of mamillary and radi- 
 ated quartz, and when met with in their pristine 
 beauty, present a very rich and brilliant appear- 
 ance. The mine country is characterized by this 
 variety of quartz, which is generally found in the 
 neighbourhood of mines, and such a geognostic affi- 
 nity is it supposed to have with lead, that it has 
 acquired the popular name of blossom of lead, or 
 
72 
 
 mineral blossom, a term perfectly significant oi' the 
 supposed affinity. It is known by no other name 
 among the miners and commonalty of people in 
 Missouri. Of the uses of quartz, it may here be 
 observed, that is it largely employed, under differ- 
 ent names, in the manufacture of porcelain and 
 glass. Silicious sands are merely quartz, in the 
 granulated form. Rock crystal is a variety of 
 quartz, so is prase, sinople, and amethyst. Quartz en- 
 ters as an ingredient into all vitrescent mixtures, 
 hence is largely employed, not only in glass, but 
 smalts, artificial gems or pastes, enamels, glazings, and. 
 azure. Perhaps the kind under consideration is 
 less adapted for these purposes than most others. 
 
 These substances are generally found accom- 
 panying the lead ores at the mines. The blende 
 is, however^ often missing, sometimes the calcare- 
 ous spar is also wanting, sometimes the pyrites, 
 very seldom the heavy spar, and still more so the 
 quartz. This is almost invariably present, though 
 not always found at the immediate place of dig- 
 ging. These variations in the mineral character 
 of the mines, with some further particulars con^ 
 nected with them, will render a separate notice of 
 a few of them necessary. 
 
 Mine La Motte. This is one of the oldest mines 
 in the Territory, having been discovered A. D= 
 1720, by the person whose name it bears. The 
 mines are very extensive, and a large quantity of 
 ore is annually raised. They are situated within 
 2 miles of St. Michael, Madison county, and on the 
 head waters of the River St. Francois. No spar? 
 are found accompanying the ore ; iron pyrites is 
 
73 
 
 occasionally met with, and plumbago is found in 
 the vicinity. The ore, which is less brilliant, and 
 differs in other characters from any other in the 
 mine tract, is at the same time more refractory, 
 and in some instances the greatest difficulties have 
 been experienced in the smelting. Hence an idea 
 has originated, that it is combined with other 
 metals, particularly silver : but no experiments, I 
 believe, have been made to ascertain this point 
 It yields little lead, comparatively speaking: 50 
 per cent, is the extent, and the quantity often falls 
 short of this. On a visit to these mines, f observed 
 the inside of the Ash Furnace beautifully tinged 
 with a blue colour of considerable intensity. This 
 furnace is built of a white sandstone, which be- 
 comes vitrified on the surface, forming glass. We 
 are acquainted with no substance which will com- 
 municate a blue colour to glass in fusion, but 
 cobalt; hence it is not unreasonable to infer that 
 ihis metal is volatilized during the smelting, 
 and is thus brought into contact with the li- 
 quified surface of the stone, imparting to it the 
 colour noticed. That the ores of La Motte 
 contain an unusual portion of sulphur is very pro- 
 bable. I draw this inference both from its refrac- 
 tory nature and dull appearance. Sulphur always 
 renders an ore refractory, for when it is expelled 
 by torrefaction, it melts easy. Its dull aspect is 
 not less conclusive, for the more an ore is roasted, 
 the more sulphur there is driven off, the brighter it 
 grows. This is evident to every smelter, who can- 
 not fail to observe the surprising brilliancy the ore 
 assumes after it has gone through the first operation 
 
 10 
 
74 
 
 in the log furnace. That the difficulties daily ex- 
 perienced in smelting the La Motte ores are, there- 
 fore, attributable to the extraordinary quantity of 
 sulphur they contain, is extremely probable. For 
 even if they were united with other metals, with 
 silver or with cobalt, these would not increase their 
 infusibility except by the extra quantum of sulphur 
 they brought with them. At least we have no facta 
 to prove that a simple alloy does not melt as easy 
 as a pure metal, while there are many to show that 
 alloys are of the most easy fusibility. Such is that 
 made from tin, lead, and bismuth, which will melt 
 in a tea-spoon held in a cup of hot tea : but it re- 
 quires a red heat to melt either simply. Where an 
 ore contains sulphur, it must be expelled by roast- 
 ing, and the more sulphur, the more roasting is re- 
 quired. This is the only remedy, and if the smelters 
 at La Motte will take the pains to desulphurate 
 their ores completely previous to fusion, I do not 
 doubt but they will have a pleasant and profitable- 
 result. 
 
 Nciv Diggings. The quantity of ore raised at 
 these mines has been very great, but they have 
 been abandoned several years ago, on account of 
 the water which rushed in with such rapidity, that 
 to remove it every morning with a common wind- 
 lass and bucket was found a work of such labour as 
 to render the business unprofitable. The mines 
 were left with the most flattering veins of ore in 
 view. The general character of these mines is 
 such as to justify the expenses of the erection of 
 a steam engine, and other works for prosecuting 
 
75 
 
 che business on an extensive scale ; and their re- 
 vival at some future period may be confidently 
 looked for. 
 
 Mine Renault, is situated about 6 miles N. N. W. 
 of Mine a Burton, in a very rocky part of the 
 country, and affording some of the most picturesque 
 views of mountain scenery. The country is strong- 
 ly marked by mineral appearances, which render 
 it probable that other substances of value besides 
 lead may exist in that vicinity. Ores of zinc are 
 abundant at this mine ; it is black blende. This 
 is among the number of long neglected mines, 
 where the ores near the surface have been ex- 
 hausted, and the want of proper machinery, and 
 mining capital, has barred a further progress. 
 They derive their name from Phillip Francis 
 Henault, who made the discovery about a century 
 ago. A body of micaceous oxyd of iron is found 
 near this mine. 
 
 Bryan's Mines, on Hazle Run, are among the 
 most recent discoveries of consequence. Near 
 a million pounds of lead were made here during 
 the first year of the discovery. The mine is cha- 
 racterized by yielding no spars; sometimes a little 
 calcareous spar is found, and then adhering to the 
 ores, a circumstance which I have no where else 
 observed. No heavy spar, pyrites, or blende, 
 have been found. Much of the ore of these mines 
 is found in tabular pieces, which are sonorous in 
 a considerable d jgree ; the ore is brilliant, and 
 smelts readily, yielding the same as Mine a Burton. 
 
 Gray's Mine, situated on Big River, on the north- 
 ern extremity of the mine tract, is remarkable for 
 
a body of white clay, which was discovered iti 
 searching for ore. In sinking several pits at this 
 mine, in search of ore, a stratum of clay of an un- 
 usual appearance was struck at the depth of from 
 8 to 10 feet, and no ore was procured at those 
 places, but the diggings were abandoned in con- 
 sequence of the clay, which covers a considerable 
 area of ground on the banks of Big River. This 
 mineral substance bears a striking resemblance to 
 a specimen of German crucible clay in my posses- 
 sion, and I have employed it in small crucibles in 
 analysis, where a very intense heat was given* 
 without discovering any other marks of fusion but 
 such as are common to the best Hessian crucibles. 
 Hence it is not unreasonable to conclude, that it 
 is not only adapted for crucibles, but may also be 
 employed in the making of glass-house-pots, where 
 a clay of the utmost purity and infusibility is re- 
 quired. The clay under consideration is mani- 
 festly the result of decomposed shale, as this mine- 
 ral is to be observed in all stages of the decompo- 
 sition. 
 
 Elliott's Mines. These lie upon the mineral 
 fork, and are characterized by the abundance of 
 pyrites, and the beauty of the Calcareous spar 
 found there. Considerable quantities of blende 
 were also met with, and strong indications of the 
 existence of Copper are furnished. During the 
 remarkable earthquakes of 1812, a fine spring of 
 water at the mouth of the mines suddenly became 
 warm and foul, and in a few days dried up entirely, 
 and no water has run there since. Illuminations 
 
in the atmosphere, (arising doubtless from phos- 
 phorus) are frequently observed in this vicinity on 
 the approach of night. 
 
 Mine a Burton. There is found adhering to the 
 sides of the Log-hearth furnace at Mine a. Burton 
 and other mines, a grayish-white sublimated mat- 
 ter, of great weight, which I take to be a sublimate 
 of lead. It is considered as chiefly sulphur or 
 arsenic by the lead smelters, and is thrown by as 
 useless. It is found at every furnace, and a very 
 large quantity could be annually collected. This 
 circumstance induced me to undertake some ex- 
 periments on the subject. I was convinced, on 
 reflection, that there could be no sulphur, at least 
 no notable quantity of sulphur in it, from the fact 
 that all sulphur, or other inflammable matter, ex- 
 pelled from the ore in the furnace, would undergo 
 immediate combustion. This is also observable 
 in the colour of the flame while the ore is torrified ; 
 and at the same time every person conversant with 
 the nature of this substance must know it cannot 
 be otherwise. The furnace is entirely open, and 
 does not rise over 7 or 8 feet in height, conse- 
 quently there is no opportunity for it to condense. 
 That the sulphuric acid is driven off, is undoubt- 
 ed, for whenever sulphur is burned this acid is set 
 at liberty, but it has no opportunity for entering 
 into a new combination, within the body of log 
 furnace. 
 
 The idea of arsenic in the substance alluded to, 
 is perfectly erroneous, and has originated in an 
 ignorance of the nature of the ores of these mines. 
 It is the sulphuret of lead, and not the arseniale. 
 
That there is a small portion of silver and antl-^ 
 mony in combination with the ore is probable, but 
 they too are mineralized by sulphur. Reflecting 
 on this, I became convinced of the popular error, 
 and to ascertain the point, made the following ex- 
 periments : 
 
 Exp. I. I took a lump of the sublimated matter 
 freed from adhering impurities, and reduced it to 
 the state of a fine powder by pulverizing in an 
 agate mortar and trituration. Of this I mixed 6 
 parts with 4 of pulverized borax, and a little char- 
 coal, and submitted to the intense heat of a small 
 chemical furnace. On removing the crucible, I 
 found a button of metallic lead in the bottom, weigh- 
 ing nearly 4. 
 
 Exp. II. Dissolved a quantity of the powdered 
 sublimate in the nitric acid : it effected a ready 
 solution, with violent effervescence. Poured on 
 liquid carbonat of potash until no more precipi- 
 tate fell. I then collected the precipitate, and 
 washed away the superfluous alkali by clear wa- 
 ter, and dried it in the shade. The result was a 
 very fine, and a very white powder, of considera- 
 ble weight. This was a carbonat of lead, (white 
 lead.) With a quantity of the white lead thus 
 made, I mixed linseed oil, and painted a board. 
 The colour was of the most delicate white, and 
 it gave a good body. On inspecting this board 
 several months afterwards, I found the colour in- 
 clining a little to yellowish. But perhaps it stands 
 as well as any white lead would, prepared from 
 litharge, by solution in the nitric or acetic acids ? 
 and precipitation by carbonated alkali. 
 
79 
 
 Exp. III. Mixed 8 parts of sublimate, with 12 
 of muriate of soda, and fused in a crucible, with a 
 tight cover, in a high heat. Result, a yellow, hard, 
 heavy, vitrified mass. This was a muriate of soda 
 and lead, {Patent Mineral Yellow.) 
 
 As these experiments indicated a sublimate of 
 lead of considerable purity, I ventured to suggest 
 to several of those engaged in the lead busi- 
 ness, the advantages of converting it into pig 
 lead, by a proper treatment with charcoal in an 
 ash or blast furnace. It is difficult, however, to 
 induce people, particularly those engaged in me- 
 chanical pursuits, suddenly to relinquish a long 
 cherished theory, and the smelter who has hereto- 
 fore considered the sublimate as sulphur or arse- 
 nic, hesitates in believing it can be lead. If, there- 
 fore, nobody profits by my suggestions, it can give 
 me little disappointment, for experience has often 
 given me occasion to remark, that it is the hardest 
 thing in nature to learn an ignorant mechanic a 
 new thing, or to introduce any alteration under the 
 shape of an improvement, among workmen who 
 have been brought up to particular trades, and 
 have been accustomed to look upon themselves as 
 masters in those trades. This has been the cause 
 of much disturbance in manufactories, as well as 
 mines, in this country, as well as in Europe. The 
 first attempt of weaving by steam power, succeed- 
 ed so well, that the weavers of Manchester (1791) 
 burned down the manufactory. A similar opposi- 
 tion took place on the introduction of the stock 
 ing loom. 
 
ao 
 
 It is also, perhaps, worthy of inquiry, whether 
 this sublimate of lead is not adapted as a flux in 
 the manufacture of flint glass, where litharge and 
 red-lead are largely employed. In this light alone, 
 it is a subject of some moment. From four to five 
 hundred weight might be collected at every fur- 
 nace, and as it is constantly forming, perhaps this 
 amount might be collected annually. 
 
 M^Kains* Mine is situated on a small stream, 
 called Dry Creek, running into Big River not far 
 from its junction with the Merrimack. It has not 
 been worked for several years, and is among the 
 number of those of least extent, which are not con- 
 sidered advantageous. The mine is worthy of re- 
 mark, only on account of a body of steel-grained lead 
 ore found there. This ore is found to yield less 
 lead in smelting than the common broad grained 
 ore, and, as may be inferred from its texture, con- 
 tains more silver. 
 
 Mine a Martin. A quantity of slag is lying here, 
 of a very rich appearance. It is a heavy, black, 
 well melted substance, containing a considerable 
 proportion of lead in the state of an oxyd, mixed 
 with the earthy and alkaline parts of the ore. I 
 consider this a suitable material for the manufac- 
 ture of glass bottles ; it would require but a small 
 addition of alkali and sand, to render it a very fu- 
 sible and strong glass, fit to be blown into junk bot- 
 tles ; and with a due admixture of other materials, 
 it might be employed in considerable quantity in 
 the formation of the lighter coloured green bottles. 
 It is found at all the mines, where an ash furnace 
 has been erected : at some places in greater puri- 
 
81 
 
 iy than others, according to the flux which has 
 been employed in smelling the lead ashes. This 
 mine, and Mine La Motte, are particularly noticed 
 for the richness of the slag. 
 
 In the manufacture of glass bottles, there is a 
 great variety of materials employed, and indeed as 
 great a variety in the quality of the glass produced. 
 The principal kinds are the black junk bottle, and 
 the common green bottle. Of these, sand forms the 
 basis, which is rendered fusible by the addition of 
 potash, house ashes, and salt. The sand employed 
 is of the most fusible and impure kind ; for as the 
 colour of the ware is not regarded, the more iron 
 or other metallic impurities are combined with it, 
 the easier it will melt, and the better is it adapted 
 for the purpose. Blacksmith's cinders, slag from 
 an iron furnace, and from a glass furnace, and even 
 ashes from which the salts have been partially ex- 
 tracted by lixiviation, are also sometimes employ- 
 ed ; the glass-founder always consulting the conve- 
 nience and cheapness of the material, and adapt- 
 ing his compositions accordingly. Lime in all its 
 combinations, may be advantageously used. In 
 the state of quicklime and chalk, it is a flux of con- 
 siderable activity, and is largely employed, not 
 only in the manufacture of bottles, but in common 
 window glass. In its combination with the sulphu- 
 ric acid, (Gypsum,) it is well adapted as a flux ; 
 but where a particular regard is had to the puri- 
 ty, as well as the activity of the lime employed, it 
 will be advisable to prepare it from the calcina- 
 tion of marble, or of shells, previously washed 
 clean. This nicety will not, however, be found 
 
 11 
 
82 
 
 necessary in making common bottles, the prices of 
 which will not indeed justify a great expense in 
 the preparation of materials. Wood ashes are 
 found, on analysis, to consist essentially of alumina, 
 silica, calcia, oxyd of iron, oxjd of manganese, 
 and potash. The four last are powerful lluxes for 
 sand, and are, therefore,wc!J adapted as an ingredi- 
 ent of glass. The alkali alone, in fresh burnt house 
 ashes, is reckoned at ten per cent. ; when, however, 
 the colour of glass is essential, they cannot be em- 
 ployed, as the iron communicates a green tinge, 
 which, however agreeable in window glass, is ob- 
 jected to in a tumbler or a decanter; but in com- 
 mon bottles, nothing is more suitable — nothing 
 cheaper, or more readily obtained. 
 
 There are also several volcanic productions, 
 which have been found particularly adapted to the 
 manufacture of bottles. Such is basalt, which 
 has been largely employed in this manufacture in 
 France ; and where it happens to be contiguous to 
 a glass works, is a most valuable material. For 
 this discovery we are indebted to Chaptal, one of 
 the most ingenious chymists of the age. His own 
 remarks on this subject are of so instructive a na- 
 ture, that they may with propriety be introduced 
 in this place. 
 
 " Basalts is converted by fire into a most beau- 
 tiful black glass. This property, which is admit- 
 ted by every chymist, induced me to fuse it, and 
 blow it into bottles. The attempt was perfectly suc- 
 cessful at the glass-house of Mr. Gilley, of Allais, 
 and at that of Mr. Giral, of Erepian. I still pos- 
 sess the first vessels which were blown of this sub- 
 
03 
 
 stance : they are of the most beautiful black, as 
 tonishingly light, but without transparency. En- 
 couraged by this first success, 1 requested Mr. 
 Castelviel, the proprietor of another glass-house, 
 to undertake some experiments ; and in conse- 
 quence of various trials, we succeeded in fabrica- 
 ring bottles of an olive green, in which the most ex- 
 treme lightness, and a truly astonishing degree of 
 solidity, were united. Pounded basalts, soda, and 
 sand, in nearly equal proportions, formed the com- 
 position. The properties of these bottles, as 
 proved by my own experiments, as well as by those 
 which Mr. Joly De Fleury, at that time comptrol- 
 ler-general, ordered to be made, rendered them 
 of the greatest value in commerce ; and Mr. Cas- 
 telveil, was unable to supply the numerous orders 
 he received. This manufactory supported itself 
 with success for two years ; but at the end of that 
 time, the superiority of the bottles ceased to be the 
 same : the manufacturer received the reproaches 
 of the consumer ; this superb establishment gra- 
 dually fell off, and was at length abandoned. 
 
 "Since that period, I have made several experi- 
 ments in the large way, from which 1 have obtain- 
 ed results, that may be of service to such as are 
 desirous of following the manufacture. 
 
 " I. The nature of the combustible used in glass- 
 houses, has a prodigious effect in modifying the 
 results of experiments. The same basalts which 
 Mr. Castelveil considered as too refractory in his 
 furnace heated by wood, was found of too fusible a 
 nature by Mr. Giral, who was in the habit of using 
 pit-coal in his glass-works. The former manufac- 
 
84 
 
 turer accordingly made his glass by adding soda 
 to the lava, whilst the latter mixed it with a very- 
 refractory sand. 
 
 " II. The same lava, fused without addition, may 
 be blown in one glass-house, and not in another. 
 This irregularity appeared to me, at first, to de- 
 pend essentially on the skill of the workmen ; but 
 I have since been convinced, that it is totally inde- 
 pendent of that circumstance. In a furnace which 
 is strongly heated, the fused lava becomes fluid 
 like water, and drops from the iron tube, (the 
 blow-pipe,) as soon as collected. The same lava, 
 when fused in another furnace, will preserve a suf- 
 ficient degree of consistence, to admit of being 
 blown. I am myself well assured, that the lava 
 might be wrought in any glass-house whatever, 
 provided the moment was seized in which the 
 paste was neither too fluid, nor too thick to be 
 wrought; but those attentions are too delicate, 
 and too minute, to be observed in works in the 
 large way. 
 
 " III. The hardest basalts affords the most beau- 
 tiful glass. When it is contaminated with foreign 
 principles, such as the nodules of lime, the glass is 
 brittle, and has not a sufficient connexion of its 
 parts. This circumstance, in my opinion, was 
 the cause of the bad quality of the glass, which 
 produced the failure in Mr. Castelviel's manufac- 
 tory. 
 
 " IV. I have seen very hard basalts interspersed 
 with black infusible points, insomuch that these 
 points became enveloped in the vitreous paste, 
 without any perceptible alteration. The volcanic 
 
85 
 
 mountain of Eseandorgue, near Lordeve, afforded 
 me this variety of basalts. 
 
 " In the article Verrerie, of the Encyclopedic 
 Methodique, may be seen the various results 
 which we have obtained with Mr. Allut, in several 
 experiments made in the Royal Glass Works of 
 Bosquet and elsewhere. 
 
 "I shall concludefrom the observations which my 
 experiments have hitherto afforded, — 1. That lava 
 may be used in glass houses to diminish the con- 
 sumption of soda. This is the single purpose I at 
 that time proposed to myself, and I have clearly 
 accomplished it. 1. By the results of my experi- 
 ments, which have shown that refractory sand be- 
 comes fused in the glass furnace by a mixture of 
 lava. 2. By the effects obtained in all the works 
 in the large way, in which the addition of lava 
 permitted a diminution in the proportion of soda. 
 
 " 2. It was very difficult to establish a rigorous 
 process, applicable to all circumstances, by which 
 lava may be wrought without addition. My bot- 
 tles, into which lava entered as a component part, 
 were scarcely known, before it was published that 
 they were formed of lava without addition ; nothing 
 more being said to be required than to fuse the 
 lava in order to form bottles. This strange report 
 affected me very little in the principle, because I 
 had neither spoken, written, nor printed any thing 
 which was capable of giving authority to such an 
 error; and I was content to reply to all persons 
 who demanded information, by informing them, 
 that experience had taught me that an addition of 
 lava diminished the proportion of soda in the com- 
 
8b 
 
 position of glass, and that this new principle ren- 
 dered the bottles lighter and stronger. 
 
 " 3. That the only advantage which can be de- 
 rived from fusing lava without addition, is to pour 
 it out into moulds, to form paving stones, chimney 
 jams, &c. The facility with which it is fused by 
 the assistance of pit coal, would render these 
 works of small expense, and it might easily be 
 decorated by incrusting it with metallic colours. 
 
 " 4. That the difference in the nature of volcanic 
 products produces such a variety in the results of 
 their fusion, that ! consider it as impossible to as- 
 sign a constant and invariable process, by which 
 the same result may be infallibly obtained. This 
 circumstance renders it necessary to make pre- 
 liminary trials in all cases where it is intended to 
 use basalts in the fabrication of bottles." — [Cliaji- 
 taVs Chymistry.) 
 
 It may not be uninteresting also to give the re- 
 sults of some experiments of M. Alliot, on different 
 mixtures of this basaltic earth. Seven crucibles 
 with different mixtures were heated for 18 hours 
 in a common potter's furnace, (a glass-house not 
 being at command,) which however gives a less 
 intense heat than the glass furnaces, and therefore, 
 if used in manufacture, a greater effect might be 
 allowed than was here noticed. The results were 
 the following : — 
 
 No. 1. Contained pure basaltic earth, and melt- 
 ed into a black opaque glass, moderately well 
 melted. 
 
 No. 2. Was a mixture of one third basalt, one 
 third of ashes, and one third of white quartz in 
 
87 
 
 powder, ft was a milky, brilliant, coilee-coloured 
 glass, resembling fine porcelain. 
 
 No. 3. Was a mixture of equal parts of basalt, 
 and common sand. It was moderately well melt- 
 ed, of a blackish blue in mass, but in thin lamina 
 was of a yellow green. 
 
 No. 4. Was a mixture of equal parts of ashes, 
 and a volcanic granite. It melted well, gave a 
 very fine dark yellow glass, of great lustre, and 
 would have been very proper for bottles. 
 
 No. 5. Contained one-nineteenth of ordinary 
 soda, six-nineteenths of common sand, and twelve- 
 nineteenths of ashes, and gave a yellow black glass, 
 interspersed with opaque bluish white veins. 
 
 No. 6. Consisted of one-third of basalt, one-third 
 of refuse soda, and one-third of sand. It gave a 
 fine transparent green yellow glass, very well 
 melted, of a fine polish, and which would have 
 been excellent for bottles. 
 
 No. 7. Was simply the sand of the river Orb in 
 the neighbourhood, which appeared by inspection 
 to contain a large portion of basaltic earth. It 
 melted well, and gave a very good bottle glass. 
 
 The analysis of basalt shows that it is very well 
 fitted both for fusion per se, and to act as a flux of 
 considerable power; for it consists of about 45 
 per cent, of silex, 16 of alumine, from 6 to 20 of 
 oxyd of iron, 9 of lime, and from 2, 6, to 4 of pure 
 soda, of which the three last are all very powerful 
 fluxes. Many other minerals contain even more 
 soda, such as the KUngstie?i* which contains about 
 8 per cent, of this alkali, but having much less 
 Ume and oxyd of iron, it is much less fusible. The 
 
 * Clinkstone of Cleaveland. 
 
colour of all the glasses into which basalt enter? 
 largely as a constituent, is generally of a deep 
 olive green passing into deep yellow, and in mass 
 almost yellow, nor is it probable that this colour 
 could be materially corrected. The glass is well 
 ascertained to be specifically lighter, and at the 
 same time tougher than common green bottle 
 glass, so as to bear harder blows without break- 
 ing — two very important advantages; and the quan- 
 tity of alkali contained, and that required to bring 
 the whole to a workable state, is so small as pro- 
 bably to enable this glass to resist all corrosive 
 liquors, at least as well as any known kind of 
 glass. {Artisfs Manual} 
 
 In the different volcanic products, the Missouri 
 Territory abounds. Pumice is annually brought 
 down by the waters of the Missouri, and when 
 they subside, pieces of it are to be picked up all 
 along the shores of the Mississippi. It is also 
 found in the interior, on the dividing ground be- 
 tween White and Strawberry rivers, and volcanic 
 mountains are reported to exist on the waters of 
 the Kanzas, La Platte, and Yellow stone rivers. 
 On the latter we are informed of a volcanic moun- 
 tain, which is continually emitting smoke and 
 flames, and lava is the product of that neighbour- 
 hood ; but on this interesting head we have much 
 to expect from the expedition, which is now as- 
 cending the Missouri, to establish a garrison at 
 the mouth of the Yellow Stone. 
 
 The Yellow Stone River is one of the most con- 
 siderable tributary streams of the Missouri. It 
 originates in the spurs of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
89 
 
 near the sources of the Arkansaw, and after run- 
 ning nearly 800 miles in a N. E. course, enters the 
 Missouri 1800 miles above its mouth. The Yel- 
 low Stone, in its course to the Missouri, is swelled 
 by innumerable streams, the principal of which 
 are Tahong River, Big Ho en, and Republican Fork, 
 all affording lands of the richest quality. It is 
 represented as drawing its waters from a country 
 as fertile, varied, and extensive, as the valley of 
 the Ohio, and one capable of supporting as nume- 
 rous a population. 
 
SECTION IV. 
 
 Method of Working the Mines. 
 
 The method of raising the ores, and the pro- 
 cesses pursued in separating the metal, are, upon 
 the whole, extremely shr pie. A pick axe and 
 shovel are the only tools in use for removing the 
 earth, and the drill, rammer, and priming rod are 
 added when it is necessary to blast. Having de- 
 termined on the spot for digging, the process com- 
 mences by measuring off a square of about 8 feet, 
 and throwing out the earth, spar, and gravel, until 
 the miner sinks beneath the depth he can throw 
 the earth. A practised hand will pitch his earth 
 clear out of the pit from a depth of 10, 12, and 
 even 15 feet. At this depth a common windlass 
 and bucket is placed over the centre of the pit, 
 and the digging continued by drawing up the 
 earth, spar, and ores, if any are found, in the man- 
 ner pursued in sinking a well. During his progress 
 the miner is notified of his approach to a body of 
 ore, by small detached lumps occasionally found 
 imbedded in the soil, within a few feet of the sur- 
 face, and sometimes lumps on the top of the ground 
 determine on the place for digging. The spar is 
 also a sign by which he judges, and there is seldom 
 a body of spar found , without lead ore. There are 
 also other signs, by which an experienced digger 
 is advertised of his prospects, and encouraged to 
 
91 
 
 proceed with cheerfulness in his work. These 
 are, peculiar appearances in the texture of the spar, 
 and sometimes minute specks of ore scattered 
 through it, the changes in the colour, and other qual- 
 ities of the earth, gravel, &c. If these appearances 
 are promising, and bits of ore are occasionally met 
 with, he is encouraged to sink down a great depth; 
 but if they should fail, he is generally induced to 
 abandon the pit, and commence at another place. 
 
 In searching for ore, the soil, the slope of the 
 hills, spar, blossom*, trees, &c. are taken as guides, 
 and some are obstinately attached to these signs. 
 Others, who have been fortunate in finding ore 
 where these appearances were least promising, 
 wholly disregard them, and pay no attention to 
 rules. In general, there is a greater disposition 
 to trust to luck and chance, and stumble upon ore, 
 than by attending to mineral character, to be sure 
 of success. As those who hunt by rules, are gene- 
 rally incapable of those minute remarks on the 
 distinguishing character, and geological situation 
 of minerals, which are necessary, in order to en- 
 sure success; it frequently happens that such 
 meet with disappointments. An incident of this 
 kind, is enough to perplex a man who has not 
 habituated himself to reasoning on the subject, 
 and to weaken his belief in the affinity of ores 
 and stones. Such a man will not stop to compare 
 and reconcile facts, which are seemingly opposite, 
 or to investigate the nature of chymical principles, 
 attraction, repulsion, decomposition, &c. 
 
 * Radiated quartz of Mineralogy, 
 
92 
 
 Hence 1 fr^qu°ntly hear miners exclaim on the 
 Uncertainty of finding ores by rules drawn from 
 the ol servations of science; that the strata of the 
 earth are irregular, and not to be depended upon 
 like the rock formations in Europe; and that in fine, 
 we have no guides by which its mineral treasures 
 are to be sought, and that in so confused a soil, 
 chance is the best guide. Such a man is more 
 ready to follow the mysterious guidance of the 
 divining rod, than the light of reason ; and would 
 be easily persuaded that fortune is more surely the 
 result of blind chance, than of feasible schemes well 
 planned, and well executed. 
 
 There may, nevertheless, be some truth in the 
 uncertainties and the confusion complained of, and 
 were those circumstances among the observations 
 of scientific men, would be conclusive. But who 
 lias ever explored Missouri with a geological eye ? 
 What mineralogist has ever travelled the country 
 to make a collection of its numerous fossils? or 
 what chymist has ever analyzed its mineral and 
 vegetable productions? I know of none; it is a 
 boundless field on which the light of science has 
 but partially dawned; but it will be hazarding 
 little to say, that when such observations are made, 
 there will be found as much regularity, harmony, 
 and order in the works of nature, as generally ex- 
 ist. The few facts I have noticed, lead to this con- 
 clusion. It affords granite, gneiss, and mica-slate, 
 all rocks of the oldest formation. The whole mi- 
 neral country is bottomed on primitive limestone, 
 and quartz rock, and the older sand rock, are very 
 common in the southern section, in the Arkansaw 
 
93 
 
 country. Secondary limestone is met with, but it 
 is far less common than in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, 
 and Illinois, and when found, is to be traced over- 
 laying transition or primitive rocks. Such is its si- 
 tuation on the Mississippi, at the Dormant Wall, and 
 at the cliffs in the neighbourhood of Herculaneum. 
 Hence we are led to infer the antiquity of its geo- 
 logical character, and cannot resist the belief, that 
 few districts of the old world afford a greater regu- 
 larity or harmony in their earthy structure; and if 
 miners would render themselves acquainted with 
 the pursuits they follow, if they would study the 
 principles of their business, they would no longer 
 find their operations a continued series of doubts, 
 perplexities and disappointments. 
 
 Having raised a sufficient quantity of ore for 
 smelting, the next process consists in separating 
 the spar, and cleaning the ore from all extrane- 
 ous matter. This is done by small picks tapered 
 down to such a point, that a careful hand may de- 
 tach the smallest particle of adhering spar. It is 
 necessary that the ore should be well cleaned, for 
 it would otherwise prove refractory in smelting. If 
 there be any lumps of uncommon size, these are 
 beaten smaller. The object is to bring the lumps 
 as near as may be to an uniform size, so that 
 the heat may operate equally in desulphura- 
 ting the ore. It is desirable that the lumps should 
 be about the bigness of a man's two fists, or about 
 fifteen pounds weight : if too small, a difficulty and 
 a waste is experienced in smelting. In this state 
 the ore is conveyed to the furnace, (see Plate I.) 
 and piled on the logs prepared for its reception 
 
94 
 
 When the charge is put in, which may in a com- 
 mon way be about five thousand pounds, it is sur- 
 rounded by logs of wood, and covered over at 
 the top, and the fire is lit up at the mouth be- 
 low. A gentle warmth is given at first, which is 
 raised very gradually, and kept at this point for 
 about twelve hours, to allow the sulphur to dissi- 
 pate ; the heat is then increased for the purpose 
 of smelting the ore, and in twelve hours more, the 
 operation is completed, and the lead obtained. 
 Wood is occasionally added as the process goes 
 on, and there is a practical nicety required in keep- 
 ing the furnace in proper order, regulating the 
 draught of air, &c. so that some smelters are much 
 more expert, and thereby extract a greater quanti- 
 ty of lead from a like body of ore, than others. 
 This furnace is called the Log Furnace, and so far 
 as I know, is peculiar to this country. It is of very 
 simole construction, consisting of an inclined 
 hearth, surrounded by walls on three sides, open 
 at top, and with an arch for the admission of air 
 below ; and upon the whole, it appears well adapt- 
 ed to the present situation and circumstances of 
 the people. It is cheap, simple, may be built at 
 almost any place, and answers the purpose very 
 well. A good furnace of this kind may be built at an 
 expense of from fifty to sixty dollars, every expense 
 considered, and one of the most considerable items 
 in this is the mason's bill, who cannot be hired 
 to work here, for less than two dollars a day. 
 
livq Heart?* Furnace 
 
 N?l. 
 
 ' 
 
 r.n.irn.r. Sc 
 
 J-'vr Smelting ~Lead Ore 
 
9^ 
 
 Plate I. Figure 1. is a perspective view of the Log 
 Furnace. 
 
 a. The front wall, 8 feet long, 7 feet in height, and 
 
 2 feet in thickness. 
 
 b. b. The side walls, 8 feet long, and 2 feet thick. 
 
 c. The hearth, 2 feet wide, and 8 feet in length. 
 
 d. tl. The ledges on each side of the hearth, 10 
 
 inches in height, and 1 foot wide. These 
 serve to elevate the logs above the hearth, 
 at the same time creating a draught for the 
 air, and a passage for the lead. 
 
 e. The eye of the furnace, or arch, 2 feet across 
 
 at bottom, with an arch thrown in a half 
 circle, or a flat stone laid across at the 
 height of the ledges. 
 
 f. The iron ladle for dipping out the melted 
 
 lead. 
 
 g. The iron mould. Every bar of lead cast in 
 
 this, is called a pig. 
 h. The hole in the ground, for the reception of 
 the lead as it runs from the furnace. 
 Figure 2. a perspective view of the furnace 
 from the back or open part. The same letters 
 used in Fig. I. apply to the same parts of the fur- 
 nace in this figure. 
 
 Figure 3. Ground plan. 
 
 a. The eye or arch in front. 
 
 b. 6. The side walls. 
 
 c. The hearth. 
 
 d. d. The ledges. 
 
96 
 
 Three large oak logs rolled in from the back 
 side, and resting on these ledges, on each end, fill 
 up the width of the furnace; small split logs 
 are then set up all around on the two sides and 
 front ; the ore is then piled on, until the furnace is 
 lull, and logs are then piled over it, beginning at 
 the back, and continuing over to the front, so that 
 the ore is completely surrounded by wood. This 
 furnace is always built on the slope of a hill, as 
 represented in Plate 1. Fig. 1. and the hearth is 
 laid on an angle of 45**. so that it falls four feet in 
 a distance of eight. Two furnaces of the size here 
 described, are generally built together, by which 
 there is a saving made of the expense of one wall, 
 and the work is rendered stronger, one serving 
 as a support to the other. Not only so, the same 
 number of hands will keep a double-eyed furnace 
 in blast, which are required at a single one. It 
 takes three hands, one to cart wood during the day 
 time, and the other two to relieve each other 
 alternately, every twelve hours, at the furnace. 
 When a charge is melted off, the furnace is cooled, 
 new logs and upright pieces put in, and the 
 whole operation began anew. Twenty-four hours 
 is the lime generally allotted for each smelting, but 
 it often takes thirty-six, and when there is bad 
 wood and want of attention, it requires still longer, 
 and indeed the result is never so good. 
 
 The ore is estimated to yield in the large way, 
 fifty per cent, the first smelting. A considerable 
 portion of what is put in, does not, however, get 
 completely desulphurated, and is found in the bot- 
 tom of the furnace after cooling. This is chiefly 
 
97 
 
 the smallest lumps, which have fallen through the 
 apertures that burn between the logs, before they 
 were thoroughly roasted, and thus getting out of the 
 way of the heat, lie entangled with the ashes. Some 
 lumps which are too large, also escape complete 
 desulphuration, and either remain unmelted, or else, 
 when the fire is raised, melt altogether, into a kind 
 of slag, and produce little or no metallic lead. 
 This constitutes what are called the lead ashes. 
 The larger pieces, consisting of ore but partially 
 desulphurated, are carefully picked out from, 
 among the ashes, and added at the next smelting 
 in the log furnace ; the remainder is thrown by in 
 heaps for further examination. 
 
 The lead ashes are still rich in lead, and when a 
 sufficient quantity has accumulated from repeated 
 smeltings, it is taken off to a proper place contrived 
 for the purpose, and separated from the cinders* 
 wood-ashes, and other adhering impurities. This 
 is done by washing the whole in buddies, one set be- 
 low another, in the manner of the potter, when it 
 Is necessary to search his clays. The ashes, which 
 consist of clotted lumps of a moderate hardness, 
 are first pounded to a gross powder, and then in- 
 troduced into the water through a sieve. The wood- 
 ashes, and other impurities being lighter, swim on 
 the top, and by letting offthe water, are thus carri- 
 ed away. Fresh water is added, the ashes brisk- 
 ly stirred with a hoe, and the water again let off; 
 carrying a further portion of impurity with it, and 
 by repeating this operation several times, the lead 
 ashes are brought to the required degree of purity., 
 Thus washed, they are carried to a furnace 
 13 
 
98 
 
 of a different construction, called the Ash Fur- 
 nace, (see Plate 2.) and undergo a second smelt- 
 ing. 
 
 Plate II. Figure 1. A perspective view of the Ash 
 Furnace. 
 
 a. The ash-pit, 2 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 20 
 
 inches in height. 
 
 b. The mouth of the fire-arch, a foot square. 
 
 c. The mouth of the flue, where the charge is 
 
 put in. 
 
 d. The iron pot for the lead to flow in, when the 
 
 furnace is tapped. 
 
 Figure 2. A longitudinal section through the fur- 
 nace at right angles with the front, showing the 
 curve of the arch, flue, &c. 
 
 a. The ash-pit. 
 
 b. The grates, 10 inches square, and 3 feet long; 
 
 these are pieces of hewn stone. 
 
 c. The mouth of the fire arch. 
 
 d. The santee, consisting of two stones, 3 feet 
 
 long, and 3 feet 6 inches wide, with a thick- 
 ness of 6 or 7 inches. They reach from 
 the bottom of the ash-pit, to a foot above the 
 basin-stone, the isterstice between them be- 
 ing rammed full of clay, and the whole mea- 
 sures 18 inches across. (This keeps the lead, 
 slag, &c. from running into the fire arch, and 
 is an important part of the furnace, requir- 
 
99 
 
 ing considerable skill and accuracy in the 
 construction.) 
 
 e. The basin-stone, 4 feet square, and 1 foot 
 thick. 
 
 /. The flue, or throat, 10 feet long, 22 inches 
 wide, and 1 1 inches in height. This must be 
 continued a foot and an half over the mouth 
 of the flue, or apron, making the whole length 
 eleven and a half feet, some prefer the flue 
 twelve and a half feet. 
 
 g. The mouth of the flue or apron, where the 
 furnace is charged ; this flares from 22 inches 
 to 3 feet in a distance of 3 feet, (as shown in 
 Fig. 3.) 
 
 h. The fire arch, 3 feet high In the centre, 1 8 in- 
 ches high where the arch begins to spring, 
 and the same over the centre of the basin 
 stone. 
 
 Figure 3. Ground Plan. 
 
 From a to 6, 8 feet ; from b to c, 8 feet 6 inches 
 from a to c/, 8 feet 6 inches ; from e to f, 6 feet j 
 from e to g, 13 feet, 
 h. The basin, 4 feet long, and 22 inches wide, 
 
 except in the centre, where it is 24 inches 
 
 wide. 
 i. The flue. 
 k. The mouth of the flue, or apron, 8 feet at the 
 
 front, and 22 inches in rear. 
 /. The santee. 
 m. The fire-arch, with grates at bottom ; (this is 
 
 22 inches wide at each end, 24 inches in the 
 
100 
 
 centre, and 5 feet long from the inside of its 
 
 mouth to the santee.) 
 //. The mouth of the fire arch. 
 o. The iron pot for the lead to flow into, set in 
 
 the curve made in the wall for convenience 
 
 of tapping. 
 p. The curve in the wall for drawing off the slag. 
 
 Figure 4. A perspective view of the mouth of the 
 flue where the furnace is charged. 
 
 From a to b, 6 feet ; from a to c, 5 feet ; from a 
 to </, 1 foot. 
 
 e. The mouth of the flue 22 inches wide, and 
 1 1 high. (This flares out to 3 feet in the dis- 
 tance of three feet, the flue covering half of 
 it, so that the heat may be thrown down on 
 the ashes. 
 One of the principal points to be attended to in 
 building an ash-furnace, is the elevation of the 
 flue. It should rise 5j feet in 10 : some prefer 5^ 
 in 11. If the ascent be too steep, the ore will run 
 down into the basin before it gets hot, which is 
 detrimental. If the ascent be too low, the bottom 
 of the flue next to the basin will soon cut away by 
 the heat, and thus in a short time undermine, and 
 destroy the furnace. 
 
 The flux employed is also a matter of moment. 
 Sand, and pulverized flinty gravel, are mixed with 
 the lead ashes before smelting. The object of 
 this is to promote the vitrification of the slag, 
 which would otherwise remain stiff; the particles 
 of revived lead would not sink through to the bot- 
 
- /.-■ 7/ 1' a m a cc 
 
 N?2. 
 Fi<.I . 
 
 FLo.II. 
 
 Figm. 
 
101 
 
 torn, but remain entangled with it, and thus be losi 
 Lime is also sometimes employed for the same 
 purpose, and indeed any earth would operate as 
 a flux to the seoriacious part of the lead ashes, if 
 added in a due proportion, particularly the alka- 
 line earths. Lime and barytes, both of which are 
 afforded in plenty at the mines, might therefore 
 be advantageously employed, when no sand or 
 easy-melting silicious gravel could be obtained. 
 Good fusible sands are readily attacked, and li- 
 quified by submitting to heat with oxydes of lead, 
 alkaline salts, or any other alkaline or metallic 
 flux ; hence their extreme utility in glass, enamels; 
 and all other vitrescent mixtures. When, there- 
 fore, silicious sand is to be obtained, it will be 
 found a more powerful flux to lead ashes than 
 either gravel, lime, spars, or any other substance, 
 if we except the fluor spar. This is probably bet- 
 ter adapted as a flux than even silicious sands, but 
 • it has not yet been brought to light at the lead 
 mines. Perhaps the lower strata of the earth may 
 afford it. It is found at a lead mine near Cave-in- 
 Rock, on the right bank of the Ohio river, State of 
 Illinois, and, with the exception of a little found at 
 Northampton, Massachusetts, is the only place 
 where this rare, useful, and beautiful mineral oc- 
 curs in the United States*. 
 
 * I was mistaken in supposing this the only locality of the filiate of lime 
 in the United States. It has also been found " in Virginia, near Wood- 
 stock or Miller's town, Shenandoah Co. in small loose masses in the fissjjres 
 of a limestone containing shells. (Barton.) — In Maryland, on the west side 
 of the Blue Ridge, with sulphate of barytes. (Hayden.) — In New-Jersey, 
 near Franklin Furnace, in Sussex Co. disseminated in lamellar carbonate of 
 lime, and accompanied with mica and carburet of iron; — also near Ham- 
 
102 
 
 The situation tor an ash furnace is always chose 
 on the declivity of a hill, as represented in the 
 plate. The inside work, or lining, consists of slabs 
 of hewn limestone, laid in clay-mortar, and backed 
 by solid masonry. Although a stone less adapted 
 for furnaces could hardly be found, yet it is made 
 here to answer the purpose, and is an evidence of 
 the ingenuity of men in making a bad material an- 
 swer when a good one cannot be found. No sand 
 stone or free stone of that refractory kind used in 
 glass and iron furnaces is afforded in this vicinity, 
 and the smelters seem to prefer building their fur- 
 naces often, to incurring the expense of transport- 
 ing good infusible sand stones from a distance. It 
 is not perhaps duly considered, that a furnace built 
 of refractory materials, although expensive in the 
 erection, would be sufficiently durable to warrant 
 that expense, and outlast several built of limestone 
 which burn out every blast, and are obliged to be 
 rebuilt from the foundation. 
 
 Limestone is a combination of the pure earth 
 lime with carbonic acid and water ; it is a carbonat of 
 lime. When subjected to a red heat, it parts with 
 its carbonic acid and water, and if the operation be 
 continued long enough, is converted into quick- 
 lime. This effect, therefore, takes place as well in 
 
 burg, in the same Co. on the turnpike to Pompton, in n vein of quartz ami 
 feldspar. (Bruce.) — In New-York, near Saratoga Springs, in limestone ; it is 
 nearly colourless, and penetrated by pyrites. — In Vermont, at Thetford. — 
 In Connecticut, at Middletown, in a vein, and is accompanied by sulphurets 
 of lead, zinc, and iron. (Bruce.) — In Massachusetts, at the lead mine in 
 Southampton, where it is imbedded in sulphate of barytes, or granite ; its 
 colours are green, purple, &c. — In New Hampshire, at Rosebrook's Gap, in 
 the White Mountains, in small detached pieces. (Gibbs.)" 
 
 Cleaveland's Mineralogy, 
 
103 
 
 the lead furnace as in the lime-kiln, and with this 
 difference only, that in the former it is laid in a 
 wall, protected in some degree from the heat, and 
 will not part with its carbonic acid readily; while 
 in the latter, it is broken into comparatively small 
 lumps, exposed to the heat on all sides, and is 
 easily and readily converted into quicklime. 
 
 Nevertheless, although this calcination is con- 
 stantly and slowly progressing, an ash furnace will 
 last from 15 to 20 days, according to the skill 
 which has been displayed in its construction, and 
 the particular quality of the stone employed. 
 When the stone partakes of clay (alumina) it runs 
 into a variety of argillaceous limestone, and is mani- 
 festly better adapted to resist the effects of fire. 
 Whenever the furnace is cooled, so that the stone- 
 can attract moisture from the atmosphere, it falls 
 into quicklime. This change does not, however, 
 take place rapidly, for the burning has seldom 
 been uniform, and the stones have either been 
 overbumed or not burned enough, so that it requires 
 several days, and even weeks, to assume the pow- 
 dery state. 
 
 An ash furnace, built of limestone, is estimated 
 to cost $100. This includes every expense, and 
 such a furnace lasts during one blast, say 15 or 20 
 days ; perhaps with great care it will run a month ; 
 and during this time from 60 to 90,000 lbs. of lead 
 ought to be made. 
 
 When a furnace is completed, it requires several 
 days to dry it, and bring it to the proper state for 
 smelting. About 10 days are usually spent in this 
 The fire is begun very moderately at first, being 
 
KM 
 
 only the warmth of a hot smoke, and is kept so 
 for the first 5 days, by which means the moisture 
 of the mortar and stone is gradually expelled, and 
 without any danger of cracking the stone, or other- 
 wise injuring the furnace. It is then raised a little 
 every day until the furnace is brought up to a full 
 red heat, when it is ready for the first charge of 
 ashes. 
 
 The operation begins by shovelling a layer of 
 ashes on the mouth of the flue, then adding a thin 
 layer of sand or flinty gravel as a flux, and then 
 more ashes ; and so adding ashes and gravel alter- 
 nately until the required quantity is shovelled up. 
 This is suffered to lie here and grow thoroughly 
 hot before it is shoved down the flue into the ba- 
 sin, for if introduced cold, it would check the heat 
 too suddenly, and prove injurious in the result. 
 When hot, the charge is shoved down the flue 
 with a long handled iron hoe, and another portion 
 of ashes and gravel immediately shovelled on the 
 mouth, suffered to heat, and then pushed down as 
 before. This operation of heating and charging is 
 continued until the furnace has a full charge, which 
 may require about 6 hours, and in two hours more 
 the furnace is ready for tapping. The slag, which 
 is in a very fluid state on the top of the lead, is 
 first drawn off, and the aperture closed up with 
 stone and mortar. The smelter then goes to the 
 opposite side of the furnace, and prepares for 
 drawing off the lead by driving a stout sharp 
 pointed iron bar through the side of the furnace, 
 at a particular place contrived for this purpose. 
 On removing the bar, the metallic lead flows out 
 
105 
 
 into a large iron pot set in the ground, and accom» 
 panied by a considerable quantity of a semi-me- 
 tallic substance, called zane. This is lead not 
 perfectly revived, being combined with some 
 earthy particles, and oxyd of lead. The zane oc- 
 cupies the top of the pot, and is first laded out in- 
 to hemispherical holes dug in the clay near by. 
 This substance is of the consistence of the prepar- 
 ed sand used by brass founders when hot, but ac- 
 quires considerable solidity when cold. The me- 
 tallic lead is then laded into iron moulds of about 
 eighteen inches in length, and yielding a pig of 
 lead of about fifty pounds each. The quantity of 
 zane made at each tapping, is about equal to that 
 of metallic lead. This is afterwards taken to the 
 log furnace, and readily converted into lead. The 
 lead made at the ash furnace is not thought to be 
 of so pure a quality, as that of the first smelting 
 made at the log furnace. It undoubtedly con- 
 tains the silver, antimony, and other metals, (if 
 any,) combined with the ore, and is therefore 
 more refractory. Such lead is thought to be a 
 little harder, and some pretend to discover a lighter 
 colour. 
 
 The lead ashes are reckoned to yield fifteen per 
 cent, of lead, (zane and all,) which, added to the 
 first smelting, makes an average produce of sixty- 
 five per cent. This estimate will hold good uni- 
 formly, when the ores have been properly dressed, 
 and the smelting well performed. Any spar ad- 
 hering to the ore, renders it refractory, so does 
 blende, and pyrites. The latter is particularly in- 
 
 14 
 
J 06 
 
 juriouB, as it consists chiefly of sulphur, a sub- 
 stance known to render all ores refractory. 
 
 The slag created by the ash furnace, is a heavy, 
 black, glassy substance, well melted, and still con- 
 taining a portion of lead. Some attempts have 
 been made, to obtain a further portion of lead from 
 it, by smelting with charcoal in a blast furnace; 
 but the undertaking has not been attended with 
 complete success, and is not generally thought to 
 warrant the expenses. The per cent, of lead re- 
 covered from the slag is not estimated over ten, 
 and with the utmost success, cannot be reckoned 
 to overgo twelve. 
 
 Metallic lead in the pig, is now, (Feb. 1819.) 
 worth $4 per cwt. at the mines. It sells for $4 50 
 on the banks of the Mississippi, at St. Genevieve 
 and Herculaneum; for $5 hi) in INew-Orleans; 
 and is quoted at $6, in Philadelphia. This is 
 lower than has ever been known before, (except 
 at one period,) and a consequent depression in the 
 mining business is felt. There is a governmental 
 duty of one cent per pound, on all bar and pig 
 lead imported into the United States, but it does 
 not amount to a prohibition of foreign lead 
 from our markets. Perhaps such a prohibition 
 might be deemed expedient. It is what the lead 
 smelters here call for, and certainly the resources 
 of this country are very ample, not only for sup- 
 plying the domestic consumption, but for exporta- 
 tion.. 
 
 Those who dig the ore do not always smelt it. 
 The merchants are generally the smelters, and 
 either employ their own slaves in raising the ore, 
 
107 
 
 or pay a stipulated price per cwt. to those who 
 choose to dig. For every hundred pounds of ore, 
 properly cleaned, the digger receives two dollars. 
 He works on his own account, and runs the risk 
 of finding ore. It is estimated that an ordinary 
 hand will raise a hundred weight per day, on the 
 average, of a year together. This depends, how- 
 ever, much upon luck; sometimes a vast body is 
 fallen upon, with a few hours labour; at others, ma- 
 ny weeks are spent without finding any. He who 
 perseveres will, however, generally succeed, and 
 the labour bestowed upon the most unpromising 
 mine, is never wholly lost. The above average 
 has been made by those long conversant with the 
 business, and upon a full consideration of all 
 risks. 
 
 Custom has established a number of laws among 
 the miners, with regard to digging, which have a 
 tendency to prevent disputes. Whenever a disco- 
 very is made, the person making it, is entitled to 
 claim the ground for twenty-five feet in every di- 
 rection from his pit, giving him fifty feet square. 
 Other diggers, are each entitled to twelve feet 
 square, which is just enough to sink a pit, and af- 
 ford room for throwing out the earth. Each one 
 measures and stakes off his ground, and though he 
 should not begin to work for several days after- 
 wards, no person will intrude upon it. On this 
 spot he digs doion, but is not allowed to run drifts 
 horizontally so as to break into, or undermine the 
 pits of others. If appearances are unpromising, 
 or he strikes the rock, and chooses to abandon his 
 pit, he can go on any unoccupied ground, and ob- 
 
108 
 
 serving the same precautions, begin anew. In such 
 a case, the abandoned pit may be occupied by any 
 other person, and sometimes large bodies of ore 
 are found by the second occupant, by a little work, 
 which would have richly rewarded the labours of 
 the first, had he persevered. 
 
 In digging down from fifteen to twenty feet, the 
 rock is generally struck, and as the signs of ore fre- 
 quently give out on coming to the rock, many of the 
 pits are carried no further. This rock is invariably 
 limestone, though there are many varieties of it, 
 the texture varying from very hard and compact, to 
 soft and friable. The former is considered by the 
 diggers as a flinty stone, the latter is called rotten 
 limestone, and from its crumbling between the fin- 
 gers, and falling into grains, there is a variety of 
 it called sandstone. It is all, however, a calcare- 
 ous carbonat, will burn into quick-lime ; and, as I 
 find on experiment, is completely soluble in the 
 nitric acid. As no remains or impressions of shells, 
 animalcula, or other traces of animal life, are to 
 be found in it, I conclude it to be what geologists 
 term primitive limestone, a conclusion which is 
 strengthened by its irregular form. It exhibits no 
 regular strata, being always found in huge mis-sha- 
 pen masses. How far this formation extends, it 
 would be difficult to determine, but so far as my 
 observation goes, it is invariably the basis on which 
 the mineral soil at Mine a Burton, and the nume- 
 rous mines in its vicinity, reposes. It passes into 
 transition and secondary limestone in various places 
 on the banks of the Mississippi, between Cape Gi- 
 rardeau and St. Louis. It is also seen passing into 
 
109 
 
 a variety of marble, on the bluffs immediately back 
 of Herculaneum, and at Judge Bent's plantation 
 three miles below St. I ;Ouis. I have seen no spe- 
 cimens of this mineral, however, which can be 
 considered as a valuable material in sculpture. 
 
 I have already mentioned the per cent, of lead 
 obtained in smelting in the large way. I shall 
 here add the result of an assay made on the ore. 
 One hundred parts of ore yielded as follows: 
 Metallic lead 82 
 
 Sulphur driven offby torrefaction 1 1 
 Earthy matter, and further por- 
 tion of sulphur, either combin- 
 ed with the scoria, or driven 
 ofFbyheat 7 by estimation. 
 
 100 
 The ore experimented upon, was the common ore 
 of Mine a Burton, (galena.) f took a lump of the 
 purest ore, completely freed from all sparry and 
 other extraneous matter, beat it into a very gross 
 powder, and roasted for an hour and a half, in a 
 moderate heat, with frequent stirring. On weighing 
 the mass, it had lost 1 1 of sulphur. I now beat 
 this to a very fine powder, and treated it with a 
 strong flux of nitre and dry carbonat of soda, add- 
 ing some iron filings to absorb the last portions of 
 sulphur. The whole was enclosed in a good Hes- 
 sian crucible, previously smeared with charcoal 
 with a luted cover; and exposed for twenty 
 minutes, to the high heat of a small chymical blast 
 furnace. 
 
110 
 
 The richest species of galena of which we have 
 any account, is that of Durham, England. An an- 
 alysis of a specimen of this ore by Dr. Thompson, 
 gave the following result : 
 
 Lead 85 13 
 
 Sulphur 13 02 
 
 Oxyd of iron 5 
 
 98 65 
 Many of the English, and nearly all the German 
 ores are, however, much poorer. Of five several 
 experiments made by Vauquelin on ores from dif- 
 ferent mines in Germany, sixty-five per cent, of lead 
 was the richest, and all were united with uncom- 
 mon portions of carbonated lime and silex. 
 
 The button of metallic lead found at the bottom 
 of the crucible in chymical assays, contains also the 
 silver, and other metals, if any are present in the 
 ores. So also in smelting in the large way, the 
 pig lead is always united with the other metals. 
 When ores of lead contain any notable portion of 
 silver, they assume a fine steel grain, and the crys- 
 tals, which are smaller than in common galena, of- 
 tener affect the octohedral, than the cubical 
 figure. They are also harder to melt, and the 
 lead obtained, is not of so soft and malleable a na- 
 ture, as that procured from the broad grained, 
 easy-melting ore. 
 
 The proportion of silver in lead varies greatly. It 
 is sometimes found to yield as high as twelve per 
 cent, and is then called argentiferous lead-glance, but 
 in the poorest ores, it does not yield more than 
 one ounce out of three hundred. To separate the 
 
Ill 
 
 silver from the lead, a process is pursued, called 
 the refining of lead, or cupellation. This is effect- 
 ed by exposing the lead to a moderate heat in a 
 cupell, and removing the oxyd as soon as it forms 
 on the surface, until the whole is calcined, leaving 
 the silver in the bottom of the cupell. The lead in 
 this process is converted into litharge, the well 
 known substance of commerce; and the silver is 
 afterwards refined by a second process, in which 
 the last portions of lead are entirely got rid of This 
 process is known at the German refineries under 
 the name of silber brennen. burning: silver. 
 
 The rationale of cupellation, is simply this. Lead 
 on exposure to heat with access of air, is covered, 
 by a thin pellicle or scum, called an oxyd ; and by 
 removing this, another is formed, and so by con- 
 tinuing to take off the oxyd, the whole quantity of 
 lead is converted into an oxyd. It is called an 
 oxyd, because it is a combination of lead with 
 oxygen, (one of the principles of air and of water.) 
 By this combination, an increase of weight takes 
 place, so that a hundred pounds of bar lead con- 
 verted into the state of an oxyd, will weigh as 
 much over a hundred, as the weight of the oxygen 
 which it has attracted from the atmosphere. Sil- 
 ver, however, on being exposed to heat in the 
 same situation, cannot be converted into an oxyd ; 
 it has no attractive power f >r oxygen. Hence, 
 when this metal is contained in a bar of lead, the 
 lead only is oxygated on exposure in a cupell, 
 whilst the silver remains unaltered, but constantly 
 concentrating and sinking, till the lead is all 
 
112 
 
 calcined. This is known to a practised eye, by 
 the increased splendour assumed by the metal. 
 
 I do not think the ore of Mine a Burton contains 
 a sufficient quantity of silver, to render the separa- 
 tion an object. This is to be inferred from its mi- 
 neralogical character, from the mathematical 
 figure and size of the crystal, its colour, splen- 
 dour, &c. The territory is not, however, deficient 
 in ores which are valuable for the silver they con- 
 tain. The head of White River, the Arkansaw, 
 the Merrimack, and Strawberry s ivers, all afford 
 ores of lead, the appearance of which, leads us to 
 conclude they may yield silver in considerable 
 quantity. Decisive experiments have only been 
 made upon that from Arkansaw; and upon the 
 whole, it is a subject upon which 1 can say lit- 
 tle from my own experiments, or my own observa- 
 tion. 
 
SECTION V. 
 Annual Produce, and number of hands employed. 
 
 OxV this head, I find it very difficult to procure 
 proper information. The desultory manner in 
 which the mines have been wrought, and the 
 imperfect method in which accounts have been 
 kept, when kept at all, with other circumstances, 
 which are in some measure incidental to the 
 operations of mining in a new country, op- 
 pose so many obstacles in the way of obtaining 
 the desired information, that I find it impossible to 
 present a correct statement, from authentic sources, 
 of the annual produce of the mines, for any 
 Series of years. When Louisiana was first occu- 
 pied by the United States, Mine a, Burton, and 
 Mine La Motte, were the principal mines wrought ; 
 but the few Americans who had emigrated into 
 the territory, under the Spanish government, were 
 fully aware of the advantages to be derived from 
 the smelting of lead, and, united to the emigrant 
 population which shortly succeeded, made many 
 new discoveries, and the business was prosecuted 
 with increased vigour, and to a much greater ex- 
 tent. The interior parts of the country, and such 
 as had before been deemed dangerous on account 
 of the savages, were now eagerly explored ; and 
 
 15 
 
Ill 
 
 the fortunate discovery of several immense bodies 
 of ore near the surface of the ground, whereby the 
 discoverers enriched themselves by a few days 
 labour, had a tendency greatly to increase the 
 fame of the mines, and the number of miners. But, 
 as it generally happens in new countries, among 
 the number of emigrants, were several desperate 
 adventurers, and men of the most abandoned cha- 
 racter. Hence the mines soon became the scene 
 of every disorder, depravity, and crime, and a 
 common rendezvous for renegadoes of all parts. 
 It is by such persons, that many of the mines were 
 discovered, and several of them wrought; and it 
 is, therefore, no subject of surprise, that on inqui- 
 ry, no accounts of the quantity of lead made, and 
 the number of hands employed, are to be found. 
 
 To secure the public interest, and remedy, in 
 some degree, the irregularities practised at the 
 mines, a law was passed in Congress a few years 
 after the cession of Louisiana, reserving all lead 
 mines, salt springs, &c. which should be discovered 
 on the public lands subsequent to that period ; 
 and the governor of the territory was, at the same 
 time, authorized to grant leases to discoverers for 
 three years. The great defect of that law appears 
 always to have been, that a specific agent was not 
 at the same time authorized to be appointed for 
 the general superintendence, inspection, and ma- 
 nagement of mines, — an office which, from its na- 
 ture, can never be properly incorporated with 
 that of the territorial executive, and which, with 
 every inclination, it is presumed his other avoca- 
 lions would prevent him from discharging either 
 
115 
 
 with usefulness to the public, or satisfaction to 
 himself. But whatever be the defect of the law, 
 certainly the advantages which the government 
 proposed to derive from it have not accrued. No 
 revenue, it is understood, has yet been realized 
 under it, and we are now as much at a loss how to 
 arrive at a true statement of the mineral produce 
 of Missouri, as if the mines had never been a sub- 
 ject of governmental legislation. 
 
 When a discovery of lead has been made, the 
 miners from the neighbouring country have tlocked 
 to it, and commenced digging as usual, no one 
 troubling himself about a lease, and thus the pro 
 visions of the act have been in a great measure 
 disregarded. Men of respectability, and of suffi- 
 cient capital to carry on mining in a systematic 
 manner, have, it is believed, been frequently de- 
 terred from making applications for leases, from 
 the short period for which only they can be granted. 
 It would not warrant the expenses of sinking shafts, 
 erecting permanent furnaces, galleries, and other 
 works necessary for prosecuting the business to 
 advantage ; for, no sooner would such works be 
 erected, and the mines begin to be effectually 
 wrought, than the expiration of the lease would 
 throw them into the hands of some more successful 
 applicant. 
 
 But, although we have no data to form an au- 
 thenticated schedule of the annual product of the 
 mines, for any required number of years, there is 
 something to be obtained by collecting and com- 
 paring facts, detached and scanty as they are. 
 Something also is to be acquired by consulting the 
 
lib 
 
 books which have been kept for late years in the 
 ware houses on the Mississippi, where the lead is 
 sent for exportation, and some information is also 
 to be gleaned from various other sources. It is 
 from information thus obtained, that I proceed to 
 an enumeration of the products of the different 
 mines, and the number of persons to whom they 
 furnish employment and support, satisfied at the 
 same time, that although the information may not 
 be all that could be desired, yet "it is all, which. 
 without the most extraordinary exertions, could be 
 obtained. 
 
 The amount of crude ore delivered at the fur- 
 naces of Mine Shibboleth, during one of its most 
 productive yars (1811) was something rising of 
 6,000,000 of pounds. The ore of this mine is es- 
 timated to yield, in the large way, from 60 to 70 
 per cent; reckoned at 62£, which is probably a 
 fair average. The product of that mine in 1 81 1 was 
 three millions, one hundred and twenty-jive thousand 
 pounds. Shibboleth is, however, one of the richest 
 mines in the Territory, and this is the product of 
 one of those years in which it was most profitably 
 worked. It was then a new discovery, vast bodies 
 of ore were found near the surface, and the num- 
 ber of miners drawn together by the fame of its 
 riches, was uncommonly great. It has since de- 
 clined, although the ore is constantly found ; and 
 1 am informed by Col. Smith, the present proprie- 
 tor, that the product this year (1819) will be about 
 one million of pounds. 
 
 The number of persons employed in digging- 
 lead at Mine a Burton has been constantly lessen- 
 
in 
 
 ing for the last 4 or 5 years ; and this celebrated 
 mine, which has been worked without interruption 
 for more than 40 years, and is stated to have yield- 
 ed as high as three millions per annum, is manifestl) 
 in a state of decline During the last summer, 
 (1818) the greater part of which 1 resided at that 
 place, there were not more than 30 miners em- 
 ployed, and the total product of the different pits, 
 shaits, and diggings, composing this mine, did not 
 exceed half a million of pounds. Of this quantity, 
 Messrs. Samuel Perry & Co. were the manufacturers 
 of about 300,000 lbs. They contemplate making 
 an increased quantity during the present year. 
 John Rice Jones, Esq. is also engaged in penetrat- 
 ing the rock in search of ore. with the most flatter- 
 ing prospects ; and is determined, as he informs 
 me, to sink through the upper stratum of limestone, 
 and ascertain the character of the succeeding 
 formations. It is highly probable, reasoning from 
 geognostic relations, that the lower formations will 
 prove metalliferous, yielding both lead and copper, 
 and such a discovery would form a new era in the 
 history of those mines. The present mode of pro- 
 miscuous digging on the surface would then be 
 abandoned, and people made to see and to realize 
 the advantages of the only system of mining which 
 can be permanently, uniformly, and successfully 
 pursued, viz. by penetrating into the bowels of the earth. 
 Several other persons of intelligence and capi- 
 tal are also engaged in mining at this place, and 
 it is probable that the total amount of lead manu- 
 factured at this mine during the year 1819, will fall 
 little short of one million of pounds. 
 
118 
 
 It is not to be inferred, however, that because 
 the number of miners at Potosi has decreased, 
 the mines are exhausted. On the contrary, there 
 is reason to conclude, as already mentioned, that 
 the principal bodies of ore have not yet been dis- 
 covered, and that it is destined to become the 
 seat of the most extensive and important mining 
 operations. The ore heretofore raised at these 
 mines has been chiefly found in the stratum of earth 
 which forms the surface of that country, and is bot- 
 tomed on primitive limestone. This stratum con- 
 sists of a stiff red clay passing in some places into 
 marl, and in others partaking more of the silicious 
 character forming a loam, and imbedding the ores 
 of lead, accompanied by sulphate of barytes, cal- 
 careous spar, blende, pyrites, quartz, fragments of 
 hornslone, chalcedony, flint, and other silicious 
 substances. The depth of this soil is from iO to 20, 
 and sometimes 30 feet, and in this the diggings 
 have been chiefly done, requiring no other ma- 
 chinery than is used in digging a common well ; 
 and the rock has generally put a stop to the pro- 
 gress of the miner, although veins of ore pene- 
 .trating it have often invited him in the pursuit. 
 But it requires different tools, machinery, and 
 works for mining in rock; the process is also more 
 tedious and expensive, and is considered espe- 
 cially so by those who have been accustomed 
 from their youth to find bodies of ore by a few 
 days digging in the earth, and who, if they should 
 work a fortnight at one place and not fall upon a 
 bed of ore, would go away quite disheartened, 
 The principal search has therefore been made in 
 
119 
 
 the sub-stratum of clay, where large bodies of ore 
 are sometimes found by a day's, and sometimes 
 by an hour's work. Hence in the vicinity of Mine 
 a Burton the ground has been pretty well explored, 
 and more search and labour is required to find it, 
 than in other and more distant places, where new 
 mines continue annually to be discovered. But, 
 with the exception of Austin's shaft, who sunk 80 
 feet, and the mines opened by Jones, the rock at 
 this mine remains unpenetrated. Austin found 
 large quantities of ore filling crevices in the rock, 
 and the appearances were flattering when the last 
 work was done. In sinking down, a change in the 
 rock was experienced, passing from compact pri- 
 mitive gray limestone, by several gradations, into 
 a loose granulated limestone, very friable, and 
 called sand stone by the miners. This stone was 
 in some instances completely disintegrated, form- 
 ing a calcareous sand, and the most compact 
 bodies of it, on a few weeks exposure at the mouth 
 of the shaft, fell into grains. These grains were 
 however wholly calcareous, and were readily solu- 
 ble in the nitric and muriatic acids. The sand 
 submitted to experiment was all taken up com- 
 pletely, nor was any sediment deposited by many 
 months standing. On going deeper, the rock 
 again graduated into a compact limestone, very 
 hard, and of a bluish gray colour, in which were 
 frequently found small cavities studded over with 
 minute pyramids of limpid quartz. These varia- 
 tions in the geological structure of the earth in 
 that place, are still observable by the stones, spars, 
 and other minerals lying around the mouths of thr 
 
120 
 
 mines, and, upon the whole, the appearances are 
 such as to justify a conclusion that the lower strata 
 of rocks at Potosi and the numerous mines in its 
 vicinity are of a metalliferous character, and such 
 as to warrant the expenditures incident to a search. 
 From a statement lately drawn up, and certified 
 by the proprietors of warehouses at Herculaneum, 
 it appears that the total quantity of pig and bar 
 lead, and shot, exported from that place, from 
 Jan. I, 1817 to June 1, 1818, a period of 18 months, 
 was 3,194,248 pounds. Herculaneum may be 
 considered the depot for the lead of Mine Shibbo- 
 leth, Richwoods, Belle Fontaine, a portion of the 
 lead of Mine a Burton and Potosi, and a few other 
 mines in that neighbourhood. Perhaps nearly, 
 or quite half, of the whole quantity of lead yearly 
 smelted at the Missouri mines, is shipped from 
 this place. Here then is an average product of 
 2,395,667 lbs. per annum, for the years 1817 and 
 1818, from those mines which send their lead to 
 Herculaneum. Assuming the ground that these 
 mines produce only half of what is annually made 
 at the whole number of mines, which I conclude 
 may be a true estimate, we shall arrive at the con- 
 clusion, that the annual product of the Missouri 
 mines for those years was jour millions, seven hundred 
 and ninely-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-four 
 pounds. This, estimated at the present price of 4 
 cents per pound, gives us a sum of one hundred and 
 ninety-one thousand, six hundred and fifty-three dollars. 
 This is the produce of one year; and supposing 
 the mines to have produced the same average 
 quantity during every year, since they have been 
 
121 
 
 in possession of the United States, makes a sum of 
 % 3,066,148, which is one fifth of the original cost 
 of Louisiana, as purchased from France during the 
 administration of President Jefferson. Let those 
 who have any doubts of the value of our mines, 
 reflect upon this, and consider that it is the pro- 
 duct of a year, when the mines were in a manifest 
 state of decline, and wrought wholly by individu- 
 als, with a foreign competition to oppose, and with- 
 out the benefits resulting from a systematic organi- 
 zation of the mining interest. 
 
 Nearly all the lead smelted at the Missouri 
 mines, is transported in carts and waggons from the 
 interior, to St. Genevieve, and Herculaneum. As 
 it must necessarily be deposited for storage at 
 those places, it was expected authentic accounts 
 of the lead manufactured in the territory for ma- 
 ny years, might be obtained on application. But 
 in this, I experienced some degree of disappoint- 
 ment. At St. Genevieve, although a ware-house 
 has been kept at the landing for many years, the 
 lead sent to town has not all been stored there. 
 From the earliest time, and before the establish- 
 ment of a ware-house by Mr. Janies, the French 
 inhabitants of St. Genevieve had all been more or 
 less engaged in the storage, purchase, and traffic 
 of lead. Every dwelling house thus became a 
 store-house for lead, and in these cases, no 
 regular accounts were kept of the quantities re- 
 ceived or delivered. The same practice, has, in 
 some measure continued since, so that it is impos- 
 sible to obtain, with any precision, the amount 
 shipped from this place. At Herculaneum a ware- 
 
 16 
 
122 
 
 house has been kept since the year 1816, and on 
 application to Mr. Elias Bates, the proprietor, he 
 was so obliging as to allow me permission to pe- 
 ruse his book of receipts, for the purpose of 
 making extracts. The following details embrace 
 the receipts of lead at that place for a period of 
 two years and eleven months, ending May 18th, 
 1819. 
 
 I. A series of receipts from June 16th, 1816, to Dec, 
 3 ] st, of the same year, being a period of six months 
 and fourteen days. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts, 52,781 lbs. 
 
 2. •-. 57,097 
 
 3. 55,039 
 
 4. 58,892 
 
 5. 50,639 
 
 6. • 63,787 
 
 7. 55,663 
 
 8...x 47,287 
 
 441,185 
 Aggregate of separate individu- 
 al accounts during the same 
 period, 322,134 
 
 763,319 
 
123 
 
 II. A series of receipts from 31st Dec. 1816, to 31st 
 Dec. 1817. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts, 12,375 lbs. 
 
 2. • • 51,521 
 
 3- 49,024 
 
 4 - ■ • 60,576 
 
 5 •- 54,242 
 
 6 -"« 47,321 
 
 7 - 60,956 
 
 y 51,420 
 
 9 - • 43,774 
 
 ,0 - 42,694 
 
 n - 47,958 
 
 12 - 15,482 
 
 537,343 
 Aggregate of separate individu- 
 al accounts during the same 
 period, 501,903 
 
 1,039,246 
 
 HI. A series of receipts from Dec. 3 1 st, 1817, to 31st 
 Dec. 1818. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts, 24,261 lbs. 
 2 - 45,981 
 
 Amount carried forward, ........ 70,242 
 
121 
 
 Amount brought forward, 70,242 lbs. 
 
 Fol. 3. Aggregate of receipts, 31,041 
 
 4. 39,424 
 
 5 34,711 
 
 6. 44,266 
 
 7. 31,315 
 
 8. 56,442 
 
 9. 33,932 
 
 341,372 
 Aggregate of separate individu- 
 al accounts during the same 
 period, ••• 112,203 
 
 453,575 
 
 IV. A series of receipts from Dec. 31s/, 1818, to May 
 mh, 1819. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts, 14,764 lbs. 
 
 2. 44,323 
 
 3. 44,628 
 
 103,715 
 Aggregate of separate individu- 
 al accounts during the same 
 period, • • 26,211 
 
 129,926 
 
125 
 
 Recapitulation. 
 
 1816. 763,319 lbs. 
 
 1817. 1,039,246 
 
 1818. 453,575 
 
 1819. 129,926 
 
 2,386,066 
 
 During eighteen months, of the same period, viz. 
 from Dec. 31st, 1816, to June 1st, 1818, there was 
 deposited with, and shipped by sundry other per- 
 sons in Herculaneum, as ascertained by Col. S. 
 Hammond, and M. Austin, Esq. 517,495 pounds of 
 lead, and patent shot, manufactured by Elias Bates 
 and Christian Wilt, to the amount of 668,350 lbs. 
 For the remaining part of the estimated term, (two 
 years and eleven months,) it is reasonable to pre- 
 sume, that a like quantity of lead was exported 
 through private channels at Herculaneum, and a 
 like quantity of shot manufactured by Messrs. 
 Bates and Wilt. This will make the quan- 
 tity of pig and bar lead shipped by individuals, 
 1,031,990 pounds, and the quantity of patent shot 
 manufactured, 1,356,700 pounds; which two sums 
 added to the receipts of Mr. Bates' ware-house, as 
 detailed above,gives us an aggregate amountofybwr 
 millions, seven hundred and fifty-seven thousand, nine 
 hundred and ninety pounds, for the period of two 
 years and eleven months. St. Genevieve, as has 
 already been mentioned, is probably the store 
 
126 
 
 house for one half of the mines, and may therefore 
 be estimated to have received and exported the 
 same quantity of pig and bar lead during the same 
 period, making a total sum of nine millions, five hun- 
 dred and fifteen thousand, five hundred and twelve pounds, 
 which gives an average product of rising of three 
 millions of pounds of lead per annum. 
 
 It would be interesting to know in what propor- 
 tion the different mines have contributed to this 
 amount. The above details show us their collec- 
 tive importance, but we should then be enabled 
 to estimate their individual and comparative value. 
 With this view, I have compiled, from the best in- 
 formation, the following 
 
 ESTIMATE. 
 
 Mines. 
 
 lbs. of lead. 
 
 no. of hands 
 
 1. Mine a Burton, 
 
 1 ,500,000 
 
 160 
 
 27. Mine Shibboleth, 
 
 2,700,000 
 
 240 
 
 43. Mine La Motte, 
 
 2,400,000 
 
 210 
 
 39. Richwoods 
 
 1,300,000 
 
 110 
 
 41. Bryan's Mines, ) 
 
 42. Dogget's Mines, ) 
 
 
 
 910,100 
 
 80 
 
 6. Perry's Diggings, 
 
 600,000 
 
 60 
 
 28. Elliot's Mines, } 
 
 
 
 26. Old Mines, > 
 
 45,000 
 
 20 
 
 29. Belle FountaineA 
 
 
 
 17. Mine Astraddle, "\ 
 
 
 
 33. Mine Liberty, / 
 
 
 
 34. Renault's Mines, \ 
 
 450,000 
 
 40 
 
 36. Mine Silvers, L 
 
 
 
 3 s ) Millpr^ Minp^ 1 
 
 
 
 Am't carried forward, 
 
 10.905,000 
 
 950 
 
127 
 
 Mines. lbs. of lead. no. of hands* 
 
 Am't brought forward, 10,905,000 950 
 
 30. Cannon's Diggings, 
 32. Becquet's Diggings, J* 75,000 30 
 
 10. Little Mines, 
 
 1 1. Rocky Diggings, 
 5. Citadel Diggings, 
 
 25. Lambert's Mine, 1,160,000 130 
 
 9. Austin's Mines, 
 10. Jones' Mines, 
 
 12. Gravelly Diggings, 
 19. Scott's Mine, 
 
 3. Mine a Martin, *> 5 °'° 00 2 ° 
 
 2. Mine a Robino, 
 
 
 11,180,000 
 
 4. New Diggings, not 
 
 worked. 
 
 38. Pratt's Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 40. Mine a Joe, 
 
 do 
 
 44. Gray's Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 8. Rosebury's Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 23. Moreau's Diggings, 
 
 do 
 
 22. Henry's Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 7. Hawkins' Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 15. Bibb's Mine, 
 
 do 
 
 24. Tapley's Diggings, 
 
 do 
 
 37. Fourche a Courtois, 
 
 do 
 
 21. Micheaux's Diggings, 
 
 do 
 
 18. Masson's Diggings, 
 
 do 
 
 16, Tebault's Diggings, 
 
 do 
 
 1130 
 
128 
 
 Mines. 
 
 13. Brushy-run Digging, not worked, 
 
 14. Stricklin's Diggings, do 
 10. J. Scott's Diggings, do 
 45. M'Kane's Mine, do 
 
 In this estimate are included all persons con- 
 cerned in the operations of mining, and who draw 
 their support from it, wood-cutters, teamsters, and 
 blacksmiths, as well as those engaged in digging 
 and smelting lead ore, &c. The estimate is sup- 
 posed to embrace a period of three years, ending 
 1st June 1819, and making an average product of 
 3,726,666 lbs. per annum, which is so near the re- 
 sult arrived at in the preceding details, as to in- 
 duce a conclusion that it is essentially correct, and 
 that the mines of Missouri, taken collectively, 
 yield this amount of pig lead annually. 
 
 The United States acquired possession of the 
 mines, in the year 1 803, fifteen years ago last De- 
 cember, and assuming the fact, that they have an- 
 nually produced this quantity, there has been 
 smelted under the American Government, fifty-jive 
 millions of pounds of lead. 
 
 On the view which has now been taken of the 
 Missouri mines, it may be proper here to re- 
 mark, — 
 
 1. That the ores of these mines are of the rich- 
 est and purest kind, and that they exist in such 
 bodies, as not only to supply all lead for domestic 
 consumption, but also, if the purposes of trnde 
 require it, are capable of supplying large quanti- 
 ties for exportation. 
 
129 
 
 2. That although at different periods, (Jie 
 amount oflead manufactured has been considera- 
 ble, yet, this produce has been subject to perpetu- 
 al variation, and, upon the whole, it has fallen in 
 the aggregate, far short of the amount the mines 
 are capable of producing. To make these mines 
 produce the greatest possible quantity of lead of 
 which they are capable, with the least possible 
 expense, is a consideration of the first political 
 consequence, to which end it is desirable, — 1. That 
 the reserved mines be disposed of to individuals, 
 2. Or, that the term for which leases are granted, 
 be extended from three to fifteen years, which 
 will induce capitalists to embark in mining, who 
 are now deterred by the illiberality of governmental 
 terms. 3. That there be laid a governmental duty 
 of two and a half cents per pound on all imported 
 pig and bar lead, which will exclude foreign lead 
 from our markets, and afford a desired relief to 
 the domestic manufacturer. The present duty is 
 one cent per pound. But this does not prevent a 
 foreign competition, and the smelters call for, and 
 appear to be entitled to further protection. 
 
 3. That although the processes of mining now 
 pursued, are superior to what they were under the 
 Spanish Government, yet there is a very manifest 
 want of skill, system, and economy in the raising 
 of ores, and the smelting of lead. The furnaces 
 in use, are liable to several objections. They are 
 defective in the plan, they are constructed of im- 
 proper materials, and the workmanship is of the 
 rudest kind. Hence, not near the quantity of me- 
 tallic lead is extracted from the ore which it is 
 17 
 
130 
 
 • .. , 
 
 capable, without an increase of expense, of yield* 
 
 ing. There is a great waste created by smelting 
 ore in the common log furnace, in which a con- 
 siderable part of the lead is volatilized, forming 
 the sublimated matter, which adheres in such bodies 
 to the sides of the log furnaces, and is thrown by 
 as useless. This can be prevented by an improve- 
 ment in its construction, so as to prevent too fierce 
 an introduction of heat into the ore before it is com- 
 pletely desulphurated ; or, ihe sublimed lead thus crea- 
 ted, may be reduced into metallic lead, by proper 
 treatment with charcoal, as mentioned in a former 
 part of this work, (see page 79.) No such waste is 
 said to occur in the common English hearth furnace 
 for smelting lead ore, (for a plate and description of 
 which, see the Emporium of Arts and Sciences, 
 new series, by Thomas Cooper, Esq.) To pursue 
 mining with profit, it is necessary to pursue it with 
 economy; and true economy is, to build the best 
 of furnaces, with the best of materials. At pre- 
 sent the furnaces are constructed of common lime- 
 stone, which soon burns into quicklime, and the 
 work requires rebuilding from the foundation. 
 Not only so, the frequency with which they require 
 to be renewed, begets a carelessness in those who 
 build them, and the work is accordingly put up in 
 the most ordinary and unworkmanlike manner. 
 Instead of limestone, the furnaces ought to be con- 
 structed of good refractory sand-stone, or apyrous 
 clay, in the form of bricks, which will resist the 
 action of heat for a great length of time. Both 
 these substances are the production of that coun* 
 try, specimens of which are now in my possession. 
 
131 
 
 4. From the information afforded, it has been 
 seen, that the mines are situated in a country 
 which affords a considerable proportion of the 
 richest farming lands, producing corn, rye, wheat, 
 tobacco, hemp, flax, oats, &c. in the greatest abun- 
 dance, and that no country is better adapted 
 for raising cattle, horses, hogs and sheep. The 
 country is well watered, and with the purest of 
 water, the climate is mild and pleasant, the air 
 dry and serene, and is healthy in an unusual de- 
 gree. Every facility is also afforded by its streams, 
 for erecting; works for the manufacture of white 
 and red lead, massicot, litharge, shot, sheet lead, 
 mineral yellow, and the other manufactures de- 
 pendent upon lead, as well as wool, flax, and 
 hemp. The country also abounds with various 
 useful minerals beside lead, which are calculated 
 to increase its wealth and importance. It is par- 
 ticularly abundantin iron,zinc, manganese, sulphur, 
 salt, coal, chalk, ochre, and flint. 
 
 5. That a systematic organization of the mining 
 interest, would have a tendency to promote the 
 public welfare. To this end there should be ap- 
 pointed an officer for the inspection and superin- 
 tendence of mines. He should reside in the mine 
 country, and report annually to the proper govern- 
 mental department on the state of the mines, im- 
 provements, &c. His duty should consist in part 
 of the following items, viz. 
 
 1. To lease out public mines, and receive and 
 account for rents. 
 
 2. To prevent the waste and destruction of wood 
 on the public lands. 
 
132 
 
 3. To see that no mines were wrought without au- 
 thority. 
 1. To keep the government informed, periodically, 
 of the quantity of lead made at the different 
 mines, of new discoveries of lead, zinc, iron, or 
 any other minerals whatever, the qualities of 
 such ores or minerals as ascertained by analy- 
 sis, with the nature of the soil, value of it, &c. 
 5. To explore the mineralogy of that country, in 
 order fully to develope its mineral character and 
 importance. There should be a particular at- 
 tention directed towards the beds of copper, 
 silver, tin, and antimony, which are reported to 
 exist in the western country. Connected with 
 these duties, should be the collection of minera- 
 logical specimens for a national cabinet of natu- 
 ral history at Washington. 
 
 The superintendent of mines should be a chymist, 
 and a mineralogist, and such a salary attached to 
 the office as to induce a man of respectable 
 talents and scientific acquirements to accept the 
 appointment. To allow the manufacturers of 
 lead every advantage consistent with the public 
 interest; the rent charged on mines, should not 
 exceed two and a half per cent, on the quantity 
 manufactured, which is equivalent to the proposed 
 governmental duty on imported lead, whereby 
 the revenue would not only be kept up, but it 
 might be considerably enhanced. The foregoing 
 details exhibit an annual produce of 3,726,666 
 pounds of lead, which it is presumable, may be 
 half the quantity the mines are capable of pro- 
 ducing, with proper management. But estimating 
 
133 
 
 the lead at four cents per pound, and taking that 
 as the average quantity, the annual rents at two 
 and a half per cent, will create a revenue of thirty- 
 two thousand, four hundred and ninety dollars. 
 
 1 shall conclude this view with the following 
 section on the uses of lead. 
 
SECTION VI. 
 
 On the Uses of Lead, 
 
 Lead is employed either in a metallic state, or 
 as an oxyd, alloyed with other metals, or combined 
 with various acids, in the following arts and manu- 
 factures, viz. — 
 
 1st. In the manufacture of White Lead. 
 
 2d. of Red Lead. 
 
 3d. of Litharge. 
 
 4th. of Massicot, 
 
 5th. of Naples Yellow. 
 
 6th. of Chromate of Lead. 
 
 7th. of Patent Mineral Yellow, 
 
 8th. of Shot and Bullets. 
 
 9th. of Pewter. 
 
 10th. of Sheet Lead. 
 
 1 1 th. of Solders. 
 
 12th. of Printer's Types. 
 
 13th. - of Pot-metal. 
 
 14th. of Potter's Glazing, 
 
 1 5th. of Enamels. 
 
 1 6th. of Flint Glass. 
 
 17th. of Artificial Gems. 
 
 18th. of Sugar of Lead. 
 
 1 9th. of Metallic Buttons. 
 
 20th. of Sheet-lead Boxes. 
 
 21st. of Weights and Measures 
 
 22d. of Toys. Castings, &c. 
 
135 
 
 I shall here add a summary account of each ol 
 tnese manufactures, in the order in which they 
 have been enumerated ; which is intended to show 
 in one condensed view the utility of this metal in 
 its application to the various economical purposes 
 of life; and it may at the same time serve as a 
 book of reference to such as have not the leisure, 
 or the inclination, to peruse the more voluminous 
 works on the subject. 
 
 Man. l. Wliite Lead, or Cerusse. This pigment 
 is prepared by casting the lead into sheets, rolling 
 it up in a spiral form, and setting it to corrode in 
 earthen pots partly filled with vinegar. A gentle 
 heat is brought on by bedding the pots in horse- 
 litter, or by heating the room in which they are 
 set to such a degree as to cause the vinegar to rise 
 up in vapour. This vapour corrodes and unites 
 with the lead, forming a grayish white crusty pow- 
 der, which is a carbonate of lead. This is after- 
 wards scraped off, ground very fine between two 
 millstones, then washed in water, dried, and sifted. 
 It is afterwards ground in oil, and discharged from 
 the millstones into small kegs, of the colour and 
 consistence we usually see it in the shops. There 
 is another way of preparing white lead, by dissolv- 
 ing litharge in the nitric or acetic acids, and add- 
 ing carbonate of potash or soda, which precipitates 
 the lead united with the carbonic acid of the alkali 
 in the form of white lead. This makes a whiter 
 paint than the other process, but is not thought to 
 stand the weather, or retain its colour so well. 
 
 Man. 2. Red Lead, or Minium. This is an oxyd 
 of lead, prepared by calcination in a moderate 
 
136 
 
 heat, in a reverberatory furnace for many hourt. 
 The furnace employed is built of brick, has a low 
 flat arch like a bakers oven, and admits the air to 
 play freely through it. Melted lead when thus 
 exposed to the joint influence of air and heat, be- 
 comes instantly covered with a dusty, ash-like 
 pellicle, which being removed, another is imme- 
 diately formed, and the process thus continued 
 until the whole is calcined into a yellowish green 
 powder. This powder is then ground in a mill, 
 and washed, when it assumes an uniform deep 
 yellow colour. This, when dry, is again put into 
 the furnace, and heated with frequent stirring, 
 until it turns to a qualified red, which, when cold, 
 is taken out and sifted, and is the red lead of com- 
 merce. 
 
 Man. 3. Litharge. Nearly all the litharge of 
 commerce is produced from the refining or cupel- 
 lation of lead, in order to extract the silver from it. 
 The lead is exposed in a shallow broad basin 
 made of clay, bone ashes, &c. called a cupell, to 
 the action of a fierce heat in a blast furnace, which 
 is so contrived that the air forced out of the bel- 
 lows blows off the oxyd from the surface of lead 
 as soon as formed, and thus the lead is all convert- 
 ed into litharge; but the silver it contains is not 
 oxydable by exposure to heat, and therefore re- 
 mains in a metallic state at the bottom of the 
 cupell. Litharge is easily reduced into metallic 
 lead again by heating it in contact with charcoal, 
 and much of what is produced at the refineries is 
 thus converted into lead again. 
 
137 
 
 Man. 4. Massicot. This is white lead exposed 
 to such a degree of heat in a crucible as is neces- 
 sary to convert it to the desired colour. This 
 depends wholly upon practice, and the whole skill 
 of the art consists in stopping the heat at a parti- 
 cular stage of the process when the colour is most 
 beautiful. 
 
 Man. 5. Naples Yellow. To prepare this colour, 
 lett he following receipt be observed. Take 12 oz. 
 of white lead, 2 oz. of antimony, half an ounce of 
 calcined Roman alum, and 1 oz. of sal. ammoniac. 
 Pulverize and mix them well together, put them 
 into a clean earthen crucible with a cover, and 
 expose it to a moderate heat for 3 hours. The 
 result is a yellow vitrified mass, which, when pul- 
 verized, is fit for use. 
 
 Man. 6. Chromate of Lead, or Chromic Yellow. 
 This beautiful pigment is prepared in the United 
 States from a mineral substance called chromate of 
 iron, and a solution of lead in the nitric or acetic 
 acids. The processes appear to be somewhat 
 complicated, and from the difficulties frequently 
 met with in the preparation, it is probable a more 
 accurate knowledge of chymical processes is re- 
 quired than generally falls to the share of a mere 
 manufacturer. 
 
 Man. 7. Patent Mineral Yellow. " Take 66 lbs. 
 of litharge and one bushel of salt. Dissolve the 
 salt in a pan, strain the liquor to detect any im- 
 purities, then pour it back into the pan, and add 
 the litharge, at the same instant raising your fire ? 
 which is to be kept up for three hours, until the 
 mixture becomes perfectly white. Then wash out 
 
 18 
 
138 
 
 the alkali that remains in the sediment by repeat- 
 ed waters, adding it to the liquor poured off Take 
 the sediment, which is a muriate of lead, dry it on 
 chalk stones ; when dry, put it into a crucible half 
 filled, and melt it in an air furnace." — Dr. Hunter. 
 
 The crucible should be covered, for any carbon- 
 aceous matter falling in would reduce the muriate 
 into metallic lead. It must be left in the furnace 
 till cold, to preserve its crystallized form. This is 
 the valuable, scarce, and high-priced substance 
 used in the painting of carriage bodies, chairs, &c, 
 
 Man. 8 Shot. A considerable proportion of the 
 lead made in this (Missouri) Territory is manu- 
 factured into shot. There are 3 shot towers in 
 the vicinity of Herculaneum, where shot is made 
 by letting it fall down the banks of the Mississippi. 
 The banks at this place consist of limestone, 
 which forms a perpendicular bluff of about 100 
 feet immediately at the water's edge, both above 
 and below the town. On this bluffa small wooden 
 tower is erected, with a furnace and kettles for 
 preparing, smelting, and casting the lead, and hav- 
 ing a projection in front, from which the lead is 
 dropped into a receptacle with water below, where 
 there is another building and apparatus for glazing 
 and polishing. The lead, previous to being drop- 
 ped, is prepared by mixing with it a small quantity 
 of arsenic, which renders it more fluid in casting, 
 and increases its hardness when cold. It is melted 
 in an iron pot in the upper part of the tower, and 
 poured into a copper seive, made by perforating 
 a copper pan full of holes, of the size of the shot, 
 through which the globules of fluid lead drop into 
 
139 
 
 the cistern below. By the time they reach the 
 water they have become sufficiently cool to pre- 
 serve their globular shapes. Shot of the largest 
 size require to be dropped from the greatest height, 
 say 140 feet, while the small sizes are only suffered 
 to fill about 90 feet One man will smelt and 
 cast, after the lead is prepared by alloying it with 
 arsenic, from 4 to .9,000 lbs. per day. To polish 
 these will occupy him 9 days. The polishing is 
 done by putting a quantity of shot into a hollow 
 cylindrical wooden vessel or barrel, which is fixed 
 on a shaft and turned by a crank. The action of 
 the shot against each other, converts them into 
 perfect spheres, and a little plumbago which is 
 added gives them a gloss, in which state they are 
 ready for market. 
 
 An improvement has lately been made here by 
 Mr. Elias Bates, which facilitates the casting of 
 shot, and supersedes the necessity of using a seive 
 He has a ladle of cast iron, in the shape of a pa- 
 rallelogram, but smaller at the bottom than the 
 top. The two longest, being opposite sides of this 
 ladle, are perforated with holes near, and at an 
 equal distance from, the top, so that by canting 
 the ladle a little either way, the shot drop through, 
 and as the ladle is smallest at the bottom, are not 
 at all impeded in their way to the cistern below. 
 The quantity of shot made here for 18 months, 
 ending 1st June, 1817, was 668,350 pounds. The 
 present price of shot is $7.50 per cwt. The busi- 
 ness, I am told, has been very profitable. 
 
 Man. 9. Pewter. This is an alloy of tin, with 
 kad, zinc, or antimony. There are three kinds in 
 
140 
 
 common use, viz. plate, trifle, and ley. The be5> 
 sort of pewter is said to consist of a mixture of 100 
 parts of tin to 17 of regulus of antimony. This is 
 the old English composition, but of late years the 
 antimony has given place to lead, which forms an 
 alloy much inferior in colour, hardness, and bril- 
 liancy. Our American pewter is nothing more 
 than about equal proportions of lead and tin. The 
 French add a little copper in their pewter. Zinc, 
 when added in any considerable quantity, increases 
 its hardness and lustre, without communicating 
 any dangerous properties, as copper is supposed 
 to do. 
 
 Man. 10. Sheet Lcctdi In the manufacture of 
 this article, the lead is poured in a fluid state on a 
 stone or earthen table, around which is a small 
 ledge to keep in the lead, and of the height of the 
 intended thickness of the sheet. The redundant 
 lead is then swept off by a straight-edge^ and while 
 it is yet moderately warm, the sheet is passed be- 
 tween iron rollers, which reduces it to an uniform 
 thickness, and gives it a smooth and even surface. 
 Sheet lead is largely employed in ship building, 
 in securing the decks of vessels : — also in covering 
 the roofs of houses, in lining cisterns, bathing tubs, 
 making house gutters, and pipes for conveying 
 water under ground, and for sundry other econo- 
 mical purposes. 
 
 Man. 11. Solders. There are of various kinds, 
 and are made by melting together different pro- 
 portions of lead, tin, bismuth, &c. That kind em- 
 ployed by tinmen, under the name of soft solder, 
 consists of two parts of lead to one of tin* 
 
1*41 
 
 Man. 12. Printers' Types. The composition oi 
 the common type metal of the letter founders is 
 stated to be 4 parts of lead to 1 of antimony, 
 though some are accustomed to add a little copper 
 or brass. Bismuth is said to improve the compo- 
 sition, for this metal possesses the remarkable pro- 
 perty of expanding a little on cooling, so that let- 
 ters are more full and perfect, and the impression 
 from such type is more delicately accurate, than 
 when lead and antimony alone are employed. 
 Type in which bismuth forms any considerable 
 part are, however, of so fusible a nature as to 
 melt in a candle. 
 
 Man. 13. Pot-metal. This consists of lead al- 
 loyed with copper, in various proportions. About 
 one fifth part of copper in generally employed. 
 The recent invention and introduction into general 
 use, of Britannia and other wares, has now almost 
 superseded the use oi pot-metal. 
 
 Man. 14. Potter's Glazing. The common lead 
 ore (galena) is used for glazing coarse pottery, 
 without any other preparation than pounding and 
 mixing with a little argillaceous earth, to enable it 
 to form a better body on the ware. Hence its 
 ancient name of potter's ore. Red lead is used for 
 the same purpose, and all our home-made coarse 
 brown pottery is glazed with red lead, or litharge, 
 aud a very vitrifiable clay impregnated with silex 
 and oxyd of iron. Red lead also enters into the 
 composition of some of the finest and richest kinds 
 of glazing. Of this kind was the glazing, or ena- 
 mel, used upon the once admired Delfivare* 
 
 g 
 
 m 
 
142 
 
 Man. 15. Enamels. Enamels are either laid 
 upon earthy or metallic substances. They differ 
 little except in the degree of fineness, and nicety 
 with which they are prepared. The fine white 
 opaque enamel, such as is laid upon watch faces, 
 metallic snuffboxes, and other fine works, is com- 
 posed of silicious sand, oxyd of lead, oxyd of tin, 
 and a minute portion of oxyd of manganese. When 
 it is intended to be coloured, other metallic oxydes 
 in very minute doses are employed, as cobalt for 
 a blue, copper for a. green, &c. These ingredients 
 are prepared with great attention, and melted in 
 an air furnace in luted crucibles. The mass when 
 cold is pulverized and triturated very fine, then 
 mixed with vegetable oil, and laid on with a brush 
 according to the rules of painting, and afterwards 
 exposed in a muffle to such a degree of heat as 
 will just melt the enamel. The management of 
 this part is attended with great difficulty, and upon 
 the whole, it is an art requiring the exercise of 
 great skill, and unwearied patience. The surface 
 of the enamel is afterwards ground and polished 
 in the manner of the lapidary. In this way gold, 
 silver, copper, and other metals are enamelled. 
 The enamel laid upon the finer kinds of earthen- 
 ware is also a work of delicacy. Having been 
 formerly engaged in experimenting on enamels, at 
 the instance of a friend, a potter, who experienced 
 much difficulty in this branch of his art, I shall 
 here give the result of my experiments, and who- 
 ever follows them faithfully will not be disap* 
 pointed 
 
143 
 
 A Receipt and Process for making Potters'* Enamel 
 
 I. Melt ten pounds of lead with two pounds and 
 a half of block tin, in an open vessel, so that the 
 surface of the metal may be in contact with the 
 atmospheric air. A proper apparatus for this 
 purpose is a shallow cast iron pan or basin, set in 
 brick-work, with a small flue for the fire beneath 
 As soon as the metal melts, its surface will be 
 covered by a thin pellicle or scum, which is the 
 oxyd of tin and lead, and must be skimmed off as 
 fast as it is formed, until the whole is completely 
 oxydated. A bright surface should be always ex- 
 posed to the air by continual stirring and skim- 
 mings, otherwise the calcination will proceed slow 
 ly, or if neglected too long, entirely cease, as the 
 oxyd formed on the top will protect the metal from 
 the air, and prevent it from imbibing new portions 
 of oxygen. When the whole is converted into a 
 powder, let all the skimmings be again put into 
 the same vessel, raise the heat so as to bring it to 
 a low red, and continue to stir it for 30 minutes, 
 until every metallic particle has disappeared, and 
 the whole is converted into an uniform gray pow- 
 der. 
 
 II. There is always in an oxyd of this kind, 
 however faithfully it has been calcined, some me- 
 tallic particles ; but so minute, or so completely 
 enveloped by the oxyd, that they are not percep- 
 tible to the naked eye. In order to get rid of 
 these let the following process be pursued. Put 
 a quantity of the oxyd into a vessel containing 
 Water, and stir it briskly until it is completely 
 suspended therein. Now, as the powder, however 
 
144 
 
 fine, is absolutely insoluble in water, the whole* 
 will be again precipitated by suffering it to stand 
 undisturbed a few seconds. The metallic parti- 
 cles will sink first, and the others successively in 
 the inverse degree of their fineness, the most 
 subtile calx always falling last. By seizing the 
 moment, therefore, when the grosser particles have 
 subsided, and pouring off the water with the finer 
 powder suspended in it, the most delicate particles 
 only will be obtained. The remainder must be 
 again put into the calcining vessel, and treated as 
 before. The water used must be pure, and the 
 washing and precipitating vessels should be of 
 glass, so that the operation may be seen. 
 
 III. Of the compound oxyd of lead and tin, thus 
 obtained, take 12 pounds; of fine white silicious 
 sand, (such as the glass makers use, and prepared 
 in the same way,) take 10 pounds ; and of common 
 salt, dried and pounded, 4 pounds. Mix them in- 
 timately together, place the mixture in a clean 
 earthen crucible, and melt it in any heat or situa- 
 tion capable of producing a perfect fusion, and so 
 contrived, that no impurities may fall in during the 
 operation. A small air, or chemical blast furnace 
 will give the desired heat, and a cover luted to the 
 crucible will secure the mixture from any adven- 
 titious coloration. Where a glass-house is at hand, 
 that may be resorted to. 
 
 IV. While the mixture is still fluid, it may, if 
 wished, be taken out with a pair of crucible tongs, 
 and poured into moulds ; or if it is not manufac- 
 tured for sale, that nicety may be dispensed with, 
 and the fluid mass thrown into a vessel containing 
 
145 
 
 water. This will split it into small fragments, and 
 render it so friable, that it can afterwards be more 
 easily brought to the state of a powder. This 
 must be done by the mortar and pestle, and after- 
 wards by trituration in a wedgewood mortar, 
 the powder then passed through a fme linen sieve, 
 or the grosser particles separated by washing. 
 
 V. The fine, dry, impalpable, uniform gray 
 powder thus obtained, is now ready to be applied 
 to the surface of the ware intended to be glazed, 
 and may even be applied to metals, after the man- 
 ner of the enameller. To apply it to earthen-ware, 
 the usual process of the potter may be pursued, 
 either by mixing it with a solution of the gelatin- 
 ous and farinaceous parts of grain in water, (as 
 rye-flour,) and dipping the vessel in it, or by dip- 
 ping the vessel first in the simple solution, and 
 afterwards sifting on the powder. Both methods 
 are practised, and either will succeed if well per- 
 formed. The ware must be previously baked, so 
 that it will greedily imbibe water. It is now to be 
 carried to the furnace, enclosed in a muffle, and 
 submitted to a sufficient degree of heat to melt the 
 glazing. Nothing more is required. The object 
 of the muffle is to prevent fine particles of ashes 
 carried over by the flame, and other accidental 
 impurities, from falling on the ware, which would 
 produce a slight degree of colouration, and impair 
 that delicacy of hue and texture for which this 
 kind of ware is chiefly admired. 
 
 By carefully following these directions, a very 
 white, smooth, opaque glazing will be given to any 
 earthen vessel, even such as is made from a brown 
 
 19 
 
146 
 
 or dark coloured clay, for the opacity of the glazing 
 is sufficient to hide it. It is desirable that the 
 lead and tin employed in this work should be of 
 the purest kind which is afforded in commerce. 
 Much pains should also be bestowed in selecting 
 and preparing the sand, which must be purely 
 silicious, of a line even quartzose grain, and pos- 
 sessing that all important property, easy fusibility. 
 The washing and sifting should be repeated, and 
 the sieve last made use of, should be of fine bolting 
 cloth, or fine brass wire. The opacity is produced 
 by the oxyd of tin, which possesses, even in small 
 proportion, the property of rendering vitrescent 
 mixtures white and opaque. The oxyd of lead, and 
 the soda of the common salt, operate as a direct 
 and active flux to the silex of the sand. 
 
 Man. 1 6. Flint Glass. This is distinguished from 
 other kinds of glass by its superior purity, density, 
 and lustre ; and in the manufacture, a greater at- 
 tention is bestowed in selecting and preparing the 
 materials, as well as in the composition and smelt- 
 ing. Its composition is, however, chiefly distin- 
 guished by the introduction of lead, which is 
 largely employed. It is used in the state of an 
 oxyd, either litharge or red lead, the latter is pre- 
 ferred, particularly when manufactured from the 
 direct calcination of lead. Litharge is generally 
 contaminated with other metallic bodies, as anti- 
 mony, bismuth, &c. which not only impair its ac- 
 tivity as a flux, but have a direct tendency to com- 
 municate a yellow tinge to the glass. The uses of 
 lead in glass are two-fold : as a flux, and as a per- 
 manent material of the ware. All the oxydes of 
 
147 
 
 lead operate as a powerful flux to earthy mixtures, 
 particularly those in which silex predominates. 
 Hence, they are introduced into the composition 
 of flint glass, in lieu of potash, which is used only 
 in small quantities in lead glasses. A considera- 
 ble portion of the potash employed in glass is lost 
 by volatilization, and the quantity is constantly 
 diminishing the longer it is kept in the furnace, 
 and the higher the heat to which it is exposed ; 
 so that it is probable if glass were kept long enough 
 in the furnace, it would lose the entire quantity of 
 potash originally put in the composition, at least 
 so much of it as consisted of pure alkali. The 
 oxyd of iron and other metallic and earthy impuri- 
 ties contained in common potash would certainly 
 remain, because they are indestructible by fire, 
 and cannot be volatilized in any heat. The ex- 
 periments of Loysel on the volatilization of alkali 
 from glass, are certainly conclusive; at the same 
 time, there are few glass-masters who have not 
 become practically convinced of the fact ; for the 
 longer glass is retained in the fire, after it has been 
 there the usual period of smelting and blowing, 
 the stifFer, harsher, and more unworkable it is. 
 This property of alkaline glasses, which is no in- 
 convenience in the manufacture of cylinder, crown, 
 or bottle glass, where the pots are blown out within 
 12 hours after melting, is a serious evil to the flint 
 glass maker, who is often employed two days, and 
 when blowing small articles, 4 or 5 days in empty- 
 ing one pot. It is to remedy this evil, that lead 
 was probably first introduced into the composition, 
 and it certainly has the desired effect, for a pot of 
 
lead glass may be kept a week in the furnace 
 without any sensible diminution of its pliability, or 
 other essential properties. Hence its superior use- 
 fulness in this manufacture ; it is a flux equally 
 powerful with potash, and without its liability to 
 volatilize. Lead also increases the strength of 
 glass, by enabling it to bear a more sudden transi- 
 tion from heat to cold, and is particularly adapted 
 for cutting and polishing. Its high metallic lustre, 
 weight, limpidity, and powe ?f refracting light, 
 also sufficiently distinguish it above other spe- 
 cies of glass, and particularly adapt it to the man- 
 ufacture of decanters, wines, tumblers, &c. 
 
 Man. 17. Artificial Gems. In the manufacture 
 of these, as in glass-making, of which indeed it is 
 only a branch, the different oxyds of lead are much 
 employed. These gems consist of a basis of colour- 
 less flint glass, tinged of various hues, by different 
 metallic oxyds, and so as to resemble the emerald, 
 amethyst, opal, carnelian, &c. As an instance, one 
 of the receipts may be given. Mix 16 parts of 
 red lead, 8 of silex, (or rock crystal in pow der,) 
 4 of refined nitre, 2 of borax=, and 1 of carbonate of 
 potash. Melt this composition in a close crucible, in 
 a glass-house furnace, or any other furnace capa- 
 ble of giving the required heat. This is a common 
 basis for counterfeit gems, and may be tinged violet 
 by manganese, blue by cobalt, red by gold, green by 
 copper, yellow by silver or antimony, white opake 
 by tin, &c. 
 
 Man. 18. Sugar pf lead: Acetite of Lead. This 
 metallic salt is a combination of lead with the 
 acetous acid, i. e. common vinegar. The process 
 
149 
 
 consists simply in dissolving the corroded lead 
 scraped off sheet lead in the manufacture of white 
 lead, in distilled vinegar. The solution is facili- 
 tated by applying a gentle heat, and then set aside 
 to crystalize. If the crystals are imperfect, it is 
 common to re-dissolve, and re-crystalize. 
 
 Man. 19. Metallic Buttons. These are made of 
 various alloys of copper, zinc, and iron, with lead, 
 tin, silver, antimony, &c. The best are gilt, or 
 silvered, either by plating or washing. No very 
 exact rules can be given for the compositions, for 
 they are nearly as various as the manufacturers 
 themselves, and it is a business in which practice 
 will be found the best instructor. A manufactory 
 of buttons was introduced into the United States, 
 previous to the revolutionary war, by a Mr. Wistar, 
 in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. 
 
 Man. 20. Sheet lead Boxes. This manufacture 
 is chiefly concerned in the production of leaden 
 boxes, which are found very convenient for pre- 
 serving a variety of substances, which would be 
 injured by exposure to air or moisture. Though 
 of no great importance, the manufacture may be 
 presumed to make use of a considerable quantity 
 of pig lead annually. 
 
 Man. 21. Weights and Measures. These are 
 either made from lead alone, or tin alone, or lead 
 alloyed with tin, or copper, or all three together. 
 
 Man. 22. Toys, Castings, &c. Under this head 
 a quantity of lead is annually consumed, and there- 
 fore forms an item in the catalogue of manuikctures 
 dependant upon lead. 
 
150 
 
 Lead is also one of the ingredients used in the 
 composition for silvering glass globes, and in the 
 powder used in polishing glass mirrors, and is also 
 further employed in several preparations in phar- 
 macy, in experimental philosophy, and chymistry, 
 and in a variety of economical uses in the plumber's 
 art. 
 
PART II. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 GEOGRAPHY, MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, ANTI 
 QUITIES, SOIL, CLIMATE, POPULATION, 
 AND PRODUCTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 MISSOURI, 
 
 iND OTHER SECTIONS OF THE WESTERN COUNTRY 
 
 Art. I. Geographical outline of Missouri Ter- 
 ritory. 
 
 Art. II. A Catalogue of the Minerals of the wes- 
 tern country. 
 
 Art. III. Journal of a voyage up the Mississippi, 
 from the mouth of Ohio to St. Louis, with an 
 account of that place. 
 
 Art. IV. Topographical account of White River, 
 in Arkansaw territory. 
 
 Art. V. Miscellaneous information, 
 
1^ 
 
 ARTICLE I, 
 
 '.GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE OF THE MISSOURI TERRITORY 
 
 1 . Situation, Boundaries, and Extent. 
 
 When Louisiana was admitted into the Union as 
 an independent State, all that part of the territory 
 situated north of the 33° of N. latitude, and for- 
 merly known as Upper Louisiana, was erected into 
 a separate territorial government under the name 
 of Missouri. It also included those boundless 
 plains, and unexplored countries stretching from 
 north to south, at the foot of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains*, and which pass into the province of Texas 
 oh the south, and are bounded on the western line 
 of Louisiana on the east. In the month of March, of 
 the present year, the southern part of Missouri Ter- 
 ritory, including the unincorporated regions on the 
 west and south-west, was erected into a separate 
 territory, under the name of Arkansaw, so that the 
 present territory of Missouri consists of all that 
 part of ancient Louisiana, which is neither includ- 
 ed in the state of Louisiana, or the territory of 
 Arkansaw. The regions to the northwest, may be 
 considered as an unincorporated wilderness, where 
 the authority of the United States, so far as the 
 
 * Called Ckippeican Mountains by McKonzic. who is followed by Darby 
 in his geographical lectures now delivering m New-York, 
 
 20 
 
15± 
 
 Indian title lias been extinguished, is maintained 
 in detached posts and garrisons, under the imme- 
 diate government of military commandants. The 
 bounds of Missouri, as designated in the late law 
 respecting that country, are as follows : beginning 
 on the Mississippi river in latitude 36° north, and 
 running due west on the latitude line to the River St. 
 Francis, thence up that river to 36° 30" north lati- 
 tude, thence west to a point due south of the mouth 
 of the River Kanzas, thence north to a point oppo- 
 site the mouth of the River Desmoines, thence east 
 to the Mississippi river, and down the middle of 
 that river to the place of beginning. 
 
 It occupies, therefore, that section of countrj" 
 situated in the great bend described by the Mis- 
 souri and the Mississippi, from about four hundred 
 miles below the Grand Turn of the former, to a 
 point near the junction of the River St. Francis 
 with the latter, including also the point of land 
 formed by the junction of the Missouri with the 
 Mississippi. It embraces some of the most promi- 
 nent geographical features of the western country, 
 and from the meeting of such mighty streams on 
 its confines, and its relation to all the country 
 situated north and west of it, must become the key- 
 to all the commerce of those regions, and is des- 
 tined to have a commanding influence on the sur- 
 rounding states, and the political character and 
 mutations of that country. It is bounded by the 
 states of Illinois and Kentucky, from which it is 
 separated by the Mississippi river on the east and 
 northeast, by the territory of Arkansaw on the 
 
155 
 
 south, and by the independent Indian Nations on 
 the west and northwest. 
 
 2. Soil, Climate, and Productions. 
 The country west of the Mississippi, differs in 
 some respects, from any other section of the west- 
 tern country, and affords a variety in its physical 
 aspect, which is no where else to be met with. A 
 great proportion of the lands in this territory are 
 of the richest kind, producing corn, wheat, rye, 
 oats, flax, hemp, and tobacco, in great abundance, 
 and in great perfection. The lands bordering on 
 the Missouri as far as the territory extends, are rich 
 beyond comparison. They consist of a stratum of 
 black alluvial soil, of unknown depth and partaking 
 largely of the properties of marl ; and the heavy 
 growth of forest trees by which it is covered, indi- 
 cates the strength of the soil. As you recede from 
 the banks of the rivers, the land rises, passing 
 sometimes by almost imperceptible gradations, and 
 sometimes very abruptly into elevated barrens, 
 flinty ridges, and rocky cliffs. A portion of the ter- 
 ritory is, therefore, unfit for cultivation, but still 
 serves as the matrix of numerous ores, which are 
 distributed abundantly in the hills and mountains 
 of the interior. There is very little land of an in- 
 termediate quality. It is either very rich, or very 
 poor; it is either bottom land, or cliff, prairie 
 or barren; and we look in vain for those well 
 known characters in the colour, texture, and com- 
 position of the soil, which are found in the farming; 
 lands of intermediate quality in New-England, 
 New- York, or Pennsylvania. It is a deep black 
 marl, or a high bluff rock, and the transition is often 
 
156" 
 
 so sudden, as to produce scenes of the most pic- 
 turesque beauty. Hence the traveller in the in- 
 terior, is often surprised to behold at one view, 
 cliffs and prairies, bottoms and barrens, naked hills, 
 heavy forests, rocks, streams, and plains, all suc- 
 ceeding each other with rapidity, and mingled with 
 the most pleasing harmony. I have contemplated 
 such scenes while standing on some lofty bluff in 
 the wilderness of Missouri, with emotions of un- 
 mixed delight, while the deer, the elk, and the 
 buffalo, were grazing quietly on the plains below, 
 and if any thing in the natural physiology of the 
 earth, has a power to turn our thoughts from the 
 pursuit of earthly glory, to the contemplation of 
 celestial bliss, to the origin, the nature, and the 
 end of our being, to the connexion between God 
 and man, it must be a scene like this, where we 
 are presented with an assemblage of all that is 
 novel, beautiful, or sublime in the face of nature, 
 far removed from the tumult, dangers, and decep- 
 tions of life, and encompassed on all sides by si- 
 lence, tranquillity and peace. 
 
 Situated between the 36th and 40th degrees of 
 north latitude, the territory of Missouri enjoys a 
 climate of remarkable serenity, and temperate 
 warmth. It is equally exempted from the hot sum- 
 mers of the south, and th^ cold winters of the north, 
 a medium happily calculated to favour the pursuits 
 of agriculture, commerce, and navigation. That 
 clear blue sky so much admired by the aborigines, 
 is characteristic of the country, and an atmosphere 
 of unusual dryness, exempts the inhabitants from 
 those pulmonary complaints which are more or 
 
157 
 
 less the consequence of an atmosphere surcharged 
 with watery particles. The Rocky Mountains 
 serve to shelter this country from those cold north- 
 west winds, which prevail during the fall and win- 
 ter in some degree, throughout the United States. 
 and which sweeping over the great northern lakes, 
 visit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New-York, and New- 
 England with extreme cold, attended by early 
 frosts in the fall, and late frosts in the spring. 
 Neither are long continued storms common, noth- 
 ing being more remarkable than the frequent 
 changes of the wind, which seems to be rather an 
 eddy, or counteraction in the current of the atmos- 
 phere, caused by the constant and powerful 
 breezes which play around the northern extremi- 
 ty of the Rocky Mountains, than a fixed, and regular 
 current produced by inequalities in the tempera- 
 ture of the air. Rain is common in the summer 
 season, and the earth is thus supplied with a mois- 
 ture, which it would lack, were it dependant alone 
 upon natural dews. 
 
 A country thus situated, cannot fail to prove 
 genial to the vegetable kingdom. It would be diffi- 
 cult to point out a section of country which affords 
 a more interesting field for the botanist. Its prai- 
 ries and barrens are covered with a profusion of 
 wild flowers, shrubs, and plants, and its cultivated 
 fields yield to the hands of the planter, a great 
 proportion of the useful vegetables of the earth. 
 Corn succeeds remarkably ; no country surpasses 
 the banks of the Missouri for the vigour of its 
 crops. Wheat, rye, oats, flax, and hemp, are also 
 raised with advantage. Tobacco is an article 
 
158 
 
 recently introduced, but is found to succeed well v 
 and the lands are said to be as well adapted to its 
 growth as those of Kentucky and Virginia. Cotton 
 is raised in the southern part of the territory for 
 family use., but is not an advantageous crop for 
 market. The climate and soil are also adapted 
 to the growth of the sweet or Carolina potatoe, 
 and to fruit trees of various kinds. The peach and 
 the apple are most generally cultivated. Of wild 
 fruits, the woods afford abundance, among which, 
 the grape, percimmon, pa paw, pecan, and filbert, 
 are conspicuous. Some varieties of the grape are 
 delicious, and they are very common at the mines, 
 where the inhabitants prepare a wine from them, 
 which has a pleasant flavour, and is a cooling 
 drink in summer*. 
 3. Political Divisions. Population, and Principal Towns. 
 
 Missouri is divided into sixteen counties, named 
 and situated as follows : 
 
 St. Louis, \ 
 
 Franklin 
 
 Cooper, 
 
 Howard, 
 
 Bounded on the Missouri 
 and the Mississippi, and oc- 
 St. Charles, /cupying the north and west 
 
 Montgomery, [sections of the territory. 
 Pike, 
 Lincoln, 
 
 * Missouri Wive. The following is the process for making this wine. 
 Boil 20 lbs. of brown sugar, and clear it, add 12 gallons of water, and the 
 whites of 4 eggs well beaten, then skim it, and set it off the fire to cool, when 
 blood warm, put in the juice ofl bushel of grapes, when near cold stir it, and 
 put in half a pint of lemon juice, and 6 spoonsfull of yest, and beat it well 
 about in the liquor ; stiv it every day, put 6 lbs. of good raisins in a clean 
 cask, and throw upon them the above liquor, then bung up the cask, and in 
 (> months it will bo fit For use, or to bottle up. 
 
159 
 
 Lawrence, 
 New-Madrid, 
 Cape Girardeau, 
 Wayne, 
 
 St. Genevieve, 
 Madison, 
 Jefferson, 
 Washington, 
 
 Occupying the southern 
 district, and bounded by the 
 Arkansaw territory on the 
 south, and by the Mississip- 
 pi, on the east. 
 ^ Forming the district of the 
 mines, and occupying the cen- 
 tre of the territory, bounded 
 by the Mississippi on the east, 
 land by the regions stretching 
 I towards the rocky Mountains 
 /on the west. 
 Its population, exclusive of the aborigines, 
 has been stated at 46,000, the greatest proportion 
 of whom have emigrated into the territory within 
 the last five years. They consist of people from 
 various parts of the United States, and from Eu- 
 rope. A large proportion are from Tennessee, 
 Kentucky, New-York, and New-England. The 
 original inhabitants were French and Spanish. 
 There are few of the latter remaining, but the for- 
 mer constitute a respectable proportion of the 
 population. 
 
 The principal towns of Missouri, are St. Louis, 
 St. Genevieve, St. Charles, and Franklin. Of a 
 lesser size, are Herculaneum, Potosi, St. Michael, 
 New-Madrid, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chariton, 
 Florrissant, and Carondelet. St. Louis is the ca- 
 pital of the territory, and by far the largest town 
 west of the Mississippi, or west of Cincinnati, in 
 Ohio. It consists of about 550 houses, and 5,000 
 inhabitants, and has two Banks, three houses for 
 
160 
 
 public worship, a post office, theatre, land office, 
 and museum, including forty stores, with several 
 mills, manufactories, &c. It is eligibly situated 
 on the west banks of the Mississippi river, eigh- 
 teen miles below the junction of the Missouri, and 
 from its commanding situation, is destined to be- 
 come the emporium of the western country. 
 
 Franklin, (at Boon's Lick,) on the Missouri, has 
 1 50 houses, is the thoroughfare for emigrants to 
 that quarter, and is surrounded by one of the rich- 
 est bodies of land west of the Alleghany Moun- 
 tains, and to which emigration is flowing, with 
 unexampled rapidity. 
 
 St. Charles, situated twenty-one miles above St. 
 Louis on the Missouri, is also a handsome town, 
 and flourishing, as well as Chariton, one hundred 
 and eighty miles above, at the mouth of a river of 
 that name. 
 
 4. Rivers and Mountains. 
 
 No country in the world affords such an extent 
 of inland navigation by its sreams, as the basin 
 lying between the Alleghany and Rocky moun- 
 tains, and whose congregated waters are carried 
 to the ocean by those stupenduous natural canals, 
 the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio, and the 
 Illinois. The Mississippi itself, in whose current 
 all these unite, and are discharged into the Mexi- 
 can Gulph, washes the eastern boundaries of Mis- 
 souri Territory, from the mouth of the River Des- 
 moines, to near that of the St. Francis, a distance 
 of more than five hundred miles, and may be navi- 
 gated three thousand {ive hundred miles from the 
 ocean. The Missouri, swelled by its great tributa- 
 
161 
 
 ries, the Yellow Stone, Little Missouri, White 
 Stone, Soo, (Sioux,} Loplatte, Kanzas, and Osage, 
 passes diagonally nearly through its centre, afford- 
 ing on both sides a wide extended tract of soil 
 transcendently rich, and bearing a luxuriant growth 
 of forest trees, and plants, interspersed with prai- 
 rie. It is navigable, without interruption from its 
 junction with the Mississippi to its falls, a distance 
 of two thousand five hundred and seventy-seven 
 miles, and which is about three thousand nine 
 hundred miles from the Gulph of Mexico. It may 
 be navigated above the falls a vast distance, and 
 into regions which are only known to the savages. 
 
 The Ohio is a thousand miles in length from its 
 head at Pittsburgh, to its junction with the Missis- 
 sippi, and in its passage, successively washes the 
 shores of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, 
 Indiana, and Illinois, — shores which are covered 
 with villages, towns, and settlements, and lined 
 with an industrious and hardy population of free- 
 men. 
 
 The Illinois is also a stream affording a great 
 length of navigation, and lands of superior quality, 
 and has a natural connexion with the great north- 
 western lakes, by which boats may, at certain sea- 
 sons, uninterruptedly pass from Lake Superior, and 
 the Lake of the Woods. 
 
 These rivers communicating with all parts of 
 the country, by their tributaries, afford the advan- 
 tages of commercial exchange, trade, and manu- 
 factures, to a greater extent, and a richer quality of 
 country, than is any where to be found in Europe. 
 Asia, or Africa. 
 
 21 
 
162 
 
 Of these advantages, the territory of Missouri, 
 occupying so commanding a position in the geo- 
 graphy of the country, must always partake large- 
 ly, and may, from the wealth already concentrated 
 in its capital, St. Louis, enjoy almost exclusively, 
 the trade of the Missouri, and upper Mississippi. 
 
 The streams which originate within the lines 
 described by the political boundaries of the Ter- 
 ritory, and which either during their whole course, 
 or for a considerable distance, meander through it, 
 are the Osage, the Gasconade, Merrimack, Salt 
 River, St. Francis, and Black River. Of a lesser 
 magnitude are Mine River, Manitow, Chariton, 
 Currents, Fourche a Thomas, Eleven-points, and 
 Spring River; the four latter running southerly 
 into the Arkansaw Territory, and discharging their 
 waters into Black River, which is itself a tributary 
 of White River. 
 
 The Osage, originates in a prairie country, near 
 the 96th degree of west longitude, about 100 miles 
 north of the banks of the Arkansaw, and after 
 meandering in an east, and north-east direction 
 for a distance of 900 miles, unites with the Mis- 
 souri 130 miles above St. Louis. In its course it 
 is swelled by several tributaries, the principal of 
 which is the Little Osage, its great south-eastern 
 fork. This river affords in its whole length large 
 bodies of the choicest prairie land, interspersed 
 with wood land, and occasionally with hills, and 
 is navigable for moderate sized boats 600 miles. 
 Its banks afford exhaustless beds of stone-coal, and 
 some iron and lead is found, and its upper forks 
 reach into the country of the Pawnees — a country 
 
163 
 
 rich in salt. The Osage Indians inhabit its banks, 
 and a part of the lands have been purchased by 
 the United States. It is a very beautiful stream, 
 and situated in a delightful climate ; and when its 
 borders are opened for emigration, and its re- 
 sources properly drawn forth, will support a vast 
 population, and a profitable trade. Of this stream, 
 emigrants, and the people of this Territory gene- 
 rally know less than their interests demand. Its 
 fertile soil, genial climate, and great length, enti- 
 tle it to the rank of one of the'first tributaries of 
 the Missouri. 
 
 In estimating the length of western Rivers, there 
 is one circumstance, which is neither properly 
 estimated by an eastern reader, nor does it appear 
 to enter into people's calculations here. It is their 
 serpentine course, which is so remarkable, that in 
 running one hundred miles on a geographical 
 line, they will, by their great windings, measure 
 at least double that distance, so that a river stated 
 to be one thousand miles in length by its banks, 
 cannot be calculated to traverse a country of more 
 than five hundred miles in extent, and I believe, 
 a fair average of distances, would show the geo- 
 graphical distance less. 
 
 The Gasconade enters the Missouri one hundred 
 miles above St. Louis. Its length is about two 
 hundred miles, and it is navigable about hall that 
 distance. It is made up of several streams running 
 from a ridge of high lands, separating the waters 
 which fall on the north into the Missouri, and on 
 the south into the Mississippi. Its banks afford 
 but a small proportion of tillable lands, being 
 
164 
 
 bordered with rocks, and sterile hills. The rocks 
 are, however, cavernous, and afford saltpetre, and 
 the hills are covered by pine timber, which is saw- 
 ed into boards and plank. In these two articles 
 the commerce of this river will always principal- 
 ly consist. The current is rapid, and affords by its 
 fall many mill seats, so that boats and rafts may 
 descend with ease, but its ascent is attended with 
 great labour. On this stream are already situated 
 several saw mills, where boards and plank are 
 cut for the St. Louis market, and several salt petre 
 caves are worked. 
 
 The Merrimack This river originates in high 
 lands, two hundred and fifty miles southwest of its 
 mouth, and is only separated from the waters 
 of the Gasconade by a dividing ridge of land. It 
 is swelled in its course by a great number of 
 streams, the most noted of which, are Little Merri- 
 mack, Bourbuse, Fourche a Courtois, Big River, 
 and Mineral Fork. It forms^ a junction with the 
 Mississippi, eighteen miles below St. Louis, where 
 it is two hundred yards wide. It is only naviga- 
 ble about fifty miles, unless in high floods in the 
 spring and fall, when most of its tributaries may 
 be ascended with boats. This stream waters the 
 country of the mines, and interlocks, by its tribu- 
 taries, with the waters of the Gasconade on the 
 west, and the St. Francis on the south. The mines 
 of Missouri are situated on its southern shores, 
 which also afford iron, zinc, manganese, and salt- 
 petre. Much of the land on this stream is poor; 
 near it« head, are large forests of pine. 
 
165 
 
 Salt River. This river enters the Mississippi 
 one hundred and three miles above St. Louis, and 
 seventy-three miles above the mouth of the Illinois. 
 The settlements on its banks are rapidly progress- 
 ing, and the lands are noted for their fertility. 
 
 St. Francis. This river originates with Big Ri- 
 ver, and Fourche a Courtois, in broken lands in 
 the south part of Washington and St. Genevieve 
 counties, and joins the Mississippi five hundred 
 miles below. The most noted bodies of iron ore 
 in the western country lie on its head, in Bellevue. 
 The Mine La Motte lead mines also lie along the 
 banks of one of its tributaries. It affords, in its 
 course, a proportion of excellent land, mixed with 
 some that is rocky, and bordered near its mouth 
 with much that is swampy, low, and overflown. A 
 raft of trees, brush, &c. about two hundred and fifty 
 miles above its mouth, obstructs the navigation, 
 which would otherwise be good to within fourteen 
 miles of St. Michael, the seat of justice for Madison 
 county. Millstones and plumbago, (the graphite of 
 mineralogy,) are among the mineral products of 
 this river. The substance used for millstones 
 is a red granite, and bears the test of experiment. 
 
 Black River has its origin near the heads of the 
 Gasconade and the Merrimack, and is swelled in 
 its course by the River Currents, Fourche a Tho- 
 mas, Eleven-points, Spring River, and Strawberry 
 River, and forms a junction with White River, 
 about forty miles below Poke Bayou, where the 
 road to Arkansaw and Red River crosses it. The 
 banks of Black River, and of all its tributaries, 
 afford strips of rich alluvial land of more, or less 
 
166 
 
 extent. But the intervening ridges are rocky and 
 sterile. 
 
 Although there is much high land in this territo- 
 ry, there is perhaps none which is, strictly speak- 
 ing, entitled to the appellation of a mountain. A 
 ridge of land commencing on the banks of the 
 Merrimack, near the Fourche a Courtois, extends 
 in a southwest direction to the banks of White Ri- 
 ver, in Arkansaw territory, a distance of about 
 four hundred miles, and occasionally rises into 
 peaks of mountain height. This ridge serves to 
 divide the waters of the Missouri from those of the 
 Mississippi, the streams on one side running south 
 into the latter, and those on the other, running north 
 into the former. The body of red granite found 
 on the head of the St. Francis, lies in mountain 
 masses, and forms, in connexion with the accom- 
 panying rocks, some of the most rude and terrific 
 scenery, full of interest in a mineralogical, as well 
 as a geological point of view. 
 
 5. Mines and Minerals. 
 
 In the preceding view of the lead mines of Mis- 
 souri, I have already anticipated much of what 
 might here be properly introduced, and in the cata- 
 logue of minerals, which I propose to incorporate 
 with the following part of this work, 1 shall present 
 a general account of the minerals of Missouri, and 
 other parts of the western country ; but as this geo- 
 graphical outline forms an independent article, 
 and may be perused by many who neither read the 
 View or Catalogue, it will be proper here to give a 
 synopsis of both. 
 
167 
 
 The lead mines in this territory are situated 
 about forty miles west of the Mississippi, and sixty 
 miles southwest of St. Louis. They occupy a dis- 
 trict of country between the waters of the St. Fran- 
 cis and the Merrimack of one hundred miles in 
 length, by about forty in breadth, comprising a con- 
 siderable part of the counties of Washington, St. 
 Genevieve, Jefferson, and Madison. The first 
 lead ore was discovered by Philip Francis Re- 
 nault, and M. La Motte, acting under the authority 
 of the Company of the West, about the year 1720; 
 since which period, the number of mines has been 
 greatly augmented by new discoveries. The num- 
 ber of mines now worked, is forty-five, thirty-nine 
 of which are in Washington county, three in St. 
 Genevieve, one in Madison, and two in Jefferson. 
 The quantity of lead annually smelted from the 
 crude ore, I have estimated at three millions of 
 pounds, and the number of hands to whom it 
 furnishes employment) at eleven hundred. The 
 price of lead at the mines is four dollars per cwt. The 
 price paid to miners for raising the ore, and deli- 
 vering it ready dressed to the smelters, is two dol- 
 lars per cwt. payable in pig lead. The ore ex- 
 clusively worked, is the common sulphuret of lead, 
 or galena, with a broad glittering grain. It is 
 found imbedded in sulphate of barytes, accom- 
 panied by calcareous spar, blende, quartz, and 
 pyrites. It melts easily, yielding in the large way 
 from sixty to seventy per cent, of pure metal. By 
 analysis, I procured eighty-two per cent; the 
 residue being chiefly sulphur, combined with a 
 small proportion of carbonated lime and silex ; 
 
168 
 
 and the ore contains no silver. The most noted 
 and extensive mines are known under the following 
 names : 
 
 Mine a Burton, Mine La Motte, 
 
 Mine Shibboleth, Mine a Joe, 
 
 Lebaum's Mines, Mine Renault, 
 
 Old Mines, New Diggings, 
 
 Bryan's Mines, Mine Liberty, 
 
 Pratt's Mines, Cannon's Mines, 
 
 Mine a Robins, Mine Silvers, 
 
 Mine Astraddle, Mine a Martin. 
 
 Other mines of lead are also situated in different 
 parts of the Territory, but have not been explored. 
 The Osage, Gasconade, Black, Strawberry, and 
 Mine Rivers, all afford traces of lead, and there is 
 reason to conclude that extensive bodies of it may 
 be found. 
 
 Iron ore is found in very large bodies in Belle- 
 vue, Washington County — on Fourche a Courtois, 
 where it is accompanied by manganese; — on Big 
 River; — on Platten and Joachim Creeks, and on 
 the waters of the St. Francis and Black Rivers. 
 Zinc accompanies the lead ore at several mines in 
 Washington County. Antimony has been found in 
 Bellevue, and arsenic in Cape Girardeau, where 
 there is a very extensive body of chalk, accompa- 
 nied by flint. Red chalk, ochre, salt, nitre, steatite, 
 gypsum, marl, plumbago, porphyry, jasper, chalce- 
 dony, barytes, pumice, and granite, are among the 
 useful miner ds, of less importance. Stone coal 
 exists in large bodies at Florrissant, and in various 
 places on the Osage River. 
 
169 
 
 (5. Antiquities and Curiosities. A number of ske- 
 letons were discovered in the fall of 1818, on the 
 plantation of Mr. Long, on the River Merrimack, 
 which indicate a stature unusually small, and are 
 supposed by many to be the remains of an extinct 
 race of human beings, of dwarfish origin, who have 
 inhabited the country at a former period. Others 
 have attempted to account for these appearances 
 by a reference to the ancient customs of the North 
 American savages, who are known to have exposed 
 the bodies of their diseased relatives on scaifolds 
 in the air, until all the fleshy parts were decayed 
 and dissipated, when the bones were carefully 
 collected, and funeral obsequies performed, at- 
 tended by the most extravagant demonstrations of 
 grief. This explanation obviates the shortness of 
 the graves, but is opposed by the relative length 
 of the leg bones, compared with anatomies of the 
 present day. That all these graves, which are 
 very numerous, were the repositories of deceased 
 children, and young persons, would also be con- 
 clusive, did not the teeth found indicate persons 
 arrived at the age of manhood. None of the graves 
 exceed four feet in length. 
 
 An antique Indian grave opened on the banks 
 of Big River, about 30 miles east of the Merrimack, 
 produced a skeleton, which was estimated to have 
 a stature of eight feet. It was accompanied by 
 pottery, pipes, and glass beads. 
 
 Those mounds which extend in so remarkable 
 a manner along the banks of the Ohio and its tri- 
 butaries, are also to be traced up the Mississippi, 
 and are very numerous on the American bottom, 
 
170 
 
 and at St. Louis. Those in the vicinity of St 
 Louis appear to have been constructed ibr obser«° 
 vation and defence, They are very large, and 
 rise to a great height, overlooking a very exten- 
 sive tract of the surrounding country. 
 
 In descending White River, during the winter of 
 1819, I procured, at a place called the Bull Shoals, 
 specimens of an antique malleable alloy, which 
 appears to consist of lead and silver. They were 
 found on the banks of the river, about 1 5 feet be- 
 low the soil, which is alluvial, and accompanied 
 by fragments of antique pottery. Ancient stone 
 axes, made from porphyry, are sometimes found in 
 digging wells, mill-dams, &c. in several parts of 
 the Territory; and the hornstone dart is not un- 
 common. 
 
 Among those objects in the physical appearance 
 of this country, which may be looked upon as na- 
 tural curiosities, are several caves which yield 
 nitre, and a detached mass of granite 15 or 20 
 miles in length, by about 5 or 6 in width. This 
 n-eological phenomenon occurs in the south part of 
 Washington County, including a part of Madison 
 County. It contains, imbedded in it, or lying upon 
 its surface, gneiss, greenstone, porph) ry, iron ores, 
 and pyrites, blende, and quartz ; and may, by a 
 careful investigation, be found to yield other sub- 
 stances. It is a compact red granite, containing 
 very little mica, and is used for mill stones. It is 
 the only mass of granite known to exist between 
 the primitive ranges of the Alleghany and Rocky 
 Mountains, and is surrounded on all sides, and to- 
 
171 
 
 an almost immeasurable extent, with secondary 
 limestone. 
 
 On the banks of the Merrimack and the Gasco- 
 nade are found numerous caves, which yield an 
 earth impregnated largely with nitre, which is 
 procured from it by lixiviation. On the head of 
 Currents River are also found several caves, from 
 which nitre is procured, the principal of which is 
 Ashley's Cave, on Cave Creek, about 80 miles S. W. 
 of Potosi. This is one of those stupendous and 
 extensive caverns which cannot be viewed without 
 exciting our wonder and astonishment ; which is 
 increased by beholding the entire works for the 
 manufacture of nitre, situated in its interior. The 
 native nitrate of potash is found in beautiful white 
 crystals, investing the fissures of the limestone 
 rock, which forms the wails of this cave ; and 
 several others in its vicinity exhibit the same phe- 
 nomenon. 
 
 7. Employments, Maimers, Language, and Reli- 
 gion of the Inhabitants. Of the number of inhabi- 
 tants now resident in the Territory, 1 have esti- 
 mated eleven hundred to be engaged in mining, 
 but the number has been muv.h greater at a former 
 period, one thousand men having been employed 
 at Mine a Burton alone. The residue of the popu- 
 lation are farmer?, mechanics, and manufacturers, 
 including professional men. There is also another 
 class of society, which 1 shall notice under the 
 name of hunters. The farming class is by far the 
 largest; as the fertility of the soil, and the advan- 
 tages of procuring lands on easy terms, and in a 
 mild climate, afford the strongest and surest pros- 
 
 
t 
 
 172 
 
 pects of gain to the emigrant. There are probably 
 fewer mechanics than is required by the existing 
 population, and of this number a great proportion 
 may be considered persons who lack industry, or 
 do not excel in their particular trades. The wages 
 of mechanics of all kinds are very high, and a 
 scarcity of this class is generally felt in the Terri- 
 tory, and particularly in the new settlements. A 
 carpenter, or a bricklayer, cannot be hired to 
 work short of $2 per day, but are often known to 
 receive more. Other mechanics are also in de- 
 mand, and an opportunity is presented, by the 
 rapidly increasing settlements, for good, industri- 
 ous mechanics, from all parts, who cannot fail to 
 meet with due encouragement and success. 
 
 Its manufactures, in addition to its grand staple, 
 Lead, consist in the distillation of whiskey from 
 rye and corn, in the flouring of wheat, the fabrica- 
 tion of coarse cotton goods, and tow cloth in pri- 
 vate families, and of patent shot, three manufacto- 
 ries of which are established in Jefferson County. 
 Some white lead has been made at St. Louis, and 
 boards and plank for building, are sawed on the 
 Gasconade, and in other parts of the Territory. 
 A clothiers and fuller's works have been recently 
 established on Big River, and a number of tan 
 yards, where raw hides are manufactured into 
 leather, are distributed in various sections of the 
 country. 
 
 Made up of emigrants from all other parts of 
 the United States, and from Europe, the inhabi- 
 tants of this Territory can hardly be said to have 
 acquired a uniform character. Hospitality to 
 
173 
 
 strangers, enterprise in business, ardour in the 
 pursuit of wealth, an elevated pride of country, 
 and perseverance, under the pressure of many 
 difficulties growing out of the infant state of settle- 
 ments, are the most conspicuous traits in the cha- 
 racter of the inhabitants west of the Mississippi. 
 They are robust, frank, and daring. Taught by 
 the hardships and dangers incident to a frontier 
 settlement, to depend for security and success up- 
 on their own individual exertions, they rely little 
 upon extraneous help, and feel that true inde- 
 pendence, flowing from a conviction that their 
 own physical exertions are equal to every call, 
 necessity, and emergency of life. Observations 
 drawn from habitual intercourse, and from wit- 
 nessing their public debates, would also lead us 
 to conclude, that their enjoyments arise more from 
 those active and tumultuous scenes attendant upon 
 war and adventures, which require corporeal ex- 
 ertion, than from the arts of peace, refinement, and 
 intellectual research. Hence their manners, con- 
 trasted with the inhabitants east of the Alleghany, 
 may be said to be essentially different, and while 
 in their extremes, we see the former verge towards 
 the bold and the intrepid, the latter has a tenden- 
 cy towards effeminacy. 
 
 Duelling is prevalent in Missouri, and while the 
 practice continues to receive the sanction of men 
 occupying the first rank in society, it cannot be 
 expected to fall into disrepute; but must,on the con- 
 trary, continue to extend its baneful influence over 
 other classes of community, and to involve in some 
 
174 
 
 measure, those in its consequences, who are prin- 
 cipled to oppose it. 
 
 Those scenes of riot and atrocity, however, 
 which have been imputed to the inhabitants of 
 the mines, by former travellers, do not now exist; 
 the most beneficial changes having been effected 
 in the state of society, in that country. Emigra- 
 tion has added to the former population an acces- 
 sion of talents and intelligence, which has served 
 to mark the society at the mines, with much of 
 the hospitality, decorum, and refinements of life. 
 
 The first inhabitants of this part of ancient Lou- 
 isiana, were French and Spanish ; the former of 
 whom still constitute a considerable proportion of 
 the population, but of the latter, there are very 
 few remaining. The French language is therefore 
 spoken in many settlements, almost exclusively, 
 and many of the Americans have found it advan- 
 tageous to acquire a knowledge of that tongue. 
 
 The most prevalent religion is Methodism. The 
 French are uniformly members of the Roman 
 Catholic church. They have public churches at 
 St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Genevieve, Carondolet, 
 Florrissant, and other places. The Baptists are 
 also numerous, and the recentemigration has added 
 a considerable number of Presbyterians and Epis- 
 copalians, but the latter have not, so far as my ob- 
 servation extends, any houses for public worship. 
 
 The hunter population in the territory, presents 
 a state of society of which few have any just con- 
 ception, and of which, indeed, I confess myself to 
 have been wholly ignorant, previous to my tour 
 through those regions where they are located. 
 
175 
 
 Composed of the unruly and the vicious from all 
 quarters, insulated by a pathless wilderness, with- 
 out the pale of civil law, or the restraints upon 
 manners and actions imposed by refined society, 
 this population are an extraordinary instance of 
 the retrogression of society. So far as is not ne- 
 cessary for animal existence, they have abandon- 
 ed the pursuit of agriculture, the foundation of 
 civil society, and embraced the pursuit of hunting, 
 so characteristic of the savage state in all countries. 
 
 This society is composed of persons from vari- 
 ous sections of the Union, who have either embra- 
 ced hunting from the love of ease or singularity, 
 or have fled from society to escape the severity of 
 the laws, and to indulge in unrestrained passion* 
 Learning and religion are alike disregarded, and 
 in the existing state of society among the Missouri 
 hunters, we are presented with a contradiction of 
 the theories of philosophers of all ages, for ive here 
 behold the descendants of enlightened Europeans in a sa- 
 vage state, or at least in a rapid state of advance to- 
 wards it. These hunters are chiefly located on 
 White River, Arkansaw, and Red River. Their 
 numbers may be computed at 1000 or 1500. The 
 late division of territory will throw them nearly all 
 into Arkansaw. 
 
 VIII. Savages. The principal tribe of Indians 
 >u this territory are the Osages, a powerful nation 
 residing on the Osage river. They are remarka- 
 ble for their tall stature, and their fine proportions. 
 It is very rare to see any of them under six feet. 
 They inhabit a delightful country, and are in ami- 
 ty with the United States. The chiefs are heredi- 
 
176 
 
 tary, and in war they fight on horseback. Their 
 warriors are called braves, to which honour no one 
 can arrive, without having previously plundered 
 or stolen from the enemy. Hence plundering and 
 stealing are acts of the greatest merit, and demand 
 rewards proportionate to the adroitness or the ex- 
 tent of the act. They are also in the habit of plun- 
 dering white hunters, and travellers, but are never 
 known to commit murders on such occasions. 
 
 A part of the ancient, and once powerful tribes 
 of Shawanees and Delawares, also inhabit this 
 territory. They are located on the banks of Apple 
 Creek, and Fourche a Courtois. 
 
 IX. Slavery. Many of the plantations and mines 
 are worked by slaves, and among them are to be 
 found blacksmiths and carpenters, whose services 
 are extremely valuable to their masters. The in- 
 troduction of slavery into this section of the wes- 
 tern country, appears to have taken place at an 
 early day, and it has led to a state of society 
 which is calculated to require their continued as- 
 sistance. 
 
ARTICLE II* 
 
 A CATALOGUE OF THE MINERALS AND FOSSILS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 WESTERN COUNTRY. 
 
 1. Earthy Substances, 
 
 Sub. 
 
 Chalk, 1 
 
 Flint, 2 
 
 Hornstone, . . . 3 
 
 Rock Crystal, 4 
 
 Novaculite, 5 
 
 Common Quartz, 6 
 
 Citrine, 7 
 
 Radiated Quartz, 8 
 
 Red Ferruginous Quartz, . . 9 
 
 Granular Quartz 10 
 
 Tabular Quartz, 11 
 
 Hoary Quartz, 12 
 
 Steatite, .13 
 
 Mica, 14 
 
 Chalcedony, ,24 
 
 Reddle, ..... 36 
 
 Yellow Earth, 37 
 
 Opalized Wood, 38 
 
 Agaric Mineral, 39 
 
 Plastic White Clay, ..... .40 
 
 Fuller's Earth, .41 
 
 23 
 
 Sub, 
 
 Stalactite, 43 
 
 Stalagmite 44 
 
 Puddingstone, 45 
 
 Opal, ...4G 
 
 Jasper, 47 
 
 Agatized Wood, 48 
 
 Carnelian, 49 
 
 Sulphate of Lime, 57 
 
 Sulphate of Barytes, 15 
 
 Fluate of Lime, 17 
 
 Feldspar, 18 
 
 Calcareous Spar, ........ 16 
 
 Basanite, 60 
 
 Buhrstone, 67 
 
 Onyx Agate, 65 
 
 Greenstone Porphyry, ... .61 
 
 Schorl, 62 
 
 Ochre, 63 
 
 Agate, 64 
 
 Shale,. 66 
 
178 
 
 Native Iron, 69 
 
 Sulphuret of Lead, 27 
 
 Sulphuret of Zinc, • • 30 
 
 Red Oxyd of Iron, 26 
 
 Iron Sand, 25 
 
 Brown Hematite, 21 
 
 Native Magnet, 20 
 
 Argillaceous Oxyd of Iron, 22 
 Micaceous Oxyd of Iron, . .23 
 
 2. Metallic Substances. 
 
 Sub. i Sub. 
 
 Iron Pyrites, .19 
 
 Granular Sulphuret of Lead, 28 
 
 Earthy Oxyd of Lead 29 
 
 Carbonate of L ad, 33 
 
 Sulphuret of Antimony, . . . .31 
 Black Oxyd of Manganese, 35 
 
 Native copper, 3$ 
 
 Sulph te of Zinc, 53 
 
 Sulphate of Copper, 54 
 
 3. Saline Substances. 
 
 Sub. 
 
 Nitrate of Potash, 52 
 
 Muriate of Soda, 51 
 
 Sub. 
 Sulphate of Magnesia, ... .58 
 Native Alum, 34 
 
 4. Inflammable and Miscellaneous Substances. 
 
 Sub. I Sub. 
 
 Sulphur, 51 Pumice, 59 
 
 Stone Coal, 56 Madrepore, 42 
 
 Hydrogen, 68 J Graphite, 5& 
 
A CATALOGUE 
 
 OF 
 
 WESTERN MINERALS, 
 
 I b Chalk. 
 
 This mineral is found in great abundance on the 
 .west bank of the Mississippi river, in Cape Girar- 
 deau county, Missouri Territory. The traveller 
 on ascending the Mississippi from the mouth 
 of the Ohio, passes through a country of al- 
 luvial formation, until he reaches the head of Tya- 
 wapety Bottom, a distance of thirty-five miles. 
 Here the first high land presents itself on the west 
 bank of the river, in a moderately elevated ridge, 
 running from S. E. to N. W. and terminating ab- 
 ruptly in the bank of the river, which here runs 
 nearly at right angles with the ridge, and 
 has been worn away by the action of the water. 
 This ridge consists of secondary limestone, 
 overlaying a coarse reddish sandstone, and which 
 at the lowest stages of the water in summer, is seen 
 in huge mis-shapen fragments, at the immediate 
 edge of the water, and at intervals nearly half way 
 across the river, as well as on the Illinois shore. 
 It opposes a difficulty in navigating the river in 
 low water with keel boats, and is known among 
 boatmen as the Lifth Chain of Rocks. At this place 
 several beds of chalk are seen breaking out of the 
 
hill side, a few feet above the water, and the bank 
 of the river is strongly characterized with chalk lor 
 a quarter of a mile, in the course of which several 
 pits have been opened, and chalk procured for the 
 purposes of commerce, so that it is probable one 
 continuous bed extends for all that distance. Per- 
 vading the chalk, are found thin strata of flint, from 
 one to three inches in thickness, and occasionally 
 nodules of pure black gun flint, enveloped bj 
 chalk, are also found. The chalk appears to be 
 of a very fine quality, and considerable quantities 
 are annually taken away by traders, and sold in the. 
 interior of Missouri and along the Ohio to car- 
 penters and others, who make no complaints of its 
 quality. Indeed, it appears to me on a compari- 
 son, to be fully equal to the foreign chalk. It 
 breaks out in masses which possess the compact- 
 ness of the hardest chalk, has an earthy fracture, a 
 smooth feel, and rubs off with ease, leaving a smooth 
 white traceon wood or paper. Chalk also occurs two 
 miles below the Grand Tower, on the west bank of 
 the Mississippi river, (.'ape Girardeau county, but 
 no attempts appear to have been made to open the 
 bed, and I can neither speak of its extent or quali- 
 ty. This is directly opposite the mouth of Great 
 Muddie River, a considerable stream of Illinois. 
 2. Flint. 
 Imbedded in the chalk of Cape Girardeau, are 
 occasionally found nodules of flint, which are en- 
 veloped by a hard crust of calcareous carbonate, 
 arranged in concentric layers. Its colour is grayish 
 black, breaks with a perfectly conchoidal fracture, 
 is translucent on the edges, and readily gives fire 
 with steel. It wiJ probably be found in quantity 
 
181 
 
 when the chalk is properly explored, but is at pre- 
 sent sparingly dispersed. Strata of flint from one 
 to three inches in thickness are also found alter- 
 nately with chalk, but it is not of so pure a quali- 
 ty, and does not scintillate so plentifully as the 
 nodular flint. 
 
 Flint is also found near the head of Bear Creek, 
 a stream running into White River nine hundred 
 miles above its junction with the Mississippi, in 
 Arkansaw Territory. It is here found in nodules 
 of considerable size, which break with a conchoi- 
 dal fracture, are translucent, of a yellowish brown 
 colour, and emit sparks very readily. The hun- 
 ters in that region make use of no other flints, and 
 they possess the art of chipping them out, which is 
 effected with great ease. 1 have not viewed this 
 mineral in situ — and know not its geognostic rela- 
 tions. Hunters, however, report that it is found 
 near limestone rock, and occurs in sufficient quan- 
 tity to be worth exploring. 
 
 3. Hornstone. 
 
 This subspecies of quartz, is found imbedded in 
 globular and elliptical masses in secondary lime- 
 stone, at various places on the west, or Missouri 
 bank of the Mississippi, between Cape Girra- 
 deau and St. Louis. It may be particularly no- 
 ticed at the Grand Tower and Hanging Dog, and it 
 is strewed in detached fragments over the uplands 
 of Cape Girardeau, St. Genevieve, Madison, Jeffer- 
 son, Washington, Lawrence, and St. Louis coun- 
 ties. Indeed, so far as obervation goes, it charac- 
 terizes all the district of country between the west 
 banks of the Mississippi river, and the great prai- 
 
182 
 
 ries and sand deserts at the foot of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains. Its colour is generally brown, with different 
 shades of yellow, black, blue, or red. It appears 
 nearly allied to flint, into which it is sometimes 
 seen passing. It runs also into varieties of jasper, 
 chalcedony, and common quartz, and the different 
 gradations from well characterized hornstone, un- 
 til its distinctive characters are lost in other sub- 
 species of quartz, may be distinctly marked. The 
 barbs for Indian arrows, frequently found in this re- 
 gion, appear to have been chiefly made of horn- 
 stone. This mineral is also found in irregular 
 rounded masses, imbedded in secondary limestone, 
 at the Great Chain of Rocks, Cape Girardeau coun- 
 ty, Missouri, and at Choteau's mills in the vicinity 
 of St. Louis. 
 
 4. Rock Crystal. 
 One of the most noted localities of this mineral 
 west of the Mississippi river, is the Hot Springs of 
 Ouachitta, (Washitaw,) in Arkansaw Territory. 
 At this place numerous pieces of quartz have been 
 found, very pure and transparent, and beautifully 
 crystallized in six sided prisms, terminated by six 
 sided pyramids. The crystals are found detached, 
 or adhering to the rock, and from half an inch to 
 three inches in length. These springs which pre- 
 sent one of the most remarkable phenomenon in 
 the western country, both on account of the heat 
 of their waters, and the variety of minerals found 
 in their vicinity, are situated on Hot Spring 
 Creek, a branch of Washitaw river, and six miles 
 west of the main road from Cadron to Mount Prai- 
 rie, on Red River. According to the late divi- 
 
183 
 
 sion, they are in Clark county, Arkansaw Terri- 
 tory. 
 
 5. JVovacidite. 
 
 A quarry of this mineral, three miles above the 
 Hot Springs of Washitaw, has often been noticed by 
 travellers for its extent and excellency of its quali- 
 ty. A specimen now before me, is of a grayish 
 white colour, partaking a little of green, translu- 
 cent in an uncommon degree, with an uneven and 
 moderately glimmering fracture, and susceptible 
 of being scratched by a knife. Oil stones for the 
 purpose of honing knives, razors, and carpenters' 
 tools, are occasionally procured from this place, 
 and considerable quantities have been lately taken 
 to New-Orleans. It gives a fine edge, and is consi- 
 dered equal to the Turkish oil stone. It appears 
 to me, from external character, to contain less 
 alumine, and more silex than the common novacu- 
 lite, and hence, perhaps, its superiority. 
 b\ Common Quartz. 
 
 This mineral is found in veins of from one to 
 eight or ten feet wide in the argillaceous rock for- 
 mation, in the neighbourhood of the Hot Springs 
 of Washitaw. It is also seen in very large masses 
 on the south bank of White River, immediately 
 opposite the mouth of the Great North Fork of 
 White River, or what is called on Robinson's new 
 map, Pine River. The character of these rocks 
 will not be recognised on a superficial view, for 
 they have a gray time-worn appearance, and are 
 so much covered by moss, that it was not until I 
 had broken off a fragment with a hammer, that I 
 discovered them to be white quartz. Pebbles of 
 
184 
 
 quartz, either white or variously coloured by iron, 
 are common on the shores of White River, and 
 joined to the purity and transparency of the wa- 
 ters, add greatly to the pleasure of a voyage on 
 that beautiful river. Quartz pebbles are also very 
 abundantly dispersed along the banks of Allegha- 
 ny River, from Olean to Pittsburgh, a distance of 
 three hundred miles. 
 
 7. Citrine, or Yellow Quartz. 
 
 Water- worn fragments of limpid quartz of a 
 yellow colour, and possessing a high lustre and 
 great hardness, are found on the banks of the Mis- 
 sissippi, at various places between Cape Girar- 
 deau and St. Louis. I have many specimens pick- 
 ed up near St. Genevieve, Herculaneum, and St. 
 Louis. The colour varies from a light orange 
 yellow, to a brandy red. They are manifestly 
 brought down by the annual Hoods of the river, 
 and are probably the production of the Mississippi 
 above its junction with the Missouri, but of their 
 geological situation, nothing is known. Their 
 extreme hardness is one of their most distinguish- 
 ing properties. 1 have applied the term Missouri 
 Topaz in common conversation. 
 
 8. Radiated Quartz, 
 
 This variety is very common at the lead mines 
 of Missouri, and is particularly abundant in 
 Washington County, where it is known under the 
 popular name of mineral blossom. It was supposed 
 by the lead smelters to have a strong affinity for 
 lead, but is not much attended to as a sign in 
 searching for lead at the present time. It occurs 
 in detached pieces on the top of the soil, and at 
 
183 
 
 irl depth's below, and is sometimes attached to 
 rock. Its form is generally that of a hemisphere^ 
 consisting of minute layers of chalcedony, covered 
 by pyramids of quartz, all radiating from a common 
 centre. Sometimes it is mammillary. The speci- 
 mens are strewed with more or less profusion over 
 every hill in the mine tract, and when found in 
 their pristine state, are extremely brilliant and 
 beautiful. 
 
 9. Red Ferruginous Quartz, 
 
 Detached fragments and rolled masses of a very 
 deep red quartz, resembling some varieties of jas- 
 per, are found on several of the tributary streams 
 of Merrimack River, Missouri Territory. They 
 possess a flinty hardness, and a high vitreous lustre, 
 are perfectly opaque, and appear to be quartz co- 
 loured by, and combined with iron. Mine a Bur- 
 ton Creek, in Washington County*, affords good 
 specimens. 
 
 10. Granular Quartz. 
 
 Few persons have travelled from St. Genevieve 
 to the Lead mines in Missouri, without noticing the 
 remarkable bodies of white sand-stone found eight 
 miles from St. Genevieve, on the road to Potosi 
 This is granular quartz, of a beautiful appearance, 
 easily crushed between the fingers, and falling into 
 a very fine even-grained, transparent, quartzose 
 sand. It possesses no definable tint of colour, is 
 not acted upon by either the nitric or muriatic 
 acids, and appears to be an aggregation of minute 
 crystals of quartz. It occurs in several caves near 
 the road, whose sides are entirely composed of it, 
 and its snowy hue, and granular structure give it 
 
 24 
 
186 
 
 the appearance of refined sugar. It appears ic 
 me to Decomposed oi'sikx nearly or quite pure, and 
 possesses, as I find on a treatment with potash, 
 the property of easy fusibility, a very essential re- 
 quisite in the manufacture of glass. A mixture oi 
 one part of potash to two of sand, enters readily 
 into fusion in a smith's forge, producing a weli 
 melted glass, of considerable density, purity, and 
 lustre. In glass making, sand is the chief ingre- 
 dient. It is melted in a high heat with potash, 
 ^alts, and lime, which act as a flux to the sand, and 
 render the mixture fusible and transparent. But 
 it is not every sand which will answer, though it 
 may be very fine, and apparently possess the pro- 
 perty of easy fusibility. Nor is a sand which is 
 proper in the manufacture of window glass, adapt- 
 ed for flint glass, which requires a sand of greater 
 purity. Hence it becomes an object of the first 
 moment, when the establishment of a glass works 
 has been determined upon, to find a sand, orothe: 
 silicious ingredient possessing the properties ne- 
 cessary to the easy and ready production of the 
 required article. It is not only necessary that it 
 should be capable of producing glass of the desired 
 purity, but also that it shall produce it in a stipu- 
 lated time, and at a stipulated expense. For 
 where it not necessary that the manufacture should 
 be carried on to a profit, common quartz, pebbles, 
 flint, and any other stones in which silex predomi- 
 nates, might be converted into glass ; for the ulti- 
 mate result of all ingredients wrought by fire is 
 glass. But sand capable of easy vitrification, and 
 of being advantageously converted into glass, is 
 
187 
 
 by no means a common production. Such a sand, 
 generally speaking, should consist of fine grains 
 of transparent quartz, of a uniform size, neither 
 too fine or too coarse, without any perceptible 
 shade of colour, and susceptible of ready fusion 
 with potash. It should not be contaminated by 
 time, iron, or any other earthy or metallic sub- 
 stance. When iron exists in combination with 
 sands, the colour inclines to green, which will be 
 intense or light exactly in proportion to the 
 quantum of iron present. The presence of lime 
 may be detected by submitting the .sand after 
 washing to the nitric or muriatic acids. If an 
 effervescence takes place, you may conclude lime 
 is one of the constituent ingredients. No sand is 
 fit for glass which will effervesce with any of the 
 acids, the fluoric excepted. In the manufacture of 
 common window glass, technically called cylinder 
 glass in the United States, sands are frequently 
 employed which are largely impregnated with iron, 
 which is nowise detrimental where the colour of 
 the ware is not regarded, but on the contrary bene- 
 ficial, for the iron which exists in the state of an 
 oxyd in combination with the sand operates as a 
 flux to the silex, and promotes a more perfect and 
 speedy vitrification. The common yellow and 
 reddish sands, which occur in almost every town 
 and county in the Union, and are used in the ma- 
 nufacture of bricks and mortar, and cements, are 
 wholly unfit for glass. They are largely charged 
 with alumine, besides iron, lime, and various other 
 impurities, which communicate different hues of 
 green, brown, and black, to the mixture, that 
 
183 
 
 cannot be removed in the ordinary way by the 
 addition of manganese. Such sands are only em- 
 ployed in the coarsest branch of the art, namely, 
 the making of Black Bottles. 
 
 The choice of proper glass-sands becomes there- 
 fore an object of first moment, and their localities 
 deserve to be particularly noticed in the catalogue 
 of useful minerals afforded by the United States. 
 I know of but three localities in the Union, in ad- 
 dition to this, where the silicious ingredient of flint 
 glass is furnished. The first is in Lanesborough, 
 Massachusetts ; the second on the banks of Mau- 
 rice River, New-Jersey ; and the third at Perry- 
 opolis, on the Youghagany River, twenty-three 
 miles above Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. 
 1 1 . Tabular Quartz. 
 
 The shores of the Mississippi River afford a 
 silicious mineral of singular character, in the form 
 of small irregular shaped detached plates. Its 
 common colour is grayish white, from which it 
 passes into bluish white, milk white, and pale yel- 
 low. It possesses, in some specimens, the hard- 
 ness and translucency of cacholong and chalce- 
 dony, to which it seems nearly allied ; while in 
 other specimens it resembles certain varieties of 
 white carnelian. I have numerous specimens, 
 picked up on the west bank of the Mississippi, 
 at Herculaneum. Some of these would lead us to 
 suppose, that their tabular form had been pro- 
 duced by being poured out in a state of fluidity on 
 the earth, small pebbles, &c. whose impress re- 
 mains on the under side. 
 
189 
 
 12. Hoary Quartz, 
 Among the numerous pieces of radiated quam 
 brought from the Missouri Territory, I find two< 
 whose external characters are distinct from any of 
 the varieties of quartz hitherto described. This 
 distinction and difference of character appears 
 chiefly on the exterior of the pyramidal prisms of 
 which the mass is composed, having the appear- 
 ance of being frosted. 
 
 13. Steatite. (Indian Pipe Stone.) 
 The Falls of St. Anthony, in the Mississippi 
 River, are remarkable for the bodies of steatite 
 found there, and from which the savages are in 
 the habit of making their pipes. Its colour is an 
 uniform dark red, it is compact, and approaches 
 in hardness to the softer varieties of serpentine ; 
 it is, however, easily sawed by a common handsaw, 
 or cut with a knife, when freshly quarried, but 
 assumes considerable hardness by long exposure. 
 It is not hard enough to take a polish. This was 
 called a red serpentine by Carver, who has been 
 followed by Pinkerton in his Geography, and by 
 Breckenridge in his Views of Louisiana, and the 
 error has been countenanced by every succeeding 
 traveller who has spoken of it. It is also found 
 near the head of the River Desmoines of the Mis- 
 sissippi ; and the St. Peters, and Pipe Stone 
 Rivers of the Missouri. The vicinity of Fort 
 Mason on the Mississippi also affords steatite, 
 whose colours are various shades of yellow and 
 green intermixed 
 
a do 
 
 14. Mica. 
 
 This mineral is found at the Hot Springs oi 
 Washitaw, Arkansaw Territory. The lamina are 
 small, extremely flexible, of a greenish yellow 
 colour, and admitting very little light through 
 their broader faces. 
 
 15. Sulphate of Barytes. (Heavy Spar.) 
 
 Mine a Burton, Old Mines, Mine Shibboleth, 
 and the numerous other mines in Washington 
 County, Missouri Territory, are characterized by 
 sulphate of barytes. At those mines it forms the 
 matrix of the lead ore, though it is sometimes 
 found unaccompanied by ores of any kind, and 
 the quantity which is found at Potosi alone is 
 sufficient, according to our present ideas of its 
 uses, for the supply of the whole world. It is 
 generally found in compact or tabular masses, 
 very white, heavy, and glistening. Sometimes 
 it is crested, columnar, prismatic, or lamellar ; 
 and frequently the surfaces of the crystals are 
 yellow, from an ochery oxyd of iron. All the 
 barytes which I have observed in Missouri are 
 perfectly opaque. 
 
 1 6. Calcareous Spar. 
 
 This spar is one of the minerals accompanying 
 the lead ore at several of the lead mines in Wash- 
 ington county, Missouri Territory. It is, however, 
 never found in contact with the ore, or serving as 
 a matrix, if we except a little found in this situation 
 at Bryan's Mines, St. Genevieve county. It is gener- 
 ally found in detached masses of irregular shape 
 imbedded in the mineral soil, which is a marly red 
 clay, and it invariably breaks into rhombs whose 
 
191 
 
 angles are more or less acute. Its colours are 
 either white or honey yellow, it is transparent, and 
 some specimens possess the beauty and the double 
 refracting power of the Iceland Spar. 
 17. Feldspar. 
 
 Crystals of feldspar are found imbedded in 
 greenstone on the banks of the river St. Francis, 
 at a place called The Narrows, Madison county, 
 Missouri Territory. The colour of the crystals is 
 a flesh red, graduating into green on the edges 
 1 8. Filiate of Lime. 
 
 This mineral occurs at a lead mine about three 
 miles back of Cave-in-Rock, on the Ohio River, 
 and about fifteen miles south of Shawneetown, 
 Gallatin county, Illinois. Its colours, which are 
 very beautiful, are various shades of purple, violet, 
 and blue. Some specimens are entirely limpid. 
 It is found accompanied by galena, blende, pyrites, 
 &c. imbedded in a stiff red clay, resting on secon- 
 dary limestone. In the same neighbourhood coal 
 is found, and the United States Saline, situated on 
 Saline River, is about twelve miles distant. It is 
 a highly interesting section of country, and well 
 worthy the particular attention of the mineralogist 
 and the geologist. Cave-in-Rock, famous in that 
 region for having afforded a retreat to the bandit 
 Mason, and his followers, is alone an object of the 
 highest interest, and the intelligent traveller can- 
 not fail to be highly gratified in viewing this stu- 
 pendous work of nature. The quantity is con- 
 siderable ; it has, however, only been observed in 
 detached pieces, affecting a cubical form, but no 
 compact vein of it has as yet been discovered 
 
192 
 
 Little doubt, however, can remain, that a search 
 of the ground in that vicinity would bring to light 
 bodies of it, capable of being wrought into vases- 
 and other ornamental works, 
 
 19. Iron Pyrites. 
 
 Unmagnetical pyrites of iron, of a brass yellow 
 colour, have been found on the Fourche a Cour- 
 tois, and Mineral Fork, two of the tributary 
 streams of Merrimack River, Missouri Territory. 
 Also on White River, within a hundred miles of 
 its source, where it is attached to rock in cubical 
 crystals, and is reported to exist in quantity. I 
 possess good specimens from each of those places, 
 that from the Mineral Fork is connected with cal- 
 careous spar. New Diggings, Mine a Burton, Old 
 Mines, and Reno's Mines, also yield pyrites of iron, 
 sometimes handsomely crystallized in cubes, or 
 lameller masses, and sometimes interspersed with 
 blende, heavy spar, and galena. 
 
 20. Loadstone. (Native Magnet.) 
 
 This substance is found on the banks of the 
 Washitaw River, at a place called the Cove, fifteen 
 miles below the Hot Springs, in Clark county, Ar- 
 kansaw Territory. The quantity is represented 
 as very great, and it possesses a strong magnetic 
 power. At the same place, other ores of iron are 
 abundant, also pyrites, quartz, white vitriol, &c. 
 21. Brown Hematite. 
 
 This ore of iron occurs along with cellular py 
 rites, and argillaceous oxyd of iron, five mile* 
 north of Strawberry River, on the main road lead 
 ing through Lawrence county, Arkansaw, (lately 
 Missouri^ Territory. Its colour is a dark brown, and 
 
193 
 
 its structure is fibrous and glittering; some of its 
 masses are columnar, stalactitic, radiated-re- 
 niform, or tuberose, and a few tabular masses are 
 found, consisting- of alternate strata of red and 
 brown hematite. 
 
 22. Common Argillaceous Oxyd of Iron. 
 
 This is the ore which is so abundantly found in 
 the independent coal formation, in the vicinity of 
 Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and along the banks 
 of the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers. It is 
 worked at several furnaces and founderies in Al- 
 leghany, Fayette, Washington, and Armstrong coun- 
 ties, and brought down to Pittsburgh by water, to 
 supply the extensive founderies of that place. 
 Brownsville and Connelsvilie,are particularly cele- 
 brated for their iron furnaces. Clay iron stone is 
 also the principal ore wrought atZanesville on the 
 the Muskingum, (Ohio,) and on Brush Creek, from 
 which the foundery at Cincinnati is supplied. 
 23. Micaceous Ox yd of Iron. 
 
 A vein of this ore several feet wide, is found in 
 red granite, on the banks of the River St. Francis, 
 at the Narrows, Madison county, Missouri Territo- 
 ry. Its unusual appearance has for several years 
 attracted the attention of the inhabitants, who 
 have considered it an ore containing silver. It is 
 situated four miles south of the extensive lead 
 mines of La Motte, and in the centre of a highly in- 
 teresting geological and mineralogical section of 
 country. The rocks at that place, are the old red 
 granite, in mountain masses, with some veins of 
 greenstone, greenstone porphyry, and gneiss. 
 This is the only body of granite rock in the inha- 
 25 
 
194 
 
 bited part of Missouri Territory, and extends for 
 about twenty miles, with an average breadth of 
 six miles. Its course is from S. E. to N. W. 
 
 This granitic range, terminates in very rough 
 and broken highlands, in the south part of Belle- 
 vue, Washington county, and serves as the matrix 
 or accompanying rock to some of the most exten- 
 sive and remarkable bodies of micaceous iron ore, 
 that the globe contains. The most noted body is 
 called the Iron Mountain, where the ore lies in 
 such quantity, as to form a lofty ridge, elevated 
 from five to six hundred feet above the plain, and 
 for half a mile in extent. It is a very brilliant, 
 heavy ore, crystallized in glittering lamina. Some 
 specimens are either mixed with, or accompanied 
 by compact red oxyd of iron and quartz. It melts 
 easily, yielding a very malleable iron, and a foun- 
 dery for working the ore, is now in contemplation. 
 24. Chalcedony. 
 The banks of the Mississippi river at Hercula- 
 neum afford specimens of this mineral, which I 
 consider to be well characterized. It is also found 
 in abundance on the west side of Establishment 
 Creek, St. Genevieve county, Missouri Territory, 
 where it is seen passing into the onyx agate. Its 
 colour is a bluish white, which is sometimes ex- 
 changed for milk white, yellowish white, or brown- 
 ish yellow. It is semi-transparent, and strikes fire 
 with steel. Some pieces exhibit spots, zones, or 
 dendrites. 
 
 Chalcedony is also found at the lead mines in 
 Washington county, Missouri, where it serves as 
 the basis for much of the radiated and mammillary 
 quartz so common there. The chalcedony appears 
 
195 
 
 in concentric layers of various colours, principally 
 bluish white, from which the crystals of quartz 
 have shot out. The alternating layers are some- 
 times yellow, brown, or red. 
 
 25. Iron Sand. 
 
 This ore of iron is afforded by the banks of the 
 Arkansaw River, near where the main road to Red 
 River crosses. It occurs in the aggregated form. 
 Its colour is a dark chocolate brown, nearly black, 
 and the masses present small cavities filled with 
 a very fine orange yellow ochery oxyd of iron. 
 26. Red Oxyd of Iron. 
 
 A fine red oxyd of iron, in the powdery state, 
 and mixed with small fragments of quartz, is found 
 in a bank on Flint River, a small stream which en- 
 ters the Tennessee above the Muscle Shoals. The 
 inhabitants employ it as an ingredient in dying. It 
 is also found near the head of Gasconade River, a 
 tributary of the Missouri, and on a journey into the 
 interior last winter, I brought from thence speci- 
 mens of a compact red oxyd of iron, of a very high 
 colour. It is also found very hard and compact 
 on Elk River, in Tennessee, and occasionally ac- 
 companying the micaceous oxyd of iron of Belle- 
 ■vue. 
 
 27. Galena. Sulphuret of Lead. 
 
 The most important locality of lead ore, which 
 the United States, or the world contains, is fur- 
 nished by the metalliferous limestone of Missouri 
 Territory, and which breaks out, or has been ex- 
 plored at various places from the banks of the Ar- 
 kansaw to Prairie Du Chien on the Mississippi, a 
 distance, in a direct line from south to north, of 
 
196 
 
 seven hundred miles. On this vein, are situated 
 the numerous mines in Washington, St. Genevieve, 
 Madison, and Jefferson counties, which form the 
 subject of the preceding Treatise. These mines 
 were first explored by the renowned Mississippi 
 Company, A. D. 1719, and have continued to be 
 worked during the successive changes which it 
 has experienced under the French, Spanish, and 
 Americans, to the present period. 1 he number 
 of mines now wrought, is forty-six, the principal of 
 which, are Mine a Burton, Mine Shibboleth, Mine 
 La Moite, Richwoods, Bryan's Mines, and New 
 Diggings; and the quantity of lead annually smel- 
 ted, is estimated at three millions of pounds. The 
 ore is the common galena, with a broad glittering 
 grain, and bluish gray colour, and is found accom- 
 panied by sulphate of barytes, blende, pyrites, 
 quartz, and calcareous spar. It yields on assay 
 eighty -two per cent, of metallic lead, and the 
 remainder is chieily sulphur. 
 
 Galena is also found at Prairie Du Chien, five 
 hundred m:ies above St. Louis, on the Mississippi, 
 where it is -worked by the savages. Also at Austin's 
 Mines, in Weythe county, Virg. — At Millersburgh, 
 and Drennon's Lick, in Kentucky. — At Cave-in- 
 Rock, accompanied by fluor spar, in Illinois. — On 
 the Osage, Strawberry, St. Francis, and Gascon- 
 ade rivers, in Missouri. — And on White River, 
 and the Arkansaw River, in Arkansaw Territory. 
 28. Granular Sulphuret of Lead. 
 
 This variety of galena occurs in thin strata in 
 clay, at Mine La Motte, Madison county, Missouri 
 Territory. It lias a lead gray colour, which gra- 
 
197 
 
 duates into black, has a granular structure, some 
 of the grains being splendent, but is generally dull 
 and earthy, from mixture with oxyd of iron, and 
 green carhonat of copper. It is worked as an ore 
 of lead, along with the common galena, which 
 is the most abundant ore at those mines. 
 29. Earthy Oxyd of Lead. 
 
 At the lead mines at Austinville, in Weythe 
 county, Virginia, a yellow earthy oxyd of lead has 
 recently been found among the rubbish of former 
 diggings, which is found to yield a sufficient quan- 
 tity of metal to render the smelting a work of pro- 
 fit. From its earthy appearance, it had been 
 thrown out of the mines among clay and gravel, 
 without attracting notice. Its general colour is a 
 brownish yellow,from which it passes to a clay-red 
 greenish yellow, or ash-gray. Some of the most 
 compact specimens appear to have a crystalline 
 structure. Its appearance is generally that of an 
 oxyd, or earth deposited in strata from suspen- 
 sion in water. 
 
 30. Blende, Sulphuret of Zinc. 
 
 Accompanying the lead ores of several mines in 
 Washington county, Missouri Territory, is found a 
 sulphuret of zinc, which is the blackjack or mock lead 
 of miners. As instances, Mine Reno, and Old Mines, 
 may be mentioned. It is not worked as an ore, 
 but when met with in digging for lead, is thrown 
 by as useless. 
 
 31. Sulphuret of Antimony. 
 
 A piece of antimonial ore was picked up seve- 
 ral years ago in Bellevue, Washington county, 
 Missouri, but no body has yet been brought to 
 light. About thirty miles north of Edwardsville, 
 
193 
 
 in Illinois, a body of antimony was discovered by 
 a volunteer militiaman during the late war, and 
 specimens of it were distributed to several gentle- 
 men in the neighbourhood of St. Louis. 
 
 32. Copper. (Native.) 
 
 A mass of native copper weighing seven pounds, 
 and another weighing three pounds, have been 
 discovered on the highlands back of Harrisonville, 
 the seat of justice for Monroe county, Illinois. 
 Some attempts have also been made to make a 
 discovery of copper ore at that place, and a shaft 
 was sunk about forty feet deep, in the summer of 
 of 1 8 i 7 ; but rainy weather commencing in the fall 
 of that year, the shaft was abandoned, and has not 
 since been occupied. In digging that depth, a red 
 compact oxyd of iron and copper was found, and 
 there is reason to conclude, that ores of copper 
 will be found in that neighbourhood. Native cop- 
 per has also been found on Big Muddie River, in 
 Illinois. 
 
 Of the bodies of native copper which exist on 
 the head of the Mississippi, and along the shores 
 of Lake Superior, I can add nothing, in this place, 
 respecting locality, riches or extent, which has 
 not already been published. I did not extend my 
 tour into those regions, and do not think I should 
 add any thing to the stock of useful information, by 
 communicating several reports which I have from 
 hunters and traders on that subject. 
 
 33. Carbonate of Lead. 
 
 1 possess several specimens of carbonat of Lead, 
 from Mine a Burton, in Missouri, and Cave-in- 
 Rock, Illinois. At the latter place it occurs as a 
 
199 
 
 crust upon galena, and is also most frequently met 
 with in that form at Mine a Burton. 
 34. Alum. 
 
 There is a cave in Bellevue, Washington Coun- 
 ty, Missouri Territory, which yields alum. It is 
 found effloresced. 
 
 35. Manganese. 
 
 On travelling into the interior, six days' journey 
 S. W. of Potosi, I found a large body of black 
 oxyd of manganese, situated near the head of 
 Merrimack River, Missouri Territory. It is ac- 
 companied by ores of iron. 
 
 This ore of manganese is also found onthedividing 
 ridge of land between Spring River and the River 
 Eleven-points, in Lawrence County, Arkansaw 
 Territory. It is also accompanied by ores of iron, 
 is very black, and soils the fingers like soot 
 Another body of manganese occurs on Big Sandy 
 River, nearGreenupsburgh, in Kentucky. 
 36. Reddle. (Red Chalk.) 
 
 This mineral occurs in a bed of considerable 
 extent in Washington County, Missouri. It is soft 
 enough to take a polish from the nail ; of a dark 
 red colour, and leaves a smooth red trace on 
 wood or paper. 
 
 37. Yellmv Earth. 
 
 A mineral substance which would readily be 
 mistaken for yellow ochre {ochery oxyd of iron) is 
 frequently met with in digging for lead ore at the 
 Missouri Lead mines. It appears, however, to 
 contain too much clay to be considered as an ore 
 of iron, though it is of a beautiful yellow colour, 
 and would probably prove useful as a pigment. 
 
200 
 
 A similar substance is also found near the Chalk 
 banks on the west side of the Mississippi River, 
 in Cape Girardeau County, where a kind of red 
 ochre is also found. 
 
 38. Opalized Wood. 
 The banks of the Missouri and of the Mississip- 
 pi afford a mineral substance, which appears to 
 have originated from the penetration of silicious 
 matter into wood, by which process the vegetable 
 character has been entirely exchanged for the 
 mineral. A ligneous origin is however observable. 
 It is very hard, semi-transparent, and possesses the 
 colour of the opal. It is accompanied by the 
 common agatized wood of the Missouri, by yellow 
 quartz, and by chalcedony. The pieces are com- 
 monly small, and in the form of a parallelogram. 
 They are distributed very plentifully along the 
 shores of the Mississippi, between St. Genevieve 
 and St. Louis, Missouri Territory. 
 39. Agaric Mineral. 
 A soft spongy substance, of a gray colour, and 
 soiling the fingers, which appears to be a pure 
 carbonate of lime, is found as a sediment in a 
 spring, in St. Clair County, Illinois. 
 
 40. Plastic White Clay. 
 In digging several pits in search of lead ore at 
 Gray's Mine, Jefferson County, Missouri, a body of 
 white clay was struck at the depth of from 8 to 10 
 feet, and no ore was found at those places, but the 
 pits and diggings in that place were abandoned 
 in consequence of the clay which covered a con- 
 siderable area of ground on the banks of Big 
 River, which is one of the principal tributaries of 
 
201 
 
 the Merrimack. This clay is snow white, has a 
 smooth soapy feel, takes a polish from the nail, 
 adheres strongly to the tongue, becomes plastic 
 by mixture with water, retains its hue in the fire, 
 and is infusible in a very high heat. I have em- 
 ployed it in crucibles, in assays, where an intense 
 heat was given, with discovering any other 
 signs of fusion but such as are common to the 
 best Hessian crucibles ; and it is probable it may 
 prove valuable in the manufacture of pottery, and 
 particularly of glass-house pots, which require a 
 clay of the utmost purity and infusibility. 
 
 Another bed of plastic white clay, which ap- 
 pears to be adapted for the manufacture of glass- 
 house pottery, is found on the Muskingum River, 
 at Zanesville, Ohio. It is white, partaking a little 
 of blue. It has a smooth, soponaceous feel, ap- 
 pears free from sand or grit, adheres strongly to 
 the tongue, and exhibits some other characters 
 which distinguish good, infusible clay. A speci- 
 men of this mineral in my possession bears a strong 
 resemblance to the clay of the Rhine, which is 
 brought over from Germany for the same purpose. 
 Yet the Zanesville clay has not been successfully 
 introduced into our western glass-houses, although 
 those concerned in the manufacture feel sensibly 
 the want of a bed of refractory clay west of the 
 Alleghany mountains, as they are compelled to 
 pay very large sums every year for the transporta- 
 tion of clay from Philadelphia. They complain 
 that the pots split open in the fire, but add, that 
 it endures the most intense heat without fusion. I 
 am inclined to believe their want of complete sue | 
 
 26 
 
202 
 
 cess is less attributable to the qualities of the clay, 
 than to the skill which has been exercised in mak- 
 ing use of it. In the manufacture of pots, a portion 
 of the clay is always burnt in a high heat, then 
 ground in a mill to a powder, and mixed with a 
 quantity of the crude clay in the state of powder, with 
 water. This burning deprives the clay of its prin- 
 ciple of plasticity, i. e. converts it into a sort of clay 
 stone, which, when ground to powder, has the same 
 effect as adding refractory sand, namely, prevent- 
 ing its shrinkage and liability to crack, and hasp 
 this additional advantage, that it does not render 
 the composition fusible, as sands do. When a pot 
 splits open in the furnace, it is an evidence that 
 the mixture is too rich. It has not enough burnt 
 clay. No clay can be too pure, or too refractory, 
 but in the technical phrase of the glass-house, it 
 can be too rich. The precise proportion of burnt, 
 to unburnt clay, in using individual qualities, is a 
 matter of considerable importance, and no invari- 
 able rule can be given to suit all clays, for when- 
 ever a new clay is introduced, preliminary trials on 
 different mixtures of it will be found necessary. 
 Generally, however, such a quantity of crude clay 
 should be taken as will communicate to the whole 
 mass enough of the plastic principle to make it 
 stick w< 11 together, and knead into a compact 
 mass. Nothing more is required ; and any re- 
 dundancy in the crude clay renders the pot liable 
 to shrink and crack when it comes to be exposed 
 to the intense heat of the furnace. A thorough 
 acquaintance with the nature of the clays employ- 
 ed, is therefore necessary ; and there is no branch 
 
203 
 
 of the manufacture in which more skill is required, 
 or in which artists are oftener deceived. It is 
 from these circumstances, and knowing how soon 
 artists are discouraged by the failure of an experi- 
 ment on a new substance, that I am disposed to 
 believe the Zanesville clay has not had a fair trial. 
 I may, however, be deceived ; since the external 
 character of a clay or other mineral body, though 
 a general, is not an infallible rule to judge by ; 
 and there is no result more conclusive than that of 
 a manufactory in the large way, provided the ex- 
 periment has been skilfully conducted, and all the 
 circumstances accurately minuted. 
 41. Fullers' Earth. 
 The essential ingredients of this earth are silex 
 and alumine ; and its excellency for the purpose 
 of fulling cloth appears to consist in the fineness 
 of the particles of which it is composed, and the 
 intimacy with which they are combined. The 
 banks of the Mississippi are chiefly silex and alu 
 mine combined with variable proportions of vege- 
 table matter, and afford all gradations from very 
 coarse to very fine. The finer kinds, and such as 
 are not contaminated with vegetable mould, are a 
 kind of fullers' earth, and it appears in some places 
 exceedingly fine and well characterized. On as- 
 cending the Mississippi from the mouth of Ohio to 
 St. Louis, it may be particularly observed in low 
 water, as one of the under strata of Tyawapatie 
 and Bois Brula Bottoms. The great field of St. 
 Genevieve, where it forms the bank of the river, 
 contains some very fine strata of fullers' earth. 
 
204 
 
 which are only observable in a low stage of the 
 water. 
 
 42. Madrepore. 
 
 This animal petrifaction is found near Cave-in- 
 Rock, Gallatin County, Illinois, in a rounded mass, 
 consisting of columnar hexagonal prisms diverging 
 from a centre. Its colour is a brownish yellow, 
 and the columns, which are inverted pyramids, 
 appear to have been hollow at some former period, 
 and are now filled with a hard white silicious 
 matter. 
 
 43. Stalactite. 
 
 Stalactites are found abundantly in several caves 
 on Cave Creek, one of the head waters of Currents 
 River, in Missouri Territory. These caves are at 
 present situated in the wilderness, about 80 miles 
 S. W. of Potosi, in the vicinity of Ashley's Saltpetre 
 Cave. The Stalactitse are found in concretions re- 
 sembling icicles hanging from the roof,or in columns 
 reaching to the floor, and present a variety of imita- 
 tive forms. Some specimens are translucent, and the 
 cause which has produced them is removed, the 
 dropping has ceased, and the caves are generally 
 dry, affording now an earth richly impregnated with 
 saltpetre, and this salt is also found effloresced 
 on the rocks, very white and fine. Stalactites are 
 also found in a very large cave on Findley's Fork, 
 one of the tributaries of White River, ArkansaAv 
 Territory. They are in enormous columns, and 
 the floor of the cave is covered by stalagmites, 
 from the size of a pea to many tons weight. 
 44. Stalagmite. (Calcareous Alabaster.) 
 
 The cave which has just been mentioned on 
 Findley's Fork, affords stalagmite sufficiently 
 
205 
 
 large, compact, and beautiful, for the sculptor's 
 chisel, and would undoubtedly afford some fine 
 specimens of alabaster. 
 
 45. Puddingstonc. 
 
 This mineral is dispersed along the shores of 
 the Alleghany River, between the mouth of French 
 Creek and Pittsburgh. It is generally a conglome- 
 ration of coarse grains of quartz, or silicious peb- 
 bles, cemented by silex or ferruginous clay. That 
 river may also afford specimens which run into a 
 kind of breccia, though I possess no well charac- 
 terized specimens. And there is also evidence of 
 the existence of sienite. Pebbles of white quartz 
 are very common all along this river. The west 
 bank of the Ohio at Fort Massac in Illinois, and at 
 " America," 10 miles above its mouth, afford Pud- 
 dingstone consisting of quartzy pebbles cemented 
 by iron. Also, the Chalk banks at Cape Girardeau 
 on the Mississippi. 
 
 46. Opal. 
 
 I possess a single specimen of precious opal, 
 which was procured near Cave-in-Rock, Gallatin 
 County, Illinois. Its colour is milk white shaded 
 with blue ; it is incapable of being scratched by 
 steel or acted on by acids, is semi-transparent in a 
 high degree, and epaksces on holding it up to the 
 light. The colour it most constantly displays is a 
 reddish yellow. The place in which it was found 
 is remarkable for producing fluor-spar, galena, 
 blende, pyrites, coal, salt, madrepore, calcareous 
 spar, &c. It belongs to the great secondary lime- 
 stone formation of the valley of the Ohio, and the 
 rocks are cavernous, one of the most remarkable 
 
206 
 
 of which appears in a high bluff of limestone rock 
 on the bank of the river, and generally known as 
 the Cave-in-Rock. Sometimes small caverns in 
 this vicinity on being broken into, yield large 
 quantities of galena unaccompanied by a matrix, 
 but lying loose among dusty particles in the bottom 
 of the cave, and their appearance would lead u$ 
 to suppose that the matrix had decayed and dissi- 
 pated, leaving the ore behind. 
 
 47. Jasper. (Common and Striped.) 
 
 Several specimens of this mineral, now before 
 me, were picked up along the banks of the Mis- 
 sissippi, between St. Genevieve and St. Louis. — 
 There is a variety in their colour. The first is a 
 uniform bottle green, very hard, and susceptible of 
 a high polish. The second is the fragment of 
 a nodular mass, consisting of alternate concentric 
 stripes of green, brown, and yellow, the colours 
 passing by imperceptible shades into each other. 
 A specimen found in Potosi consists of alternate 
 stripes of rose and flesh red. Of their original 
 situation nothing is known, as they appear to be 
 rolled fragments out of place, but may be presum- 
 ed to be the product of some of the tributary 
 streams of the Mississippi. 
 
 I had, however, the satisfaction to find this mi- 
 neral in its proper situation during a journey into 
 the interior of Missouri. It is found as a stratum 
 in secondary limestone, in the bed of Cave Creek, 
 near the head of Currents River, in Missouri Terri- 
 tory, and about 80 miles S. W. of Potosi. Its co- 
 lours are blue and white striped. 
 
207 
 
 48. Agatized Wood, 
 Is found dispersed along the shores of the 
 Mississippi and Missouri very plentifully, and 
 good specimens may be obtained near Hercula- 
 neum and St. Louis. 
 
 49. Carnelian. 
 Accompanying the jasper, yellow, and tabular 
 quartz, agatized wood, &c. found on the shores 
 of the Mississippi, some small masses of a very 
 beautiful carnelian are occasionally met with. 
 They are very transparent, hard and brilliant, and 
 of various shades of red and yellow, sometimes 
 arranged in concentric zones, alternating with 
 white; some specimens are dendritic. These last 
 would be considered as agates, were they not pos- 
 sessed of a glassy transparency. 
 50. Sulphur, 
 A spring exists in Jefferson county, Missouri, 
 the waters of which are highly charged with sul- 
 phur, which it deposites on the stones over which 
 it runs. Salt springs are found within a few r miles 
 of it, but no gypsum has as yet been brought to 
 light. An idea of its beneficial effects in bilious 
 complaints is generally prevalent, and the springs 
 form a resort for the surrounding inhabitants, who 
 drink copiously of the water. 
 
 51. Muriate of Soda. (Common Salt.) 
 The principal works for the manufacture of salt 
 in the western country, are seated on the Seweet- 
 iy and Scioto Rivers, in Ohio ; on the Great Kan- 
 haway, in Virginia; on Saline River in Illinois ; at 
 St. Genevieve, and Boon's Lick, in Missouri ; and 
 on the Arkansaw and Washitaw Rivers, in Arkan- 
 
208 
 
 saw. About 150,000 bushels per annum, is made 
 at the United States Saline in Illinois, which is 
 sold at seventy cents per bushel at the works. 
 There are two salt springs in Jefferson count)*, 
 Missouri, where salt is manufactured, but the 
 works are small. The springs on the Arkansaw, 
 are reported to exceed any hitherto discovered, 
 for their extent and the strength of the water. 
 The existence of native rock salt in this region, is 
 still a matter of doubt, but it appears probable 
 that it does exist. In travelling among the hunters 
 and Indians in the interior of Missouri, I made fre- 
 quent inquiries respecting the rock salt reported 
 to exist near the banks of the Arkansaw, and was 
 told by several that such salt did exist in what 
 they term the Pawnee Mountains ; that they had seen 
 and used of it, that it was white and clear like 
 alum, and the white hunters added, that the Paw- 
 nee and Osage Indians, were in the habit of pro- 
 curing their salt from that spot. 
 
 §2. Nitrate of Potash. (Salt Petre.) 
 Three saltpetre caves are worked in Washing- 
 ton county, Missouri Territory. They are situa- 
 ted on the Merrimack. Several caves are also 
 worked on the Gasconade River, and a very ex- 
 tensive one, which I visited last winter, on the 
 head of Currents River, on a stream, which 
 from the numerous caves upon it, I have called 
 Cave Creek. In travelling in that region, it is com- 
 mon to find crystallized nitre filling the small cre- 
 vices of limestone rock, and there are few caves 
 which do not afford traces of this salt. 
 
209 
 
 53. Sulphate of Zinc. (White Vitriol.) 
 
 On the authority of Dr. Andrews, of Mount Prai- 
 rie, on Red River, I mention the existence of na- 
 tive sulphate of zinc, on Washitaw River, in Clark 
 county, Arkansaw Territory. It is found in a high- 
 ly interesting section of country, about fifteen 
 miles below the Hot Springs, and which also af- 
 fords iron, loadstone, novaculite, quartz, mica, 
 &c. The rock formation is argillaceous slate, tra- 
 versed by veins of white quartz. 
 
 54. Sulphate of Copper. (Blue Vitriol.) 
 
 On the authority quoted in the preceding article, 
 I also mention the existence of native sulphate of 
 copper at the same place, and a saline substance, 
 which answers the purpose of Glauber's salts. 
 55. Graphite. (Plumbago.) 
 
 The vicinity of Mine La Motte, Madison county. 
 Missouri Territory, affords specimens of graphite. 
 It is also found on Big River, in the county of St. 
 Genevieve, quantity small. Since my return from 
 Missouri, I am informed by letter, that a very large 
 body of plumbago has been discovered twelve 
 miles south of Potosi in Washington county. 
 56. Coal. 
 
 Coal is abundant at Pittsburgh, in Pennsylva- 
 nia. It is found directly opposite the city, on 
 Coal Hill, from which the founderies, and glass- 
 works are supplied. — On the Alleghany River, 
 at various places as high up as Kittanning, and 
 along the Monongahela, nearly to its source. It is 
 a coarse coal, very black and shining, sometimes 
 beautif illy irised, with a slaty uneven fracture, a 
 moderate weight and hardness, and perfectly bi- 
 
 27 
 
210 
 
 luminous. It inflames easily, burns with a pitchy 
 smoke, and bituminous smell, and throws out a 
 great heat. It occurs in veins in secondary lime- 
 stone, along with argillaceous slate, indurated 
 clay, red sandstone, and bituminous shale, which 
 are arranged in alternate strata, one above the 
 other, and preserving an exact parrallelism with 
 the waters of the Alleghany, Monongahela, and 
 Ohio Rivers. The coal always constitutes a vein 
 between the shale and clay which are found im- 
 mediately above and below it. The clay appears 
 to have originated from the decomposition of 
 shale, for it may be observed in all stages of the 
 decomposition from a well characterized argilla- 
 ceous slate to plastic clay. 
 
 The veins of coal are from a foot to nine feet in 
 thickness, and the strata of coal, shale, limestone, 
 &c. are repeated, so that the sides of the hills which 
 afford coal, exhibit several strata, with the rock 
 intervening, one above another. The greatest 
 distance in a perpendicular direction from one 
 stratum to another, is perhaps one hundred feet, 
 and such is the regularity of the coal formation in 
 this region, that the description of one pit or bed, 
 will apply almost equally to any other, within a 
 circuit of two hundred miles, every section of 
 which is more or less characterized by coal. It 
 generally breaks out on side hills, as on the coalhilh 
 at Pittsburgh ; and those hills are elevated many 
 hundred feet above the waters, so that they are 
 easily worked, requiring no machinery for pump- 
 ing out water, &c. Sometimes pyrites of a tin 
 white colour are found mixed among the coal, and 
 
211 
 
 argillaceous iron ore, well adapted for working iu 
 the blast furnace, is one of the alternating strata. 
 Coal is also dug at Zanesville, and Galliopolis. 
 in Ohio, at Wellsburgh and Wheeling in Virginia, 
 at Maysville and on Trade-Water River in Ken- 
 tucky, at Alton in Illinois, and at Florissant and 
 on Osage River in Missouri. 
 
 57. Sulphate of Lime. (Gypsum.) 
 This earthy salt is found in the crystallized 
 form, in St Clair county, Illinois. It is also found 
 on the south bank of the Arkansaw, near the Sa- 
 lines situated in that country. The quantity is 
 immense, and there is an unusual proportion in the 
 crystallized and transparent form. Mr. Sibley who 
 visited that part of the country several years ago, 
 in giving a description of it, says, — " It is a tract 
 of about seventy-five miles square, in which na- 
 ture has arranged a variety of the most strange 
 and whimsical vagaries. It is an assemblage of 
 beautiful meadows — verdant ridges, and rude mis- 
 shapen piles of red clay, thrown together in the 
 utmost apparent confusion, yet affording the most 
 pleasing harmonies, and presenting in every direc- 
 tion an endless variety of curious and interesting- 
 objects. After winding along for a few miles on 
 the high ridges, you suddenly descend an almost 
 perpendicular declivity of rocks and clay, into a 
 series of level and fertile meadows, watered by 
 some beautiful rivulets, and here and there adorned 
 with shrubby cotton trees, elms, and cedars. These 
 meadows are divided by chains formed of red clay, 
 and huge masses of gypsum, with here and there 
 a pyramid of gravel. One might imagine himself 
 
212 
 
 surrounded by the ruins of some ancient city, and 
 that the plain had sunk by some convulsion of na- 
 ture more than one hundred feet below its former 
 level, for some of the huge columns of red clay rise 
 to the height of two hundred feet perpendicular, 
 capped with rocks of gypsum, which the hand of 
 time is ever crumbling off, and strewing in beauti- 
 ful transparent flakes, along the declivities of 
 the hill, glittering like so many mirrors in the sun. v 
 58. Sulphate of Magnesia. 
 
 This salt occurs in beautiful white crystals, in a 
 cave near Corydon, the present seat of government 
 of Indiana. 
 
 59. Pumice. 
 
 This volcanic mineral is annually brought down 
 the Missouri River, by the flood which generally 
 happens in June. Of its origin we know nothing. 
 Hunters speak of a mountain emitting smoke and 
 flames on the head of the River Kanzas. The 
 same phenomenon is reported to exist on the wa- 
 ters of the Yellowstone. The pumice is well 
 characterized, consisting of a light spongy mass 
 of vitrified matter, made up of minute globules, or 
 spheroids of a grayish white colour ; sometimes it is 
 brown, red, or black. There is also brought down 
 the same river, a volcanic production, light enough 
 to swim on water, which does not appear to be pu- 
 mice. It is probably a pseudo-volcanic product, 
 originating from the accidental burning of coaL 
 barks, &c. 
 
 60. Basanite. (Touchstone.) 
 
 On the banks of the Mississippi, are found nu- 
 merous pieces of a close grained, dark silicious 
 
213 
 
 slate, which receive the trace of metallic substan- 
 ces rubbed against them with great facility, and 
 afford a true evidence of the colour of the metal 
 employed. They occur in rolled pieces on the 
 shores of the river, where they are deposited by 
 the high spring floods, and are brought down with 
 innumerable other fragments of stone, from the 
 unexplored regions, which give rise to the Missou- 
 ri and the Mississippi, with their remotest tributa- 
 ries. The several masses, though amorphous in 
 some instances, have in others, a trapezoidal con- 
 figuration, and they are sufficiently soft, to admit 
 of being ground on a common grindstone. 
 61. Greenstone Porphyry. 
 There is but one body of granitic rock in all 
 the inhabited part of the Territory of Missou- 
 ri. This occurs in high broken masses in the 
 west part of Madison county, and continues for 
 many miles into the adjoining county of Washing- 
 ton. It is one of the most rough and romantic 
 scenes in all that country, and, considered with a 
 view to its geological or mineralogical character, 
 is by far the most interesting. It is completely in- 
 sulated by secondary limestone. In it, are found 
 many imbedded minerals, and the River St. Fran- 
 cis, which enters the Mississippi five hundred 
 miles below, originates in springs which gush out 
 among these stupendous piles of red granite. Ores 
 of iron, lead, and zinc, with quartz, feldspar, shorl, 
 mica, and graphite, are among the mineralsfurnished 
 by that region, and greenstone, gneiss, and green- 
 stone porphyry, are among the larger masses of 
 rock. The greenstone is found in large insolated 
 
214 
 
 fragments lying promiscuously among the frag- 
 ments of granite, which have tumbled down from 
 the lofty cliffs above. It would probably be found 
 constituting veins in the granite of that place, 
 were a diligent search instituted, but 1 did not 
 observe any in that situation, it is most common- 
 ly rendered porphyritic by crystals of green and 
 flesh coloured feldspar, variously shaded and blen- 
 ded into one another. The greenstone itself is a 
 very dark green, inclining to black. It breaks 
 with the most extreme difficulty, sometimes exhi- 
 biting small specks of tin-white pyrites. 
 
 62. Schorl. 
 
 Imbedded in certain granitic aggregates in Ma- 
 dison county, Missouri Territory, are found ill- 
 defined crystals of common black schorl, which 
 approach in figure, a six-sided pyramid, terminated 
 by three lateral faces, so modified by truncation, as 
 to elude description. 
 
 63. Ochre. 
 
 About six miles west of the Chalk Banks on the 
 Mississippi, in the interior of Cape Girardeau 
 county, Missouri Territory, are found some beds 
 of variously coloured ochres, which consist prin- 
 cipally of the oxyd of iron, combined with various 
 proportions of silex and alumine, all in a state of 
 intimate comminution and mixture. These ochres, 
 which are red, white, yellow, &c. may proba- 
 bly be found useful as pigments, and indeed, they 
 have already been applied with some success to 
 that use, by the inhabitants of that neighbourhood 
 
215 
 
 64. Agate. 
 
 A specimen of this mineral now before me, I 
 picked up on the highlands south of White River, 
 in Arkansaw Territory, and about three hundred 
 miles west of the Mississippi. It is nearly the one 
 equal fourth part of a nodular mass, broken dur- 
 ing that physical revolution of the earth, which 
 left the alluvial soil upon the rocks, where, with 
 other silicious matters, it occurs as a deposit. Its 
 colour is a purple of the highest beauty, pervaded 
 by white stripes, or zones, which are arranged in 
 concentric curves corresponding with the exteri- 
 or indented surface. 
 
 65. Onyx. 
 
 This variety of agate is found in Missouri, on the 
 west bank of Establishment Creek, eight miles from 
 St. Genevieve, on the road to Potosi. Its colour 
 is a bluish white, which passes into pale blue, and 
 dark blue, and the colours are variously arranged 
 in stripes, zones, or concentric lines. It appears in 
 detached masses on the surface of the ground, and 
 associated with chalcedony and hornstone. The 
 rock formations at that place, are secondary lime- 
 stone, overlaying white sandstone. The hardness 
 of this mineral is one of its most distinguishing 
 properties. It strikes fire readily with steel, and 
 from some trials instituted by Mr. Lucius Bull, of 
 this city, whom I had furnished with specimens of 
 the rough mineral, it appears capable of receiving 
 a high polish. 
 
 66. Shale. 
 
 Shale is one of the alternating mineral strata, in 
 the Independent Coal formation at Pittsburgh, and 
 
216 
 
 is common at all the coal mines, so numerous in 
 that vicinity. It lies next to the coal, and passes 
 on the one hand into argillite, and on the other 
 into bituminous shale. A decomposition has in 
 some instances taken place, the result of which is 
 a clay of a bluish white colour, soponaceous to the 
 feel, and plastic. 
 
 67. Buhrstone. (Millstone.) 
 
 Racoon Creek, in Indiana, is noted throughout 
 the western country, for the buhrstone procured on 
 its ban^s and which is now a profitable branch of 
 manufacture. It covers an area of from ten to fif- 
 teen acres square. Its texture is vesicular, yet it 
 is sufficiently compact to admit of being quarried 
 with advantage, and the stones are applied to the 
 purposes of milling with the best success. Laurel 
 Hill in Virginia, is also noted for the millstones 
 procured there, but I did not take that place in 
 my tour, and cannot state any particulars respect- 
 ing their geological position. The stone appears, 
 from a manufactured specimen which I have seen, 
 to be a pretty compact variety of that kind of vesi- 
 cular quartz, called buhrstone. 
 
 68. Hydrogen Gas. 
 
 A phenomenon which has for several years ex- 
 cited the attention of travellers, under the name 
 of a burning spring, exists on one of the principal 
 forks of Licking River, Kentucky. It is situated 
 about three fourths of a mile from the banks of the 
 river, and about eighty miles above its junction 
 with the Ohio, opposite Cincinnati. A spring here 
 breaks out at the foot of a hill, forming a basin of 
 water about six feet in diameter, and two feet 
 
217 
 
 deep, at the bottom of which, issues a stream of 
 hydrogen gas, which in volume and force, is about 
 equal to the blast forced from a common smith's 
 bellows, but there is no cessation of its force, 
 which is such as to create a violent ebullition in 
 the water. Being heavier than common atmos- 
 pheric air, the gas on passing up through the wa- 
 ter, constantly occupies the surface, which is still 
 the lower part of an indenture in the earth at that 
 place. On presenting a taper, this gas instantly 
 takes fire, and burns with great brilliancy. There 
 is no absorption of it by the water, which possess- 
 es the purity of common spring water; neither is 
 any offensive odour thrown off, — a circumstance 
 which leads me to conclude, that it is carburet ted 
 hydrogen, which is probably liberated by the spon- 
 taneous operation of physical agents on a stratum 
 of stone coal at some depth below. 
 
 This spring has been known to dry up entirely in 
 the summer, when the air rushes out with increas- 
 ed force, accompanied by a hissing noise. There 
 is nothing like smoke emitted ; a fresh peeled sap- 
 ling, held over the flame, does not receive the least 
 colouration, and meat may be roasted over the 
 flame without contracting any disagreeable fla- 
 vour. 
 
 69. Native Iron. 
 
 A mass of native iron weighing upwards of three 
 thousand pounds, was discovered several years 
 ago, on the banks of Red River, in Louisiana, and 
 is now in the collection of the Historical Society 
 in the New-York Institution. Its shape is irregu- 
 lar, inclining to oviform, its surface deeply indented 
 28 
 
218 
 
 and covered by an oxyd of iron, and it is much 
 broader at the bottom, where it has rested on the 
 earth, than at the top, inclining somewhat in the 
 manner of a cone. By several experiments which 
 have been made upon different pieces of it, there 
 appears to be a want of uniformity in its quality, 
 some parts being very malleable and ductile, while 
 others possess nearly the hardness of steel. It is 
 susceptible of the highest polish, and is said to 
 contain some nickel. Col. Gibbs, through whose 
 munificence this rare specimen of the physical 
 productions of our country has been placed among 
 the collections of the Historical Society, has dis- 
 covered in its interior, octahedral crystals of singu- 
 lar beauty, some of which are half an inch in length, 
 and striaeted. 
 
 This mass of iron was found about one hundred 
 miles above Natchitoches, on Red River, on one 
 of those rich and extensive prairies so common to 
 that part of the country, and about twelve miles 
 from the banks of the river. Other pieces have 
 been found in that neighbourhood, and if re- 
 liance is to be placed on information from travel- 
 lers into that quarter, very large masses of native 
 iron now exist there. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 In the arrangement of the preceding Catalogue, 
 no order has been observed. Species, subspecies, 
 and varieties, differing widely in their nature and 
 composition, are promiscuously treated, and suc- 
 ceed each other without any regard to mineralo- 
 gical method. I sat down to write with my col- 
 lection of western minerals before me, taking up 
 
219 
 
 one after another, as they happened contiguous 
 and successively recorded their localities, and 
 packed them away. Such is the simple method I 
 adopted, and now that I have gone through, I am 
 not sensible that a new arrangement of the matter 
 would materially affect its utility. The labour 
 which it would be necessary to bestow in re-wri- 
 ting the article, would at least be disproportionate 
 to the benefits expected to result from it. It must 
 therefore go to the press in its present shape. It 
 contains such information on the mineralogy of the 
 western country, as I had to give, and I must leave 
 it to those who may feel interested, to pick out, ar- 
 range, and apply it. 
 
 It is not pretended that the foregoing Catalogue 
 embraces all the minerals of the western country. 
 On the contrary, there is reason to conclude, that 
 only a small portion of them have been noticed. 
 Such only as I have seen, or procured specimens 
 of, or of whose existence I am certified by concur- 
 rent testimonies, I have mentioned, adding such 
 reflections as appeared to me to be proper. It is 
 therefore rather the Catalogue of such minerals as 
 I collected on my tour, than asy attempt to embo- 
 dy all the known localities of minerals of that ex- 
 tensive country through which I passed. Many 
 others might have been added from received au- 
 thority, but I preferred making out the record of a 
 few localities well known, than of many whose ex- 
 istence, character, and extent, are involved in 
 doubt. It is the commencement of an investiga- 
 tion into the physical history, character, and re- 
 sources of the western country, and which is left 
 
220 
 
 to future observation to continue and perfect. 
 The field is an extensive one, and invites attention; 
 and I only regret the insufficiency of ray means, to 
 continue inquiries so full of interest, and so near- 
 ly allied to the wants, comforts, and indepen- 
 dence of our country. 1 must content myself 
 therefore, with having been the pioneer of western 
 science, without the advantages resulting from its 
 regular march, and of having endured many of the 
 difficulties, connected with a frontier tour, with the 
 expectation of few of its advantages. 
 
ARTICLE III. 
 
 JOURNAL 
 
 OF A 
 
 VOYAGE UP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, 
 FROM THE MOUTH OF THE OHIO TO ST. LOUIS, 
 
 WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THAT PLACE. 
 
 July 1, 1818. The dashing of oars awoke me 
 this morning at an early hour, and on quitting my 
 birth, I found the boat under rapid headway for 
 the mouth of the Ohio, with the Mississippi in full 
 view. The interest excited on approaching the 
 junction of these celebrated rivers, and a wish to 
 survey with attention the physical character of the 
 country, kept me constantly on deck. The morn- 
 ing was calm and serene, scarcely a cloud obscured 
 the atmosphere, and the sun rose majestically 
 above the horizon, clothing in light the most sub- 
 lime and beautiful scene, which, until that mo- 
 ment, I ever beheld. The novelty of the scenery, 
 the bold geographical outlines presented by the 
 banks of the rivers, the heavy forests which cast 
 their gloomy shadows upon the water, and the low 
 
222 
 
 murmur of two mighty streams hastening to mingle 
 their currents, could not fail to present a scene 
 replete with the highest interest, and capable, at 
 once, of exciting our united wonder and admira- 
 tion. Yet, I could not contemplate the junction 
 of these two streams without feeling something 
 like regret or disappointment, not because the 
 scene did not equal the expectations I had formed 
 of it, for it was all I had anticipated, but it arose 
 from the termination at that place of a beautiful 
 river, which in my descent had afforded me so 
 much pleasure, and of which I wished to see more, 
 ■ — it arose from the submersion and loss of the 
 gentle and clear Ohio in the rapid and turbid 
 Mississippi. After having pursued the Ohio from 
 Pittsburgh to its mouth, a distance of more than 
 one thousand miles, and seeing it successively 
 swelled by the Sciota, the Muskingum, the Miami, 
 the Kanhaway, Kentucky, Green, Wabash, Cum- 
 berland, Tennessee, and numerous other rivers, 
 of scarcely inferior magnitude, the traveller is in- 
 sensibly led to a contemplation of its grandeur 
 and beauty ; he feels a mingled emotion of pride 
 and satisfaction in riding down its majestic cur- 
 rent, and cannot help feeling something like regret, 
 to find it, at last, merely a tributary to the Missis- 
 sippi — that mighty stream which draws its waters 
 from a country equal in extent to the Roman Em- 
 pire in its proudest days ; and whose tributaries 
 are rivers surpassing in size the Rhine, the Da- 
 nube, or the Wolga. Such at least were my emo- 
 tions on reaching the Mississippi, which w enter- 
 ed this morning at sunrise, and found ourselves 
 
223 
 
 suddenly transported from a gentle current and 
 clear water, to a stream holding so much mud in 
 suspension as to appear perfectly opaque ; and a 
 current so rapid that it is with difficulty navigated 
 by ordinary boats. 
 
 Made this day five miles. Banks of the river a 
 rich black alluvion, elevated from ten to fifteen 
 feet above the water.— Trees chiefly cotton wood. 
 Left at the mouth of the Ohio about twenty boats 
 of all denominations, laden with merchandise, and 
 emigrant passengers, chiefly destined for Boon's 
 Lick on the Missouri. 
 
 Thursday, 2d July. Soil and timber the same as 
 yesterday. Banks twenty feet high on an average, 
 and subject to semi-annual inundation. We have 
 suffered excessively this day from musquitoes, 
 and they are now in swarms around the boat, so 
 that I promise myself little sleep this night. As- 
 cended six miles. 
 
 Friday, 3d July. We have this day passed seve- 
 ral islands covered with a rank growth of young 
 cotton wood trees, and passed for several miles 
 along a shore rendered dangerous by sawyers, 
 planters, and mags, As these terms may not be 
 familiar to an eastern reader, an explanation may 
 here be given. A sawyer is a large tree which 
 has tumbled into the river above, and got fastened 
 by its roots in the bottom, with its top pointed 
 downwards, and just appearing above the level of 
 the water, or it may terminate a foot or two below, 
 so that its locality can only be told by an experi- 
 enced hand by the ripple created in the water. 
 This tree is continually forced downward by the 
 
224 
 
 current, which is still not strong enough to tear it 
 out, and suffers it occasionally to recoil, so that a 
 regular rotatory motion is kept up, which is per- 
 formed once in ten or fifteen minutes ; and if a 
 boat be passing over it at the time it has overcome 
 the pressure of the current and is recoiling to its 
 original position, the destruction of the boat is in- 
 evitable. The power of this engine of destruction 
 is that of elasticity, which is here brought into 
 operation by the pressure of water against a co- 
 lumn of live wood eighty or ninety feet in length, 
 the bottom being fastened, and the column inclined 
 at an angle of about eighty degrees, leaving the 
 top at liberty to play like a whip-stalk. When 
 the tree does not reach within two or three feet of 
 the surface of the water, they are called sleeping 
 sawyers, and these are the most dangerous, for they 
 cannot be seen. It was on one of these that the 
 steam boat Franklin struck, and sunk, a few miles 
 below St. Genevieve. 
 
 Planters, are trees in a similar situation, but firmly 
 set, and having no motion. Snags, are small trees, 
 or limbs of large trees, sticking up in the river, and 
 may either be fixed or have motion. 
 
 Ascended this day seven miles, and came to, at 
 night, at the foot of a large island, covered with 
 the reed, or cane, a plant which has been com- 
 mon, as the undergrowth, on both banks of the 
 river, from the mouth of the Ohio thus far up. 
 
 Saturday, July 4th. Independence. To testify 
 their observance of this day, the boatmen made 
 their appearance this morning in clean shirts, and 
 were indulged with an extra dram by the captain. 
 
225 
 
 I. could not help thinking it less a tribute of honour 
 to the day, than a comfort to themselves. There 
 has thus far been a great uniformity in the appear- 
 ance of the country. The banks, however, begin 
 to rise, and from the appearance of the wild tur- 
 key and gray squirrel on the shore, it is probable we 
 are passing out of the inundated region. Ascend- 
 ed six miles. 
 
 Sunday, July 5th. A storm coming on suddenly 
 last night, and the waves beginning to rise, we were 
 compelled to make land on a falling-in bank, at the 
 head of a large island, and where we lay all night 
 in imminent danger of being crushed by the falling 
 earth, or sunk by the violence of the waves. These 
 banks are created by the current of the river be- 
 ing altered, (which generally happens during the 
 high spring floods,) and thrown forcibly against 
 the head or side of islands or banks, which are 
 continually undermining and tumbling in, so that 
 whole islands are thus swept away, and deposited 
 at some other place, where the current favours 
 the increase of some head land, or the formation 
 of new islands. 
 
 Ascended this day eight miles, which brought us 
 jto the first settlement at Tyawapaty Bottom. Here 
 are six or eight plantations, where corn, flax, hemp, 
 iobacco, pumpkins, potatoes, &c. are raised in 
 abundance. The lands are said to be too rich 
 for wheat. The peach and apple tree succeed 
 very well, and among the wild fruits, the black- 
 berry, papaw, percimmon, crab apple, and haws, 
 are abundant. This is the first spot of land suffi- 
 ciently elevated to admit of successful cultivation. 
 
 29 
 
226 
 
 and is exempt from inundation, except in uncommon 
 rises, when it is overflown for a short period, from 
 one to two feet. 
 
 Monday, July 6th. No change in the face of the 
 country. Settlements continue on the Missouri 
 shore, and the land gradually rises. Ascended 
 three miles, and lay by, waiting for hands, our crew 
 being found too weak to work the boat with ad- 
 vantage. While moored to the bank this day, 
 we were overtaken and passed by, a boat loaded 
 with pine boards and plank from Olean, on the 
 head of Alleghany River, in Cattaragus county, 
 state of New-York, and destined for St. Louis. On 
 inquiry, I learned that a considerable commerce 
 in these articles was carried on ; and that a hand- 
 some profit attended the business. The boards 
 and plank are taken in rafts from Olean, to the 
 mouth of Ohio, and from thence carried in keel 
 boats and barges to St. Louis, where they are 
 worth sixty dollars per thousand feet. 
 
 Tuesday, July 7th. Early in the morning arrived 
 at the head of Tyawapaty Bottom, at the Little 
 Chain of Rocks, where the western, or Missouri 
 bank of the river presents an elevated ridge, with 
 a rocky front to the river, and covered at top, with 
 a stratum of sterile alluvion, consisting of pebbles, 
 and chips of hornstone in a red clay, which affords 
 nourishment to a stinted growth of oaks, some 
 walnut, sassafras, and a few other trees and plants 
 peculiar to the poorer kinds of soil. This is the 
 first high land met with from the mouth of the 
 Ohio, from which it is situated thirty-five miles, 
 and fifteen miles below Cape Girardeau. 
 
227 
 
 Half a mile above the Little Cham of Rocks, arc 
 situated the Chalk Banks, where chalk of a good 
 quality is procured, and much of the chalk con- 
 sumed in the interior of Missouri, is procured at 
 that place. The beds are extensive, and the chalk 
 is raised with very little expense. Pervading it, 
 are found strata of flint, from two to four inches in 
 thickness; and I also procured some specimens of 
 flint in the nodular form, inveloped by chalk, or 
 a calcareous matter resembling chalk. There 
 is also found here, yellow and red ochre, and 
 large masses of puddingstone are found on the 
 margin of the river. It consists chiefly of silicious 
 pebbles, and sand, cemented by iron. Ascended 
 ten miles. 
 
 Wednesday, July 8th. Limestone rocks, and hilly 
 grounds, covered with oak, with occasional strips 
 of bottom land, continue on the Missouri shore. 
 On the eastern or Illinois shore, the country has 
 been wholly of alluvial formation, presenting a 
 rich level plain, covered by a heavy growth of 
 cotton wood, sycamore, elm, &c. Generally, how- 
 ever, it appears too low for cultivation, and re- 
 mains in the state of nature. On ascending five 
 miles this morning, we reached the town of Cape 
 Girardeau, which consists of about fifty houses, in- 
 cluding two stores and a post office, and is situated 
 on an eminence commanding a delightful prospect 
 of the Mississippi for several miles below, and of 
 the country of the Illinois beyond. It was former- 
 ly the seat of justice for Cape Girardeau county, 
 Missouri Territory, but according to a late law, it 
 
228 
 
 has been removed to Jackson, a flourishing town 
 situated twelve miles west of the river. 
 
 The town of Cape Girardeau, is situated fifty 
 miles above the junction of the Ohio and Missis- 
 sippi, and about eighty miles below St. Genevieve. 
 We have thus far experienced a strong current, 
 many shoals, sand bars, falling-in banks, and rafts 
 of trees, snags and sawyers without number. 
 
 Thursday, July 9th. The mineralogical charac- 
 ter of the western bank of the river, is becoming 
 more interesting. Some pieces of hornstone, jas- 
 per, radiated quartz, and argillaceous oxyd of iron, 
 have rewarded my rambles this day. The rock 
 formations are invariably limestone, chiefly secon- 
 dary, resting on red sandstone. These rise, in 
 some places, in perpendicular bluffs on the banks 
 of the river, and at others, recede for half a mile, 
 or a mile, giving place to a rich bottom of alluvial 
 formation, which is generally elevated above the 
 periodical floods. Some farm-houses are scatter- 
 ed along the shore, surrounded by the most luxuri- 
 ant corn-flelds. Corn appears to be the staple ar- 
 ticle of the farmer, although wheat succeeds very 
 well in Cape Girardeau county generally, particu- 
 larly in the interior, where considerable quanti- 
 ties are raised. Ascended seven miles. 
 
 Friday, July 10th. Rocks continue on the Mis- 
 souri shore, and have presented a perpendicular 
 wall for the greatest part of the day, presenting 
 in some places, the most novel, terrific, and en- 
 chanting viewSi Picked up a large fragment of 
 pumice, well characterized, which is annually 
 brought down the Missouri River, as the boatmen 
 
229 
 
 say, from the unknown countries at its head, where 
 volcanic fires are said to exist. Ascended seven 
 miles, and encamped at the Jllockason Spring, a 
 basin of limpid water, occupying a crevice in the 
 rock, and well known among the navigators of the 
 Mississippi, for the cooling beverage it affords. 
 
 Saturday, July 1 \th. We were passed this day 
 by the steam-boat Harriet, laden with merchan- 
 dise for St. Louis. Face of the country unaltered. 
 Some plantations on the Illinois shore. Ascended 
 five miles. 
 
 Sunday, July 1 2th. Passed the mouth of Great 
 Muddy River, a considerable stream of Illinois, 
 and whose banks afford large beds of good inflam- 
 mable stone coal. Several pieces of native cop- 
 per have also been found near the margin of this 
 river. Directly opposite the mouth of this river, 
 on the Missouri shore, is found a bed of chalk, 
 similar in appearance to that procured at the 
 Little Chain of Rocks, in Cape Girardeau county. 
 Two miles more brought us to the Grand Tower, one 
 of the wonders of the Mississippi. It is a stupen- 
 dous pile of rocks, rising out of the river, nearly 
 midway of the stream, of a ibrai nearly circular, 
 and rising somewhat in the shape of a cone, to the 
 height of about one hundred and fifty feet, and 
 capped by a stinted growth of cedars. It seems 
 in connexion with the rocky shores on either side, 
 to have opposed, at some former period, a barrier 
 to the progress of the Mississippi, which must here 
 have had a perpendicular fall of more than onr 
 hundred feet. 
 
230 
 
 In the rocks on the Illinois shore, and directly 
 opposite the Grand Tower, is a large crevice, call- 
 ed the DeviVs Oven, which is less remarkable for 
 any thing wonderful or terrific in its appearance, 
 than for its name. It may also claim notice from 
 being the first rock or highland on the Illinois shore 
 from the mouth of the Ohio, thus far up. A chain of 
 hills coming from the southwest, appears to have 
 crossed the Mississippi at this place, pursuing its 
 way into Illinois, first in a northeast direction, then 
 stretching towards the northwest, and forming the 
 eastern shore of the Illinois River, as far as obser- 
 vation has extended. By some convulsion of na- 
 ture, or the continued power of friction acting 
 for centuries upon a limestone rock, the Mississip- 
 pi has here forced its way through that barrier, 
 leaving the Grand Tower as a perpetual monu- 
 ment of that sublime physical revolution. Ascend- 
 ed seven miles, and encamped in the eddy be- 
 low Cape Garlick, after having made three unsuc- 
 cessful attempts to pass it. 
 
 Monday. July 13th. On a renewed attempt this 
 morning, we succeeded in doubling the Cape, not, 
 however, without incredible fatigue, and the loss 
 of two of our best hands, who refused to pro- 
 ceed any further; were paid off, furnished with 
 provisions, and immediately commenced their 
 journey back. Ascended half a mile further, and 
 came to, at the mouth of the Obrazo, a small river, 
 entering on the Missouri shore. It originates in 
 broken lands in the southwestern corner of St. 
 Genevieve county, and affords near its mouth, a 
 fine body of choice farming lands. While moored 
 
231 
 
 to the bank here, waiting the arrival of additional 
 hands from the interior, we were passed at diffe 
 rent periods, by four boats, chiefly laden with fur- 
 niture, and emigrants from Vermont, and the wes- 
 tern part of New-York, destined for Boon's Lick, 
 on the Missouri. 
 
 Tuesday, July 15th. Rocks occasionally on both 
 sides of the river, with some bottom lands, and a 
 few plantations intervening. Ascended six miles. 
 
 Wednesday, July 1 5fh. Scenery unaltered. No- 
 thing can equal the beauty of the varying land- 
 scape, presented for the last two days. There has 
 appeared a succession of the most novel and in- 
 teresting objects which the face of nature is capa- 
 ble of presenting. Whatever pleasure can be de- 
 rived from the contemplation of natural objects, 
 presented in surprising and picturesque groupes, 
 can here be enjoyed in the highest degree. Even 
 art may be challenged to contrast with more effect, 
 the bleak and rugged cliff with the verdant forest, 
 the cultivated field, or the wide extended surface 
 of the Mississippi, interspersed with its beautiful 
 islands, and winding majestically through a coun- 
 try, which only requires the improvements of civi- 
 lized and refined society, to render it one of the 
 most delightful residences of man. Nor is it pos- 
 sible to contemplate the vast extent, fertility, re- 
 sources, and increasing population of this immea- 
 surable valley, without feeling a desire that our 
 lives could be prolonged to an unusual period, that 
 we might survey, an hundred years hence, the phy- 
 sical and political condition of this country, and 
 live to participate in the advantages, improve- 
 
232 
 
 ments, wealth, glory, and power, which is destined 
 to crown the great basin between the Alleghany 
 and Rocky Mountains, the first kingdom upon the 
 ^lobe. Ascended seven miles. 
 
 Thursday. July IQth. The western shore of the 
 Mississippi has been unusually rugged and barren 
 this day, presenting one continued wall of lime- 
 stone, and but little ground which is capable of 
 cultivation. Cape St. Comb, which we passed at 
 noon, is remarkable for the large fragments of sand- 
 stone rock, which are lying there in the most pro- 
 miscuous manner. Some pieces of it, may be con- 
 sidered granular quartz. We frequently meet the 
 paroquet on the banks of the river, and have passed 
 several large flocks to-day. This is a kind of par- 
 rot, a beautiful bird, which is very common in 
 Louisiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. We have al- 
 so met in this day's voyage, a large flock of peli- 
 cans, but could not approach nigh enough to kill 
 any. This is a bird which frequents the waters 
 of the Mississippi, but never ventures far into the 
 interior. The wild turkey, quail, and squirrel, 
 are daily met with on either shore, and we find no 
 difficulty in killing as many as we have occasion 
 for. Ascended ten miles, and encamped at the 
 foot of Bois Brula Bottom. 
 
 Friday, July 1 7 th. We have this day passed by 
 a considerable part of Bois Brula Bottom, which 
 is one of the most fertile tracts of alluvial soil in 
 St. Genevieve county. It extends for twelve miles 
 along the margin of the river, and is a populous 
 and flourishing settlement. Ascended seven miles 
 
233 
 
 ^ind encamped, some of the hands complaining oi 
 sickness. 
 
 Saturday, July \8tL At an early hour this morn- 
 ing, we passed the mouth of the Kaskaskia, or 
 Ocaw River, a large stream running in from the 
 Illinois shore. It is a hundred yards wide at its 
 mouth, with an average depth of eight feet of wa- 
 ter, and originates in the highlands east of the Illi— 
 nois River, about two hundred and fifty miles north- 
 west of its junction with the Mississippi. Kaskas- 
 kia, one of the oldest towns in Illinois, and the 
 present seat of the territorial government, is situa- 
 ted on this river, seven miles from its mouth, and 
 
 the river will admit of being navigated with steam 
 
 © © 
 
 boats to that place. Ascended seven miles. 
 
 Sunday, July 19th. From the head of Bois Bru~ 
 la Bottom, to the commencement of the great field 
 of St. Genevieve, a distance of six miles, the coun- 
 try is rough and unsettled. Here commences a 
 rich tract of alluvion, which extends to the town of 
 St. Genevieve, a distance of five miles, and is cul- 
 tivated in common by the inhabitants. Ascended 
 this day eleven miles, which brought us to the St. 
 Genevieve landing, at the mouth of the Gabbarrie, 
 a small creek running through the town. The 
 town of St. Genevieve lies on an eminence, a mile 
 west of the landing, and consists of about three 
 hundred houses, including several stores, a post- 
 office, court-house, jail, and Roman Catholic cha- 
 pel. It is one of the principal markets for the 
 Missouri lead mines, and carries on a considera- 
 ble commerce with the interior, supplying foreign 
 merchandise to the inhabitants, and taking lead, 
 
 30 
 
231 
 
 corn, wheat, whiskey, pork, beef, deer skins, and 
 peltries in return. A branch of the Missouri bank, 
 with a capital of $ 50,000 is also established at this 
 place. 
 
 Monday, July 20th. At St. Genevieve. The 
 water of the Mississippi is falling rapidly, and 
 leaves on the shores a deposit of mud, which, is 
 in various places from a foot to two feet in depth. 
 This recent deposit appears to consist essentially 
 of silex and alumine, in a state of very intimate 
 mixture. An opinion is prevalent throughout this 
 country, that the water of the Mississippi, with 
 every impurity, is healthful as a common drink, 
 and accordingly the boatmen, and many of the in- 
 habitants on the banks of the river, make use of 
 no other water. An expedient resorted to at first, 
 perhaps, from necessity, may be continued from 
 an impression of the benefits resulting from it. I 
 am not well enough acquainted with the chymical 
 properties of the water, or the method in which it 
 operates on the human system, to deny its utility, 
 but to my palate, a glass of cool, clear spring wa- 
 ter, is far preferable to the muddy lukewarm wa- 
 ter of the Mississippi. I have seen a simple method 
 pursued for clarifying it. It is done by sprinkling 
 a handful of Indian meal on the surface of a pail of 
 water, which precipitates the mud to the bottom, 
 and the superincumbent water is left in a tolera- 
 ble state of purity. 
 
 Tuesday, July 21st. While lying at St. Genevieve 
 yesterday, we were passed by several keel boats, 
 and barges with emigrants, merchandise, pine 
 plank, from Olean, &c. all destined for St. Louis 
 
Among the number of emigrants with whom I con- 
 versed, were several from the District of Maine, 
 from Vermont, Connecticut, New-York, Pennsyl- 
 vania, North Carolina, and Kentucky ; whose des- 
 tination was chiefly Boon's Lick, on the Missouri. 
 On ascending three miles above St. Genevieve 
 this morning, we came to the Little Rock Ferry. 
 where the west bank of the river presents a 
 wall of limestone, which continues for several 
 miles up. At this place we had occasion to 
 witness a remarkable instance of longevity in 
 the person of M. Burton, whose age is stated at 
 one hundred and nine years, and whose life has 
 been spent in the fatigues and activity inseparable 
 from the pursuits of a soldier and a hunter. He 
 was at Braddock's defeat, — at the siege of Louis- 
 bourg, — at the taking of Bergen-op-Zoom in Flan- 
 ders, — at the building of Fort Chartres in Illinois, 
 and was the discoverer of those rich and extensive 
 lead mines in Washington County, which continue 
 to be called after him. Ascended twelve miles. 
 
 Wednesday, July 22c?. Limestone rock, washed 
 by the river, — hills back covered chiefly with 
 oak, — lands poor, and strewed with detached 
 shivers of flint, and hornstone, which are some- 
 times accompanied by the ancient Indian dart, and 
 radiated quartz. Those detached strips of allu- 
 vion, which occasionally intervene between the 
 most prominent points of rocks, are covered by a 
 very rank growth of plants, shrubs, and vines : 
 among which the wild pea, and the hop, are con- 
 spicuous. The forest trees immediately bordering 
 the river are cotton wood and sycamore, with 
 
236 
 
 some papaw, buckeye, and hackbcrry. We were 
 passed near evening by the steam boat Harriet, on 
 her descent from St. Louis, and also by two keel 
 boats, going to the mouth of Ohio for pine plank. 
 The west banks of the river have this day present- 
 ed some sublime views, particularly at a place 
 called the Dormant Walls, which are elevated at 
 least 200 feet above the water's edge, and bear 
 the marks of attrition of some ancient ocean, to 
 which it has served as the western barrier, and 
 now bears a thousand fanciful forms, imprinted by 
 the action of the water. Ascended thirteen miles. 
 
 Thursdaij, July '23d. The bold and rude scenery 
 presented by the western bank of the river yester- 
 day, has continued nearly all this day, sometimes 
 rising into very high peaks, and at others gradu- 
 ating into gentle hills, covered with oaks, and 
 bounded on the margin of the river by small 
 alluvial tracts. Passed the mouth of the Flatten 
 Creek, Cornice and Swashing Rocks, and arrived 
 at Herculaneum about mid-day. Distance five 
 miles. 
 
 Herculaneum is a town of between 30 and 40 
 houses, and is handsomely situated on the west 
 bank of the Mississippi, at the mouth of Joachim 
 Creek. It has three stores, a post office, and school ; 
 and there are three shot towers, two flouring mills, 
 a distillery, and tan yard in its vicinity. It is one of 
 the principal markets for the Missouri Lead mines.* 
 
 Friday, July %ith. At Herculaneum. The boat 
 unexpectedly ends her voyage at this place — cargo 
 
 * Herculaneum has since been fixed upon as the seat of justice for Jeffer- 
 son County. 
 
237 
 
 ail discharged, and it returns. Directly oppo- 
 site Herculaneum, on the Illinois shore, lies Harri- 
 sonville, a small town of about twenty houses, and 
 the seat of justice for Monroe County, Illinois. It 
 is situated on a tract of alluvial land called the 
 American Bottom, which extends from the Kas- 
 kaskia river along the margin of the .Mississippi 
 for a hundred miles, and has a breadth of from 
 three to ten miles. It is one of the richest bodies 
 of land in the western country, producing all kinds 
 of grain and fruits in great perfection and abun- 
 dance. Its margin on the river is covered by a 
 dark and heavy forest of trees, with a rank growth 
 of underbrush ; but at the distance of a mile, or a 
 mile and a half from the banks of the Mississippi, 
 the prairies commence, and extend to the rocky 
 bluff by which the tract is bounded on the east. 
 
 Saturday, July 25th. At Herculaneum. This 
 town is situated thirty miles below St. Louis, thirty 
 above St. Genevieve, and one hundred and seventy 
 above the junction of the Ohio with the Mississip- 
 pi. The lead mines lie 35 miles southwest of it. 
 The scite of this town has been chosen with a ju- 
 dicious eye ; its local relation to the adjoining coun- 
 try being such as to render it the key to its com- 
 merce. It lies on a high level alluvial plain, en- 
 vironed on both sides by rocky bluffs, which appear 
 here to have been placed asunder to allow the Jo- 
 achim a passage into the Mississippi. These bluffs 
 are crowned by shot towers, which add much to 
 the picturesque appearance of the place, and af- 
 ford the visitor a most enchanting view of the Mis- 
 sissippi river for many miles below and above ;-— 
 
238 
 
 of its islands and banks — of the American bottom, 
 and of the bluffs beyond; 
 
 The geological character of the western banks 
 of the Mississippi, from the first highland which is 
 met with at the Little Chain of Rocks, to this place, 
 has preserved a great uniformity. The lowest 
 stratum of rocks is a grayish yellow, or reddish 
 sandstone, which passes in some places into a gray- 
 ish white sandstone, coarse grained, nnd in others 
 to a very fine white granular quartz. This is over- 
 layed by transition, and secondary limestone, the 
 latter being the highest and last deposit, containing 
 numerous impressions of shells, animalcula, and 
 plants. Primitive limestone (compact) is found on 
 the bluffs back of this town. 
 
 Sunday, July 26th. Having no opportunity to 
 continue my journey by water, 1 determined to 
 pursue my way to St. Louis by land, and set out 
 this morning, in company with two of my fellow 
 voyagers, on foot, having taken directions as to the 
 roads and distance. After travelling seven miles 
 we arrived at the Sulphur Springs, a place which is 
 occasionally resorted to on account of its medici- 
 nal properties. The water is pretty strongly im- 
 pregnated with sulphur, and is supposed to have 
 a beneficial effect in bilious complaints. The 
 scenery in the vicinity of the springs is highly pic- 
 turesque, and the place is susceptible of being 
 made a delightful resort. Five miles more brought 
 us to the banks of the Merrimack river, where we 
 arrived at dark, and prevailed with the ferryman 
 to take us across, notwithstanding the darkness of 
 the night, and the rain, which after having threat- 
 
239 
 
 ened a shower all the afternoon, now began to fall- 
 Mistaking our way, however, on leaving the west 
 banks of the river, we wandered about for two or 
 three hours in the woods, the rain pouring in tor- 
 rents, and the night so dark that we could only 
 progress when the lightning served to show us the 
 way ; and at last found the house we were in 
 search of. The Merrimack is a stream of two 
 hundred yards across, and originates in high lands 
 two hundred and fifty miles southwest of its junc- 
 tion with the Mississippi, ft affords some fine 
 bodies of land, and near its head are large forests 
 of pine, which are destined to furnish boards and 
 plank for building to a great portion of the sur- 
 rounding country. Its banks also furnish large 
 beds of iron ore, and manganese ; and the exten- 
 sive lead mines in Washington County are all situ- 
 ated on its tributary streams. 
 
 Our road this day has lain across a sterile tract 
 of country, consisting of a succession of hills of 
 moderate elevation, covered chiefly by oaks, and 
 without underbrush. A tall, thick, and rank growth 
 of wild grass, covers the whole country, in which 
 the oaks are standing interspersed, like fruit trees 
 in some well cultivated orchard, and giving to the 
 scenery the most novel, pleasing, and picturesque 
 appearance. Distance fifteen miles. 
 
 Monday, July 11th. On travelling twelve miles 
 this morning, we arrived at the old French village 
 of Carondalet, or Vedc-pouche. It lies immediately 
 on the margin of the Mississippi, and contains 
 about sixty buildings, exclusively occupied by the 
 French, who are chiefly engaged in agriculture 
 
240 
 
 Nearly opposite Carondalet, on the Illinois shore, 
 lies the town of Cahokia, the seat of justiee for 
 St. Clair County, Illinois. It has about one hun- 
 dred houses including the county buildings, a post- 
 office, a Roman Catholic chapel, and an office for 
 the sale of public lands. The inhabitants are 
 chiefly French. This town is the residence of the 
 presidingjudge of the Territory, the Hon. J. B. 
 Thomas. 
 
 On quitting Carondalet, we entered upon an 
 elevated tract of highland prairie, without forest 
 trees, and covered by tall grass and shrubs. The 
 road across this' tract preserves a parallelism with 
 the Mississippi, from which it is situated about 
 half a mile, and affords several commanding pros- 
 pects of that river, and of the country beyond. At 
 the distance of three miles a sudden change is 
 witnessed, and a rich tract of improved country, 
 with numerous well constructed buildings, fences, 
 orchards, &c. indicated our approach to St. Louis, 
 where we arrived at about four o'clock, and enjoy- 
 ed a serene evening, for viewing the town. Dis- 
 tance eighteen miles. 
 
 Tuesday, July 28th. Description of St. Louis. St 
 Louis is situated in Lat. 38° 36" N. and Long. 
 12° 58" W. from Washington City. It is built upon 
 the west bank of the Mississippi river, eighteen 
 miles below the junction of that river with the 
 Missouri, and thirty miles below r the mouth of the 
 Illinois. It is twelve hundred miles above the city 
 of New-Orleans, two hundred above the junction 
 of the Ohio and Mississippi, and fifteen hundred 
 miles, by computation, below the Falls of St. An- 
 
241 
 
 thony. The town occupies an elevated plain in a 
 bend of the river, which has a gradual ascent from 
 the landing in front, to the rear of the town, where 
 it terminates in a level and extensive prairie, or 
 plain. This plain consists of a stratum of alluvial 
 soil, bottomed on limestone rock, which forms a 
 permanent shore in front of the town, and for se- 
 veral miles below and above it. It contains 5,000 
 inhabitants, and about £50 houses, a great propor- 
 tion of which are well constructed buildings of 
 brick or stone. Among the number, are 40 stores, 
 a postoffice, a land office, two chartered banks — 
 the Bank of Missouri, and the St. Louis Bank, and 
 one private bank, called the St. Louis Exchange 
 Bank. All the ordinary trades and callings, are 
 established, and the mechanic industry of the 
 place, supplies not only the necessaries, but many 
 of the elegancies of life. It has one brewery, two 
 distilleries, two water mills, one steam flouring 
 mill, and a mill propelled by ox power. It has a 
 court-house, jail, theatre, three churches, a muse- 
 um, and several public schools, where not only 
 the rudiments, but some of the higher branches 
 of education are taught. The museum is the 
 private property of Gov. Clark, through whose 
 generosity visiters are gratuitously admitted to 
 view the collection, which is arranged with great 
 taste and effect, in the council chamber of his 
 agency. The collection consists of numerous 
 splendid Indian dresses, warlike instruments, skins 
 of remarkable animals, minerals, fossil-bones, and 
 other rare and interesting specimens, collected by 
 him in his memorable tour to the sources of the 
 31 
 
242 
 
 Missouri River, to the Rocky Mountains, and to 
 the mouth of the Columbia River. 
 
 St. Louis is the seat of justice for St. Louis 
 county, and the seat of legislation for the territory. 
 It will also be the seat of government for the con- 
 templated state of Missouri, and I anticipate the 
 day, when it will be the seat of empire for that 
 vast basin of land, situated between the Alleghany 
 and Rocky Mountains on the east and west, and 
 between the northern Lakes and the Gulph of 
 Mexico on the north and south. Its situation in 
 point of beauty, health, and convenience, is rare- 
 ly equalled, and no place in the world, situated so 
 far from the ocean, can at all compare with it, for 
 commercial advantages. It is so situated with re- 
 gard to the surrounding country, as to become the 
 key of its commerce, and the store-house of its 
 wealth, and if the whole western region be sur- 
 veyed with a geographical eye, it must rest with 
 unequalled interest on that peninsula of land form- 
 ed by the junction of the Missouri with the Mis- 
 sissippi, a point occupied by the town of St. Louis. 
 Standingnearthe confluence of such mighty streams, 
 an almost immeasurable extent of back country 
 inost flow to it with its produce, and be supplied 
 from it, with merchandise. The main branch 
 of the Missouri is navigable two thousand five hun- 
 dred miles, and the most inconsiderable of its tri- 
 butary streams, will vie with the largest rivers of 
 the Atlantic states. The Yellowstone, which en- 
 ters the Missouri 1,800 miles from its mouth, is it- 
 self navigable 800 miles.— The La Platte— the 
 Kanzas — the Osage — the Soo — the White Stone — 
 
243 
 
 the Manitow — and the Gasconade, are all navi 
 gable from 300 to 700 miles, and flow through 
 a country rich in all the productions of a climate 
 the most genial, healthy, and serene. The Mis- 
 souri, and its tributary streams, will supply navi- 
 gation to a district of country 600 miles wide, and 
 2000 miles in extent. The Mississippi is naviga- 
 ble without interruption, 1000 miles above St. 
 Louis. Its tributaries, the Corbeau, Iowa, Ous- 
 consin, St. Pierre, Rock River, Salt River, and 
 Desmoines, are all streams of the first magnitude, 
 and navigable for many hundred miles. The Illi- 
 nois is navigable 300 miles, and when the commu- 
 nication between it and Lake Michigan — between 
 the Mississippi, and Lake Superior, and the Lake of 
 the Woods — between the Missouri and the Colum- 
 bia — between the Yellowstone and the Multnomah, 
 shall be effected, communications not only point- 
 ed out, but almost completed by nature, what a 
 chain of connected navigation shall we behold ? 
 and by looking upon the map, we shall find St. 
 Louis the focus where all these streams are dis- 
 charged, the point where all this vast commerce 
 must centre, and where the wealth, and the refine- 
 ments, flowing from these prolific sources, must 
 pre-eminently crown her the queen of the west. 
 
 The valley of the Missouri in point of fertility, 
 will well compare with the delta of the Nile, and 
 lies mostly under a climate which is a medium be- 
 tween the cold winters of New-England, and the 
 hot summers of Georgia. The soil is adapted to 
 the raising of corn, wheat, rye, oats, flax, hemp, 
 and tobacco. The flax and hemp of Boon's Lick. 
 
244 
 
 is generally noted for its vigorous growth, and the 
 fineness and flexibility of its fibres. The soil ap- 
 pears also peculiarly adapted to corn, which at- 
 tains an almost incredible height, and yields 
 abundantly. Some of the stalks will measure 
 twenty feet, and as high as ninety bushels have 
 been gathered from an acre, on the average of a 
 large field together. Emigration is now flowing 
 into this region with unexampled rapidity, already 
 do settlements extend to the mouth of the Osage 
 and Mine Rivers, and several towns are in the 
 most flourishing condition. The principal of these 
 are, Franklin, St. Charles, and Chariton, and 
 should emigration proceed at the rate now indica- 
 ted, fifty years will behold the banks of the Missouri 
 from its mouth, to the La Platte, one of the most 
 populous and well cultivated tracts in the western 
 country. On the Mississippi also, we see the 
 march of emigration, and the progress of improve- 
 ment. The country is already settled as high as 
 Salt River, which is bordered by a fertile and exten- 
 sive tract of land, and the settlements at Prairie 
 Du Chien are in a very promising state of advance. 
 It is probable this place will be chosen as the seat 
 of territorial government, whenever it becomes 
 expedient to erect a separate executive depart- 
 ment for the government of the Northwest Terri- 
 tory. 
 
 By extending our military post to the Yellow- 
 stone, and the Falls of St. Anthony, the fur trade 
 of the northwest regions, and the Upper Missouri, 
 which is now engrossed by the British traders, and 
 carried on through the Lakes and Montreal, will 
 
245 
 
 in few years, be turned into its natural channel?, 
 the Mississippi, and the Missouri. St. Louis will 
 then become the great depot of this trade, as 
 Montreal is now, and by the supplies it will furnish, 
 and the furs and peltries it will receive in return, 
 will add yearly to its wealth and increase. This 
 measure will also be attended with the most im- 
 portant benefits to the frontier settlements, who 
 will thereby be protected from savage invasions 
 and wars, and be enabled to extend themselves 
 into countries, which would otherwise remain a 
 wilderness for at least half a century longer. The 
 copper mines of Lake Superior, the lead mines of 
 Prairie Du Chien, and of Washington county, with 
 the mines of coal, iron, zinc, manganese, and other 
 minerals which abound in this country, are also 
 destined to accelerate its march to wealth, civi- 
 lization, and refinement, and a considerable pari 
 of the advantages arising from these, must always 
 concentrate at St. Louis. 
 
ARTICLE IV. 
 
 TOPOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF WHITE RIVER, 
 
 IN 
 
 ARKANSAW TERRITORY, 
 
 In order duly to estimate the magnitude, posi- 
 tion, character, and importance of any of our 
 great western rivers, it is necessary to consider 
 the relation they bear to each other, and to the 
 surrounding country. A mere topographical de- 
 scription of an insulated section of country, a 
 mountain, a stream, or a mine, may possess its 
 value, but without a survey, however cursory, of 
 the contiguous regions, it must lose much of its 
 interest to the general reader, and much of its utili- 
 ty to the geographical student. It will be necessary 
 therefore, to cast a glance at the extensive coun- 
 try, in which this river lies, before its individual 
 consideration can be profitably commenced. 
 
 In looking on the map of ancient Louisiana, the 
 most striking physical trait presented, is the Rocky, 
 or Chippewan Mountains, extending from Mexico 
 into the unexplored regions north and west of Lake 
 Superior, with the Del Norde, Red River, the Ar- 
 kansaw, the Kanzas, La Platte, and Yellowstone, 
 all issuing from its sides near the same point, and 
 uniting, (with the exception of the former,) at dif- 
 
247 
 
 ierent points in the vast basin below, with the Mis 
 souri, the Ohio, and the Mississippi, in whose con- 
 gregated flood they roll on to the Mexican Gulph. 
 Other streams traverse that country, but these are 
 the only rivers of Louisiana, whose heads rests on 
 the Chippewan Mountains. Immediately at the 
 foot of these mountains, commences the almost in- 
 terminable plains of sand, or desert, which stretches 
 from north to south, for more than a thousand 
 miles, and has an average breadth of six hundred. 
 To this succeeds the highlands and mountains of 
 the present territories of Missouri and Arkansaw, 
 and which preserve a pretty exact parallelism 
 from north to south, with the Chippewan chain, 
 and give rise to several rivers of secondary magni- 
 tude. This is again bounded by the alluvial tract 
 of the Mississippi, being the third grand parallel 
 division, presented by the surface of the soil. 
 Through these the Red River, and the Arkan- 
 saw, hold their unaltered course, and reach the 
 Mississippi without a fall ; while the Kanzas, the 
 La Platte, and the Yellowstone, bending north- 
 ward, reach the Missouri, without meeting any 
 mountains to oppose their progress. Those rivers 
 of secondary magnitude, and whose origin is east 
 of the highlands bordering the western desert are 
 the Teche, Vermillion, Tensaw, Washitaw, Little 
 Missouri, Courtableau, Bo3uf,Crocodile,LiUle Red. 
 Grand River, White River, Black River, the Osage, 
 Merrimack, Gasconade, and St. Francis. Of these. 
 White River, a stream hitherto almost wholly un- 
 known, or only known to hunters, and which has 
 not received its deserved rank on any existing map. 
 
2 48 
 
 is one of the most considerable. It was therefore 
 with surprise, that 1 found on travelling into those 
 remote regions, so considerable a stream, unno- 
 ticed by geographers, or only noticed, to attest 
 their want of information respecting its length, size, 
 tributaries, character, productions, and importance. 
 I therefore concluded, that a summary of these 
 particulars, as observed by myself during a tour 
 into that quarter, would be an acceptable piece 
 of service, and with this view, began these obser- 
 vations. 
 
 White River originates among the Pawnee 
 Mountains, near the 97th degree of west longi- 
 tude, and about the 36th of north latitude. And 
 after running in a very serpentine course for thir- 
 teen hundred miles, enters the Mississippi, fifty 
 miles above the mouth of the Arkansaw, and seven 
 hundred above New-Orleans. Its waters, unlike 
 most of the western rivers, are beautifully clear 
 and transparent, being wholly made up of springs 
 which gush from the flinty hills that are found for 
 more than half its length, within a hw miles of, 
 and often immediately upon its banks. So much 
 of the country through which it runs, is therefore 
 sterile and rough, but the immediate margin of the 
 river, uniformly presents a strip of the richest al- 
 luvial bottom land from a quarter of a mile to a 
 mile and a half in width. On this, corn, wheat,, 
 rye, oats, flax, hemp, and potatoes, have a vigo- 
 rous growth, the mildness of the climate, and the 
 fertility of the soil combining to render it one of 
 the most favourable of all countries for the pur- 
 suits of agriculture. Cotton also succeeds on the 
 
249 
 
 banks of this river as high up as settlements have 
 extended, and will hereafter be an important item 
 among its agricultural productions. The district 
 of tillable land on this river, like many others west 
 of the Mississippi, is chiefly confined to its banks, 
 which in few instances exceed a mile in width: 
 Bordering this, is found a chain of hills on either 
 side, which sometimes close in upon the rivers 
 banks in perpendicular cliffs, and the adjacent 
 country may in general be considered as sterile. 
 To this remark, all its tributaries maybe considered 
 as exceptions, for they invariably afford, however 
 small, strips of the most fertile lands, covered with 
 a heavy growth of forest trees and underbrush. 
 The cane is also common to this stream in its 
 whole course, and affords a nutritious food for 
 cows, horses, and hogs, who are fond of, and fatten 
 upon it. This plant being an evergreen, cattle may 
 feed upon it all winter, and it is accordingly given 
 to cattle and horses, by the Indians and hunters, 
 as a substitute for hay. 
 
 The only inhabitants on the upper parts of 
 White River, so far as inhabitants have penetra- 
 ted, are hunters, who live in camps and log cabins, 
 and support themselves by hunting the bear, deer, 
 huffaloe, elk, beaver, racoon, and other animals 
 who are found in great plenty in that region. They 
 also raise some corn for bread, and for feeding 
 their horses, on preparing for long journeys into 
 die woods, or other extraordinary occasions. They 
 seldom, however, cultivate more than an acre or 
 two, subsisting chiefly on animal food and wild 
 honey, and pay no attention to the cultivation of 
 
 32 
 
250 
 
 garden vegetables, if 1 except some cabbages, 
 noticed at a few habitations. When the season of 
 hunting arrives, the ordinary labours of a man 
 aboul the house and corn-field devolve upon the 
 women, whose condition in such, a state of society 
 may readily be imagined. They in fact pursue a 
 similar course of life with the savages ; having em- 
 braced their love of ease, and their contempt for 
 agricultural pursuits, with their sagacity in the 
 chace, their mode of dressing in skins, their man- 
 ners, and their hospitality to strangers. 
 
 The furs and peltries which are collected dur- 
 ing repeated excursions in the woods, are taken 
 down the river at certain seasons in canoes, and 
 disposed of to traders, who visit the lower parts of 
 this river for that purpose. Here they receive in 
 exchange for their furs, woollen cloths, rifles, knives 
 and hatchets, salt, powder, lead, iron for horse 
 shoes, blankets, iron pots, shoes, and other arti- 
 cles of primary importance in their way of life. 
 Those living near the cultivated parts of Lawrence 
 County, in Arkansaw Territory, also bring down 
 in exchange for such articles, buffaloe beef, pork, 
 bears' meat, bees' wax, and honey; which are 
 again sold by the traders along the banks of the 
 Mississippi, or at New-Orleans. Very little cash 
 is paid, and that in hard money only, no bank bills 
 of any kind being taken in that quarter. I hap- 
 pened to be present, on my return from the head 
 waters of White River, at one of these exchanges, 
 where a further opportunity was offered of observ- 
 ing the manners and character of these savage 
 Europeans. Bears' meat was sold at $10 per cwt. 
 
251 
 
 buffaloe beef at $ 1; cows' beef at $3; pork, in the 
 hog, at $3.50; venison hams at 25 cents each; 
 wild turkies the same; wild honey at $1 per gal- 
 lon; beaver fur $2 per lb. ; bears' skins $1.50 each; 
 otters' skins $2 apiece; racoon 25 cents each; 
 deers' skins 25 cents per lb. These prices were 
 considered high by the purchaser, but they were 
 only nominally so, for he paid them off in articles 
 at the most exorbitant rates. Common three-point 
 or Mackinaw blankets were sold at $8 each ; 
 butcher knives at $2; rifle locks at $8; common 
 coarse blue cloth at $6 per yard; coffee at 75 
 cents per lb. ; salt at $5 per bushel; lead at 25 
 cents per lb. ; gunpowder at $2 per lb. ; axes at 
 $6 each ; horse shoe nails at $3 per set, &c. The 
 trade of this river is consequently attended with 
 profits which amply repay for the risks and fatigues 
 incident to a voyage in that quarter. Vast quan- 
 tities of furs and skins are annually brought down 
 this river, with some bees' wax, honey, beef, ba- 
 con, &c. and whenever the hunter population 
 yields to the farming and mechanical class, the list 
 of its productions will be swelled by corn, rye, 
 wheat, oats, flax, hemp, and cotton ; a sufficiency 
 of each of which has already been raised, to show 
 that the climate and soil are well adapted to their 
 culture. Its mineral products may also claim our 
 future attention. Iron ore, lead, zinc, and manga- 
 nese, have already been discovered ; and among 
 its earthy minerals may be enumerated marble, 
 flint, agate, jasper, hornstone, and rock crystal ; 
 specimens of which, with some others, I pick- 
 ed up during my journey there. Caves with 
 
252 
 
 nitre are also common, and large forests of pine 
 timber, which will be wanted in the progressing 
 settlements on the Mississippi, are situated on its 
 northern tributaries, and may be floated down at 
 an inconsiderable expense. 
 
 White River runs in its whole length through a 
 section of country, which according to a recent 
 political division, belongs to the Territory of Ar- 
 kansaw ; but several of its tributaries originate in 
 Missouri, the chief of which are James River, 
 Great North Fork, or Pine River, and Black River, 
 with its auxiliaries, Currents, Fourche a Thomas, 
 Spring River, Eleven-points, and Strawberry River. 
 
 About one hundred and fifty miles below the 
 
 Pawnee Mountains, the main south fork of White 
 
 River is joined by the War Eagle, and Osage Forks, 
 
 forming what is known among hunters as the three 
 
 forks of White River, a region remarkable for the 
 
 abundance of beaver found in its streams. In the 
 
 course of the succeeding two hundred miles it is 
 
 joined by King's River and Tower Creek on the 
 
 south, and by the Waterbolt or Roaring Fork, and 
 
 James River on the north, the latter being- bv far 
 
 the largest stream it has thus far received, and 
 
 contributing nearly as much water as all the others 
 
 put together. From the mouth of James River to 
 
 its junction with the Mississippi, it is successively 
 
 joined by Long, Bull, Swan, Beaver, and Big 
 
 Creeks, by the Little North Fork, the Great North 
 
 Fork orPine River, Black River, Bayou de Loutsho, 
 
 and Cosh River, on the north ; and on the south by 
 
 Bear Creek, Crooked Creek, Buffaloe Fork, and 
 
 Little Red River; and it is finally connected with 
 
253 
 
 the Arkansaw River by a natural canal called the 
 cutoff, about thirty miles above its junction with 
 the Mississippi, and which affords a navigable 
 water communication at all seasons. Many of I he 
 above tributaries are streams of no ordinary mag- 
 nitude, and afford boat navigation for many hun- 
 dred miles ; and they are all characterized by 
 strips of rich alluvial lands on their banks. James 
 River, Buffaloe Fork, Great North Fork, Black 
 River, and .Little Red River, merit individual at- 
 tention. 
 
 James River. This stream originates in high- 
 lands a few miles south of the Gasconade, in Mis- 
 souri Territory, and after running in a southwest 
 direction for two hundred miles, in the course of 
 which it is swelled by Findley's River, and by 
 other streams, forms a junction with White River 
 one thousand miles above its mouth, [ts waters 
 have the purity of crystal ; it lies under a climate 
 the most mild, salubrious, and delightful; and on 
 its banks are situated a body of the most fertile 
 and beautiful lands which the whole valley of the 
 Mississippi affords. The timber on its banks is 
 abundant, a remark which cannot with justice be 
 made of many parts of the adjacent country, and 
 is remarkable for its size and its value, and nothing 
 can exceed the vigour and the verdure of vegetable 
 nature on this beautiful and neglected stream. 
 Prairies are also found within a mile of its western 
 banks, and extend towards the Grand Osage, as 
 far as the eye can reach, level as a graduated 
 plain, and waving with tall grass, on which the Elk, 
 
254 
 
 the Buffaloe, and the Deer, feed in countless num- 
 bers. 
 
 Findlej River forms a junction with this stream, 
 near the centre of this choice body of land, and 
 about one hundred miles above its mouth. Twen- 
 ty miles above the junction of these streams, on 
 the immediate banks of James River, are situated 
 some valuable lead mines, which have been known 
 to the Osage Indians, and to some White River 
 hunters, for many years. The Indians have been 
 in the habit of procuring lead for bullets at that 
 place, by smelting the ore in a kind of furnace, 
 made by digging a pit in the ground, and casing it, 
 with some ilat stones, placed so as to resemble the 
 roof of a house inverted ; — such is the richness of 
 the ore, and the ease with which it melts. The 
 ore has not, however, been properly explored, 
 and it is impossible to say how extensive the beds 
 or veins may prove. Some zinc, in the state of a 
 sulphuret, is found accompanying it. There is not 
 one inhabitant on all this stream ; my own cabin, 
 erected for a temporary purpose at the mines in 
 January last, is the only human habitation within 
 two hundred miles of that place. 
 
 Buffaloe Fork. This river originates near the 
 north banks of the Arkansaw, and after traversing 
 a rocky country for about one hundred and eighty 
 miles in a northeast course, joins White River at 
 the Buffaloe Shoals, about seven hundred miles 
 above the Mississippi. It is a fine region for game, 
 and affords some good lands. 
 * Great North Fork, or Pine River. This is a 
 stream of two hundred miles in length, and a hun- 
 
2>)5 
 
 dred yards wide at its mouth. Its waters are clear, 
 being entirely made up of springs, which are nu- 
 merous all along its banks, but the navigation is 
 interrupted by rapids. It originates with James 
 River and the Gasconade, in a ridge of high land, 
 which throws a part of its waters into the Missouri, 
 and a part into the Mississippi, the streams run- 
 ning in opposite directions. In travelling into 
 that country, I accidentally arrived at the extreme 
 head of this river, where it consists only of some 
 drizzling springs, and pursued it down, in all its 
 windings, to its junction with White River, about 
 twelve miles below the mouth of BufFaloe Fork. 
 It is bordered on both sides by limestone blufFs, 
 covered generally with tall pines, and affording 
 some detached strips of valuable land. On the 
 whole, it must, however, be considered a sterile 
 region, which will never admit of a dense popula- 
 tion. The bottoms are overrun by cane, and brier, 
 which render travelling extremely fatiguing. 
 
 This stream appears generally to have been 
 considered by geographers as the head of White 
 River, which is accordingly made to originate 
 on most maps at this place. The error has been, 
 in some degree, corrected in Robinson's new map 
 of Louisiana, lately published at Natchez, which 
 may be esteemed the best map extant respecting 
 that section of country. He calls it Pine River. 
 
 Black River. This large, deep, and gentle river, 
 is composed of numerous auxiliary streams, which 
 draw their waters from the counties of Wayne, 
 New-Madrid, and Lawrence, the two former lying 
 in Missouri Territory, and the latter in Arkansaw, 
 
256 
 
 It is navigable with boats of the largest burden, at 
 all seasons of the jear, for more than one hundred 
 miles. Little Black, Curren's, Fourche a Thomas, 
 Eleven-points, Spring River, and Strawberry Ri- 
 ver, are all streams of considerable size, coming in 
 on the west, and deserve particular notice on the 
 future maps of that country. Their banks af- 
 ford choice bodies of fertile lands, which are 
 already the seat of many plantations and farms, 
 where corn, rye, wheat, oats, tlax, hemp, and cot- 
 ton, are raised in the greatest perfection, and the 
 settlements are rapidly increasing. Considerable 
 quantities of beef and pork are also put up for the 
 New-Orleans market, every facility being afforded 
 by the luxuriance of grass in the woods, and 
 the abundance of acorns in the fall, for raising 
 and fattening hogs and cattle. Lawrence coun- 
 ty is generally considered among the first farm- 
 ing districts, west of the Mississippi. Davidson- 
 ville, the seat of justice for this county, is situa- 
 ted on the west bank of Black River, at the junc- 
 tion of Spring River. The settlements on Straw- 
 berry River, on the Currents, Fourche a Thomas, 
 Poke Bayou, and other places, are in a flourishing 
 state of advance. 
 
 Little Red River. This stream issues near the 
 sources of Buffalo Fork, and runs parallel with the 
 Arkansaw for a great distance, but inclines gradu- 
 ally to the northeast, and joins White River, about 
 two hundred miles above its mouth. It affords a 
 considerable body of choice land, but is subject 
 to very sudden rises, which overflow its banks, 
 
257 
 
 and have retarded, in some degree, the further 
 settlement of its valley. 
 
 Such are the principal tributaries of White River, 
 a stream which is navigable with keel-boats of iO 
 tons burthen, to the foot of Buffaloe Shoals, a dis- 
 tance of seven hundred miles from its mouth, and 
 may be ascended with light vessels five hundred 
 miles higher. It draws its waters from a district 
 of country about three hundred miles in width, by 
 seven or eight hundred in length, having on its 
 borders and tributaries large bodies of very rich 
 lands, mixed with much that is poor and unfit for 
 cultivation, but taking into view its advantageous 
 situation for commerce, its political relation to the 
 two territories in a part of each of which it lies, and 
 the extensive bodies of farming lands on James 
 River, Buffaloe Fork, and Black River, we may an- 
 ticipate the period when a large population shall 
 find their support on its banks — when numerous 
 villages and towns shall decorate its banks and 
 the productive labour of its inhabitants swell 
 greatly the commerce of the westerncountry while 
 they themselves command an important influence 
 m its political transactions. 
 
 33 
 
ARTICLE V. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION* 
 
 Sec. 
 
 1. 
 
 Hot Springs of Ouachitta. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 2. 
 
 List of Steam-boats on the Mississippi 
 
 Sec. 
 
 3. 
 
 Precious Stones of Missouri. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 4. 
 
 Manganese. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 5. 
 
 Antique Silver Cup. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 6. 
 
 Lead Mines of Millersburg, Kentucky 
 
 Sec. 
 
 7. 
 
 Antique Glasses in Hamburgh, New- 
 York. 
 
 Sec. 
 
 8. 
 
 Dwarf Skeletons. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 Hot Springs of Ouachitta, ( Washitaw.) 
 
 The attention of the traveller in the interior of 
 Missouri and Arkansaw, is frequently arrested by 
 the novelty of the scenery, and the wild and singu- 
 larly fanciful aspect of the country ; and he is of- 
 ten induced to stop to survey some cavern, water- 
 fall, high loose-hanging cliff, or other natural 
 phenomenon. But if the country be surveyed with 
 a single eye to its natural curiosities, the Hot 
 Springs of Washitaw will be found by far the most 
 wonderful and interesting of any yet noticed. 
 
259 
 
 These springs, which have been known for ma- 
 ny years, are situated on a stream called Hot 
 Spring Creek, which falls into the Washitaw River 
 eight miles below. They lie fifty miles south of 
 the Arkansaw River, in Clark county, territory of 
 Arkansaw, (lately Missouri,) and six miles W. of 
 the road from Cadron to Mount Prairie on Red 
 River. 
 
 The approach to the Springs lies up the valley 
 of the creek, which is partly made up of its waters. 
 On leaving the banks of the Washitaw, the face of 
 the country almost imperceptibly changes from a 
 rich soil, covered with a luxuriant growth of trees, 
 to a sterile mineral tract, and on coming near the 
 springs, the traveller is presented with one of the 
 most picturesque views of nature. On the right 
 hand rises the Hot Mountain, with the springs 
 issuing at its foot; on the left, the Cold Mountain, 
 which is little more than a confused and mighty 
 pile of stones, and the view in front is terminated 
 by a high point of land, which makes down gradu- 
 ally into the valley, and separates the creek into 
 two forks, of nearly equal size. 
 
 The Hot Mountain is about three hundred feet 
 high, rising quite steep, and presenting occasion- 
 ally ledges of rocks, and terminates at top in a 
 confused mass of broken rocks, with here and 
 there a pine or oak tree. Its sides, notwithstand- 
 ing their sterility and the steepness of the ascent, are 
 covered by a most luxuriant growth of vines, par- 
 ticularly muscadine, the fruit of which is delicious. 
 Haws and blackberries are also found in great 
 abundance. 
 
260 
 
 The Cold Mountain is separated from the Hot ? 
 by a valley of about fifty yards wide, through which 
 the creek flows, is nearly as steep as the other, 
 about of an equal height, and terminates in the same 
 confused manner. Some pine trees are found on 
 it, but its side are destitute of vegetation. 
 
 The springs issue near the foot of the Hot. 
 Mountain, at an elevation of about ten feet above 
 the level of the creek. They are very numerous 
 all along the hill side, and the water, which runs 
 in copious streams, is quite hot. It will scald the 
 hand, and boil an egg hard in ten minutes. Its 
 temperature is considered that of boiling water, but 
 Doct. Andrews of Red River, tells me it cannot be 
 reckoned over 200° of Fahrenheit. There is a 
 solitary spring, situated seventy feet higher than 
 the others, on the side of the mountain, but it is 
 also of an equal temperature, and differs in no re- 
 spect from those below. A dense fog continually 
 hangs over the springs, and upon the side of the 
 hill, which at a distance, looks like a number of 
 furnaces in blast. It is this fog, which is water in 
 the state of vapour, which is probably condensed 
 by the cold air at night, and produces such a rank 
 growth of vines on the side of the mountain, where 
 otherwise there would hardly exist a sign of vege- 
 table life. 
 
 An idea of the beneficial effects of this water is 
 generally prevalent throughout the territory, and 
 numbers annually resort to the springs. They are 
 thought serviceable in rheumatisms, ulcers, sore- 
 eyes, dropsy, and pains in the breast : and are 
 said to prove efficacious in all chronic com- 
 
261 
 
 plaints. The method of using the water is vari- 
 ous. Bathing and sweating, are generally resorted 
 to. It is also drank as hot as can be borne, and is 
 not productive of nausea in the stomach, like com- 
 mon warm water. Of the chymical or medicinal 
 properties of the water, little is known. An analy- 
 sis is said to have been made, which indicated a 
 little carbonat of lime. The water looks extremely 
 clear, pure, and beautiful, and the substances 
 which are united with it, (if any besides caloric and 
 lime,) are held in solution, for it deposits no sedi- 
 ment by standing. 
 
 There is abundance of a beautiful green moss 
 growing in the springs, near the edges, and their 
 devious courses to the creek below, are only indi- 
 cated by a more vigorous growth of grass and moss 
 all along the borders, and a brighter green. That 
 warm water is a most stimulating food for plants 
 has been frequently asserted. A satisfactory evi- 
 dence is here afforded of it. 
 
 The mineralogical character of the country 
 around the springs, is highly interesting. Three 
 miles above, is a quarry of oil-stone, (novaculite,) 
 ©f the most valuable kind. The stone has a 
 very compact texture, is heavy, translucent, and 
 gives a fine edge to a razor, &c. It is consi- 
 dered equal to those imported from Turkey. The 
 rock formations here, are limestone, slate, and 
 quartz. Veins of white quartz are found running 
 through the slate rock four or five feet wide, and 
 detached pieces of it, beautifully crystallized, 
 (rock-crystal,) are found in plenty in the neighbour- 
 hood of the springs. A vein of singular earth, a 
 
262 
 
 kind of lithomarge, is also found at the springs. It 
 is soft, like clay, of a soponaceous feel, and of a 
 texture so delicately fine, that it feels to the touch 
 like satin. It would probably operate as a deter- 
 gent to the oily particles of newly woven cloth, 
 and in this respect answer the purposes of ful- 
 ler's earth. 
 
 At the Cove on Washitaw River, fifteen miles 
 below the springs, there is a body of loadstone, 
 also white, and blue vitriol, iron ores, and mica. 
 Unmagnetical pyrites of iron, of a brass-yellow 
 colour, and crsytallized in cubes, is also the 
 product of that neighbourhood ; and there is a 
 stone, which on burning and exposure to the air, 
 yields a saline substance, of the nature of Glauber's 
 salts. 
 
 The Hot Springs are situated on public land, 
 which is only valuable on account of the springs, 
 and such minerals as may exist in that quarter. 
 It is too sterile for farming. A New-Madrid claim 
 has been lately laid upon them, by colonels Ham- 
 mond and Rector, of St. Louis, and by some others, 
 so that the title is in dispute. They are destined 
 to become a place of great resort, — the BaUston of 
 the south. 
 
263 
 SECTION II. 
 
 List of steam boats on the Mississippi and its 
 tributary streams. (1819.) 
 
 Names. Tonnage. 
 Ramapo ....100, 
 Rising States 150, 
 Maid of Orleans 100, 
 
 Hamlet 100, 
 
 Perseverance 50, 
 Johnson .... 75, 
 
 Eagle 100, 
 
 Vesta 110, 
 
 Harriet 40, 
 
 Constitution . . 45, 
 Louisiana .... 60, 
 Gov. Shelby.. 60, 
 Franklin .... 80, (sunk) 
 Rifleman .... 60, 
 Newport .... 45, 
 Expedition . . 150, 
 General Clark 150, 
 Henderson . . 150, 
 
 Tornado 250 f 
 
 Elizabeth . .. .175, 
 Missouri Pack- 
 et 100, 
 
 Post Boy (for passengers 
 
 only) 
 West. Engineer 40. 
 
 No. 
 
 Names. 
 
 Tonnage. 
 
 No 
 
 1. 
 
 
 .200, 
 
 .280, 
 
 28. 
 
 2. 
 
 Vesuvius . . . 
 
 29. 
 
 3. 
 
 
 .200, 
 
 30. 
 
 4. 
 
 Alabama . . . 
 
 .300, 
 
 31. 
 
 5. 
 
 Columbus. . . 
 
 400, 
 
 32. 
 
 6. 
 
 Tamerlane . 
 
 .200, 
 
 33. 
 
 7. 
 
 James Ross . 
 
 .250, 
 
 34. 
 
 8. 
 
 United States 500, 
 
 35. 
 
 9. 
 
 Paragon . . . 
 
 .250, 
 
 36. 
 
 10. 
 
 I'hos. Jefferson 200, 
 
 37. 
 
 11. 
 
 Ohio 
 
 .300, 
 
 38. 
 
 12. 
 
 Gen. Jackson 
 
 100, 
 
 39. 
 
 13. 
 
 Maysville . . . 
 
 .152, 
 
 40. 
 
 14. 
 
 Exchange . . . 
 
 .154, 
 
 41. 
 
 15. 
 
 Volcano . . . 
 
 .140, 
 
 42. 
 
 16. 
 
 Madison . . . 
 
 .100, 
 
 43. 
 
 17. 
 
 Kentucky . . . 
 
 . 60, 
 
 44. 
 
 18. 
 
 Hecla . ... 
 
 .100, 
 
 45. 
 
 19. 
 
 Napoleon . . . 
 
 .200, 
 
 46. 
 
 20. 
 
 Washington . 
 
 .150, 
 
 47. 
 
 21. 
 
 Buffaloe . . . 
 
 .100, 
 
 48. 
 
 22. 
 
 James Monroe 
 
 ; 70, 
 
 
 23. 
 
 Cincinnati 
 
 . 85, 
 
 49. 
 
 24. 
 
 St. Louis . . . 
 
 .200, 
 
 
 25. 
 
 General Pike 
 
 75, 
 
 50. 
 
 26. 
 
 Independence 
 
 100, 
 
 
 27. 
 
 St. Louis Pack 
 
 
 
 
 
 .150, 
 
 
 7,306 Tom, 
 
264 
 
 In addition to this, there are two new boats 
 building at Pittsburgh, one at Wheeling, one at 
 Steubenville, one at Marietta, two at Cincinnati, 
 one at Frankford, two at Shippingport, one at Ma- 
 dison, and two at New Albany, making a total 
 number of sixty-three. There are also several 
 more in contemplation, so that it is probable ano- 
 ther year will considerably augment the number. 
 The first steam boat on the western waters, was 
 built at Pittsburgh in 1 81] , eight years ago. Hence 
 it appears there has been an average increase of 
 eight boats per annum ; but by far the greatest 
 proportion have been built within the last three 
 years. 
 7306 Tons at 4 cents per lb. freight up 
 
 from New-Orleans, amounts to $584,480.00 
 
 7,306 Tons at 1 cent per lb. freight 
 
 down to New-Orleans 146,120.00 
 
 1 passengers down in each boat at % 60 39,800. 00 
 
 5 do. up in each boat at % 100 31,500.00 
 
 $801,900.00 
 
 It is presumable that each boat will perform 
 three trips to and from New-Orleans per annum ; 
 which will make an aggregate amount of freight 
 and passage money of $2,405,700.00 per annum. 
 From this some idea of the trade, population, and 
 business of the vast valley of the Mississippi may- 
 be formed. And let it be remembered at the 
 same time, that the transportation of merchandise 
 is not wholly done by steam boats. The Ohio and 
 Mississippi are still lined with keel boats and 
 
265 
 
 barges, and much of the produce is still carried to 
 market in flat-bottomed boats, of a temporary con- 
 struction, which are not calculated to ascend the 
 stream, and are generally sold for a trifle, or aban- 
 doned. 
 
 The following is extracted from a comparative 
 statement of the increase of the principal articles 
 of produce, which have come to the New-Orleans 
 market for a period of three years. 
 
 Productions. 1813. 1816. 1817. 
 
 Bacon & Hams, cwt. 7000 13,000 18,000 
 
 Butter, lbs. 500 1,800 
 
 Cotton, bales 60,000 63,000 65,000 
 
 Corn, bushels 120,000 130,000 140,000 
 
 Flour, barrels T5,000 98,000 190,000 
 
 Molasses, gallons 500,000 800,000 1,000,000 
 
 Pork, barrels 8,000 9,700 22,000 
 
 Sugar, hhds. 5,000 7,300 28,000 
 
 Taffia, gallons 150,000 300,000 400,000 
 
 Tobacco, hhds. 5,000 7,800 28,000 
 
 Wheat, bushels 95,000 
 
 Whiskey, gallons 150,000 230,000 250,000 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 Precious Stones of Missouri. 
 
 Ascending the Mississippi River with a particu- 
 lar view to the mineralogical character of the 
 country, I have been enabled to detect several 
 minerals of a rare and useful|kind, which a less at- 
 
 34 
 
26b 
 
 tentive observer may have passed unnoticed ; and 
 among them, carnelian, jasper, and opal, may be par- 
 ticularly mentioned. 
 
 Several specimens of these gems, now before 
 me, were found on the banks of the Mississippi, 
 at the Grand Tower, Herculaneum, and St. Louis ; 
 and for transparency, hardness, and riches of co- 
 lour, are only excelled by the finest oriental speci- 
 mens. 
 
 The avidity with which they are sought by 
 lapidaries, and the high value set upon them from 
 the remotest antiquity, and by all nations, gives 
 the subject additional importance, and may render 
 some further particulars acceptable. The traffic 
 in those articles has been almost wholly confined 
 to Europe, Asia, and Africa, while the new world 
 has been considered destitute of them. At least, 
 but few traces of them have been discovered in 
 North America, and none have heretofore beeia 
 aflbrded by the United States. But the more we 
 examine into the mineral character of our country, 
 the more interesting is it found, and every year is 
 adding some new item to the catalogue of useful 
 minerals. Hence the opinion is imperceptibly 
 acquiring strength, that it is the neglect which this 
 department of science has experienced, (and not 
 the poverty of our streams and mountains) that has 
 heretofore prevented us from setting a proper es- 
 timate upon the mineral resources of our divers! 
 fied and extensive country. 
 
 I. Carnelian. Of this stone I have eleven speci 
 mens. The colour of the first five is blood-red,, 
 intermingled with flesh-red, and honey yellow. 
 
2G7 
 
 and exhibiting altogether a clouded appearance 
 They are transparent in a considerable degree, 
 possess much lustre, and so hard as not to be 
 scratched by the file ; nor does the nitric or muri- 
 atic acid affect them in the least. The several 
 pieces are in the shape of detached lumps of an 
 elliptical figure; or fragments of no determinate 
 shape, possessing a smooth conchoidal fracture. 
 The sixth specimen is globular, of a clear honey 
 yellow, intermixed on one side with dark red spots.) 
 and on the other presenting two sections of a cir- 
 cle joined at their opposite extremities, and com- 
 posed of concentric lamina of a reddish hue, giving 
 the whole, when held up to the light, an appear- 
 ance of singular beauty. The other five specimens 
 are of an uniform smoke-brown colour, and pos- 
 sess considerable transparency. 
 
 2. Jasper. A specimen of this now before me, 
 is the fragment of a nodule or oviform piece which 
 has been broken nearly through its centre longi- 
 tudinally. The fracture is smooth conchoidal. 
 It is perfectly opaque, and shining, and consists of 
 concentric layers of olive green, alternating with 
 yellowish-brown. Another specimen is flesh and 
 rose-red, in alternate stripes ; and a third is striped 
 blue and white. 
 
 3. Opal. Of this rare stone I have only suc- 
 ceeded in procuring one specimen; it is, however, 
 one of incomparable beauty. The colour is such 
 a compound of blue, yeiiow, and white, as charac- 
 terizes the richest oriental specimens ; neither 
 can be said to predominate, but are so blended as 
 
268 
 
 to present a changeable hue when held in different 
 directions to the light. The lustre is pearly : in 
 transparency it is opalescent. The outside is rough, 
 and has a vitreous appearance. 
 
 In addition to these, it may be mentioned that 
 some stones of greal lustre, transparency and hard- 
 ness, and of a rich sniform yellow colour, are also 
 found, and which appear to me to partake of the 
 character of the Brazilian topaz. The Mississippi 
 also affords tabular pieces of a silicious stone, so 
 colourless and transparent, that they would proba- 
 bly be considered as Scotch pebble by the lapida- 
 ries. Of both of these, I possess numerous speci- 
 mens. 
 
 These stones are all brought down the Missis- 
 sippi during the spring floods, when the water 
 runs with the utmost velocity, and are washed up on 
 those sand bars, islands, and beaches of the river, 
 against which the current sets the strongest. Of 
 their original situation, we can only form conjec- 
 tures. They are probably afforded by one of the 
 head streams of the Mississippi. The Missouri is 
 not characterised by them, and they are reported 
 to be in greater plenty above than below its junction 
 with the Mississippi. Rock River and the River 
 Desmoines, are said to be characterised by a sin- 
 gular variety of stones and rocks, and may proba- 
 bly be the sources from which these fragments 
 have been carried down. Desmoines enters the 
 Mississippi, two hundred and thirty-three miles 
 above St. Louis, and Rock River, three hundred 
 and ninety miles, which is about one hundred and 
 
269 
 
 twenty-seven miles below the lead mines of Prairie 
 DuChicn. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 Manganese. 
 
 "This useful mineral has recently beea discover- 
 ed on Big Sandy River, in the vicinity of Green- 
 upsburg, Kentucky, where it is said to exist in 
 great abundance, and judging from the external 
 character of a sample in my possession, I am led 
 to think it is of a quality no way inferior to that of 
 foreign production. 
 
 " Manganese is a heavy black, metallic sub- 
 stance, resembling in the more perfect specimens 
 cast iron, and soiling the fingers like soot. It is 
 employed in the arts by the bleacher, potter, and 
 glass-maker, and for the purpose of experiment in 
 the laboratory of the chymist. By the bleacher 
 it is used in the preparation of oxy-muriatic acid, 
 according to the method of bleaching now univer- 
 sally pursued. By the potter it is employed in 
 communicating a black glazing to the ware. By the 
 glass-maker for depriving his compositions of the 
 green hue given by iron, and occasionally as a 
 colouring ingredient : and by the chymist, for pro- 
 curing oxygen gas, which substance it yields in 
 great abundance. Its importance as an item in 
 the catalogue of useful minerals afforded by the 
 United States, is therefore considerable; and it 
 
270 
 
 may be regarded as an advantageous discovery in a 
 country which has hitherto been supplied with this 
 article, exclusively by Great Britain, imported 
 either directly from the island of Britain, or from 
 her dependencies in Nova Scotia/' 
 
 The above was originally inserted in the Ken- 
 tucky Herald, a paper printed at Louisville, under 
 the signature of " A Traveller." Manganese is 
 also found on the Merrimack River, in Missouri ; 
 at Bennington, Barre, and Monckton, in Vermont; 
 and at Franconia in New-Hampshire. That on the 
 Merrimack, is a discovery I made last fall, (181 8,) 
 on a tour into the interior of Missouri. It lies in 
 vast quantity, about forty miles southwest of Poto- 
 si, on the Indian trace to the Gasconade and 
 Osage; and accompanied by ores of iron. I have 
 also met with a body of manganese, on the divid- 
 ing ridge between Eleven-points, and Fourche 
 a Thomas, two streams running into Black River. 
 
 In addition to the uses of manganese already 
 enumerated, it may be mentioned, that it is em- 
 ployed in small quantity in the manufacture of en- 
 amels and artificial gems or pastes. It is an ingredi- 
 ent in that kind of mortar or cement, which is in- 
 tended to stand under water, as in the construc- 
 tion of light houses, cisterns, canals, &c. It is em- 
 ployed as a pigment, both for painting upon wood 
 and glass, and has some uses in the farrier's art. 
 In glass-making it is of the highest importance ; 
 without it, hardly a piece of good crystal glass 
 could be made, and it has been employed in this 
 art from the earliest time. It is known to have 
 been used before the commencement of the Christian 
 era, and long before its peculiar nature was under- 
 
271 
 
 stood. Its ancient name of glass-soap still conveys 
 an idea of its particular use, which is to deprive 
 the glass of any accidental foulness of colour. If all 
 the materials of glass could be prepared in a state 
 of absolute purity, and then melted without coming 
 in contact with smoke or any other carbonaceous 
 matter, manganese would be unnecessary. But 
 this, however easy in a chymical experiment, is 
 impracticable in a manufactory in the large way. 
 If the materials were all pure, they would melt 
 colourless, there would be no need of manganese 
 to rectify the colour ; but to obtain this purity 
 would cost a greater sum, than the article would 
 sell for when made. When, therefore, every precau- 
 tion has been taken in the preparation and purifi- 
 cation of the materials the last portions of iron must 
 be got rid of by a small dose of manganese. This 
 possesses the property of discharging the green 
 hue which glass acquires from iron — from the 
 iron which is chymically combined in the state of 
 an oxyd with the sand, the potash, and every other 
 ingredient employed. When the dose of manganese 
 is too great, it communicates a violet tinge to the 
 glass ; if more be added, the colour is full and rich, 
 and if an excess be employed, it turns black and 
 opaque from the intensity of colour. If the quan- 
 tity taken be too little, a greenish hue will be re- 
 maining in the glass; and it requires a skill and 
 nicety in the proportioning this ingredient, which 
 is only to be acquired by practice. Regard must 
 constantly be had to the purity of the materials 
 used, and the varying degrees of purity from day to 
 day, according as good or bad sanrl or alkali b^ 
 
272 J J 
 
 employed, or as a defect in the preparation is ob- 
 servable, so that it is a subject requiring the con- 
 stant attention of the glass-maker, and no invari- 
 able, rule applicable to all times and situations, 
 can be given. The common dose to a pot of flint- 
 glass, is three ounces, but this indicates the mate- 
 rials in a state of considerable purity. The con- 
 struction of the furnace, the kind of wood or other 
 fuel employed, and other circumstances, have also 
 a prodigious effect in varying the result of the same 
 composition. That which will melt well and pro- 
 duce an article of excellent quality, at a furnace, 
 which in the technical phrase runs hot, may pro- 
 duce a very defective ware, at another, where a 
 less intense degree of heat is given, or less skill 
 has been manifested in the smelting. It is not 
 alone in the excellency of a receipt, that the art 
 of making glass consists, it is necessary also that 
 the art of inciting be understood ; and there is full 
 as much skill required in the latter, as in the for- 
 mer : and 1 believe artists oftener fail from inat- 
 tention to melting of glass, than from a defect in 
 their compositions. For the receipts, although 
 various, are generally good, — they do not prepare 
 the materials with sufficient purity — they do not 
 compound them with sufficient precision — and 
 above all, they do not melt them with sufficient skill 
 To excel in melting, requires a well constructed 
 furnace, one built of the best materials put together 
 in the best manner; and a good furnace is ot 
 little use, without refractory melting pots, and both 
 these must fall short of success, if not heated by 
 the best fuel— by the best wood, well dried, 01 the 
 
275 
 
 atrongest inflammable stone-coal. Hence the ne 
 cessity of an unremitted attention to these subjects, 
 — of a knowledge of the principles of the different 
 substances employed — of precision in the practice 
 — of skill in the theory. Hence the importance of 
 chymical, as well as mineralogical knowledge. 
 For an artist who is continually operating with alka- 
 lies, salts, clays, sands, &c, should be perfectly con- 
 versant with their nature, properties, and affini- 
 ties; the changes they undergo by mixture with 
 each other, by exposure to heat, air, light, and un- 
 der every other situation in which they are capa- 
 ble of being placed. To a want of this informa- 
 tion, we may attribute the complaints which have 
 been so universal against American glass. But 
 we are growing wise, and shall, by and by, consider 
 a man a better artist, for having had a better edu- 
 cation. 
 
 Manganese has not been classed as a peculiar 
 metal over forty years. It was formerly consider- 
 ed as an ore of iron. In the state in which we see 
 it in commerce, it is the oxyd of manganese of chy- 
 mistry. On exposure to a high heat, in a close 
 crucible, with charcoal, it is reduced to a metallic 
 state. 
 
 35 
 
276 
 
 SECTION V, 
 Antique Silver Cup. 
 
 There is now in the possession of Mr. Samuel 
 Hill, of St. Clair county, Illinois, a silver cup which 
 was taken from one of the mounds at Marietta, on 
 the Ohio. 
 
 In a tour lately mode through that country, I paid 
 a visit to Mr. Hill, at his house, near Cahokia, and 
 had an opportunity to examine the cup. It is in the 
 form of an inverted cone, measuring three and a 
 half inches across at top, two and a half at bottom, 
 and four inches in height. It appears to be of 
 pure silver, and so skilfully wrought that no traces 
 of the plating hammer are discernible. The bot- 
 tom, which is circular, has been separately forged, 
 accurately fitted to the sides or barrel of the cup, 
 and soldered in, and the line of attachment is 
 plainly observable. Its interior surface has been 
 gilt, or washed with a bright yellow untarnishable 
 metal, which is undoubtedly gold; but the gilding 
 is impaired in some places, and the vessel appears 
 to have been considerably used. 
 
 I am further enabled to state, from a conversa- 
 tion with Mr. Hill, that the cup was found in a 
 mound at Marietta, half a mile east of those re- 
 markable ancient fortifications on the Muskingum, 
 which have attracted the notice and the wonder of 
 travellers since the earliest settlement of the coun- 
 try. The mound is situated on a woody plain, 
 with a gentle declivity towards the river, and a 
 
277 
 
 femall stream washes its base ; and during the au- 
 tumnal rains, or the melting of the snow in springy 
 runs with the velocity of a torrent. Thus it has 
 gradually washed away the earth, and laid open the 
 mound for a considerable space, and in this situa- 
 tion the cup was noticed by the discoverer, ft was 
 then in a bruised and shapeless mass, and foul 
 from adhering clay, &c. ; but being taken to a sil- 
 versmith, was put into the shape it now presents, 
 which is probably the shape it originally had. Its 
 value, by weight, at this time, is about $15. It 
 bears no device, or ornamental work of any kind, 
 being a perfectly plain, heavy piece of workman- 
 ship. 
 
 It is impossible to view this relic of antiquity 
 without feeling the strongest interest in the subject, 
 and an irresistible desire to know by what nation 
 or tribe of people it was fabricated ; at what period 
 of the world, and why they have become extinct, 
 or abandoned the country, without leaving any 
 other traces of their history, but what are to be 
 drawn from mounds, fortifications, and other anala- 
 gous relics, which are every day found in the path 
 of the emigrant and traveller. But we must wait 
 till facts accumulate, before the mystery can be 
 unravelled. We cannot, however, contemplate the 
 present discovery, without admitting the conclu- 
 sion, that whoever were the manufacturers of this 
 vessel, and whatever the epoch to which we refer 
 its origin, they certainly possessed a greater skill 
 and knowledge of mining, minerals, and mechan- 
 ic arts, than any of the savage tribes who inhabit- 
 
278 
 
 ed the country when first visited by Columbus. 
 Americus, Cortez, Cabot, Hudson, or La Salle. 
 It is not supposed that the Mexicans, however ad- 
 vanced towards refinement, when conquered by 
 Cortez, possessed the skill in working silver, which 
 is indicated by the Marietta cup. Neither do any 
 of the savage tribes at the present day, after an in- 
 tercourse and acquaintance of nearly 300 years 
 with Europeans, possess the ordinary skill of the 
 silversmith, plater, or»refiner. 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 Lead Mines of Jllillersburgh, Kentucky. 
 
 These mines are situated 28 miles north of Lex- 
 ington, on the main road leading to Maysville 
 They lie in the town of Millersburgh, Bourbon 
 county, and 8 miles north of Paris, the county 
 seat. 
 
 They were discovered in the year 1799, in an 
 extraordinary manner. A farmer standing on an 
 eminence, overlooking a cornfield on the planta- 
 tion of Maj. Miller, observed the stalks in commo- 
 tion, produced by the trembling of the earth in 
 that place, which continued to increase until the 
 earth exploded ; when the farmer, terrified with 
 fear, ran home. Some days afterwards, plough- 
 ing in the same field, he turned up a lump of lead 
 ore with the plough, and this gave the hint for 
 making a search. On digging, a large body of 
 
279 
 
 *>re was struck at no great depth ; and a number 
 of discoveries have since been made in that neigh- 
 bourhood, the principal of which is Elliot's mine. 
 I should hesitate to mention the extraordinary 
 phenomenon attending this discovery, were it not 
 authorized by the most respectable and intelli- 
 gent persons of that neighbourhood. 
 
 The effects of the explosion were discernible 
 for two miles in a particular direction, which is 
 that of the vein of lead ore, as was found by sink- 
 ing in various places upon it. Mr. Elliot sunk a 
 shaft 40 feet deep in pursuit of the vein of ore, and 
 in that distance there was a gradual increase in 
 its size, and it was left when the vein was the 
 largest, and the prospect of arriving at a body of 
 ore, the most flattering. 
 
 The ore found in this vein was imbedded in 
 white quartz, pervading a rock of ^hard blue lime- 
 stone, which underwent a decomposition on expo- 
 sure to the air and weather. The ore, when well 
 cleaned, often produced 75 per cent, in the large 
 way ; and Mr. Elliott, who has since carried on 
 the mining business in Washington county, (Mis- 
 souri,) tells me he considers the prospect more 
 flattering at that place, than at any mine he has 
 seen west of the Mississippi. Not that there is a 
 greater bodv of ore in view, or that the district oi 
 lead ore is any wise so extensive ; but such pros- 
 pects as do exist are of a character entirely to be 
 depended upon ; and such as, if the vein was fol- 
 lowed up, would more certainly lead to a large 
 body of ore. He thinks it would justify the ex- 
 penditure of a considerable sum in digging and ex- 
 
280 
 
 ploring ; that to do it effectually, such a sum would 
 be required, and that such an expenditure would 
 undoubtedly lead to an invaluable discovery of 
 ore. 
 
 These mines were worked under the authority 
 of a lease from Maj. Miller, proprietor of the soil.- 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 Antique Glasses, discovered in Hamburgh, Niagara 
 County, JVeiv- York. 
 
 " An opinion is entertained by many well inform-* 
 ed persons in the United States, that the country 
 has, at some remote period, been inhabited by a 
 civilized people, prior to its settlement or subjuga- 
 tion by the savages : and to the many evidences 
 furnished to strengthen the opinion by the remains 
 of fortifications, tumuli, &c. may be added the dis- 
 covery of a number of pieces of glass, of singular 
 workmanship, lately made in Hamburgh, Niagara 
 County. 
 
 " I have been favoured with an opportunity to ex- 
 amine one of these glasses, and on the authority of 
 my informant am enabled to remark, that they were 
 taken up about two months ago from an ancient 
 barrow in the town of Hamburgh, where they were 
 found deposited in an earthen pot. Contiguous 
 to this pot were also found a skull, and some other 
 bones of the human frame, of an unusual size. 
 This mound, or supposed repository of the dead, is 
 
281 
 
 situated in an uncultivated part of the town, and 
 several trees were growing upon it at the time the 
 excavation was made; some of which were judg- 
 ed to be upwards of two feet in diameter. 
 
 " The glass which I had an opportunity to exam- 
 ine, (and I am informed they are all alike,) is in the 
 form of a large barrel-shaped bead ; consisting of 
 a tube of transparent green glass, covered with an 
 opaque coarse red enamel. Its length 9 tenths of 
 an inch ; its greatest width 6 1-2 tenths of an inch ; 
 and the bore of the tube 2 tenths of an inch. Near 
 the circle of the bore of this tube is an aperture of 
 the size of a large needle, perforating the tube 
 from one end to the other. The enamel which 
 covers the tube of transparent glass, appears to 
 have been ornamented with painting, in figures re- 
 sembling a spindle, or two inverted sections of a 
 circle; but they are now hardly perceptible, as 
 the bead appears to have been considerably worn. 
 
 " But the circumstance most indicative of art in 
 the making of this bead, is a species of enamelling 
 which has been performed both on the external 
 and internal surfaces of the tube, previous to its 
 being covered by the coarse red enamel. This 
 second enamel is white, and as the external sur- 
 face of the tube was not smooth, but in parrallel 
 strie or veins, exhibits the appearance of a white 
 vine between the green tube and the red enamel. 
 This enamelling appears to me to have been done, 
 not by melting on any vitreous composition, as is 
 practised at the present day, but by the effect of 
 calcination for some time in a low red heat. This, 
 it is known, will deprive glass, especially green 
 
282 
 
 glass, of its transparency j and render the surface 
 white to a certain depth. 
 
 44 The composition of the tube of glass, I have 
 judged to be simply a silicious sand and an alkali ; 
 probably with a small addition of lime or vegetable 
 ashes. It is hard, and will not receive scratches 
 like the lead glasses, and I conclude from this cir- 
 cumstance that there is no lead in the composition. 
 Its colour seems also owing to the impurity of the 
 materials employed, like the common window and 
 bottle glass ; and is probably caused by a minute 
 portion of iron in the state of an oxyd, combined 
 with the sand and alkali. 
 
 44 The red enamel covering the tube, and the pot 
 in which these glasses were found, seem to have 
 been constructed of similar materials, as they dif- 
 fer very little in colour, texture, or other external 
 character. Probably a very fusible brick clay, 
 highly impregnated with the oxyd of iron, and pul- 
 verized fragments of green glass, are the principal 
 ingredients of both. The earthen pot is manifestly 
 constructed of different materials from those em- 
 ployed far brown pottery at the present period. 
 It is a more imperishable substance, of a close tex- 
 ture, and vitreous appearance. 
 
 44 I shall not presume to speculate in opinions 
 which discoveries of this interesting nature are 
 calculated to create ; it may, however, here be 
 added, that the fabrication of these glasses would 
 suppose a perfection in the arts which none of the 
 Indian tribes inhabiting this country at the period 
 x>f its discovery, had arrived to. That if introduced 
 by the French from Canada, in their earliest com- 
 
283 
 
 tnunications with the Indians inhabiting the west- 
 ern parts of this State, a sufficient time would 
 hardly have elapsed for the growth of trees of such 
 size as were found upon the mound from which 
 these relics were taken. And that if not introduced 
 by the French at the period alluded to, we must 
 refer their manufacture back to a very remote 
 date, and one on which Indian tradition is wholly 
 silent." 
 
 The above was originally printed in the Utica 
 Patriot (Sept. 1817,) under a fictitious signature. 
 Since visiting the western country, I have had oc- 
 casion to notice a similar discovery on Big River, 
 in the Territory of Missouri. On opening an In- 
 dian grave (or what is considered such) on the 
 banks of this river, several beads of glass, of a 
 similar nature, were found. They were accompa- 
 nied by many bones of the human frame, of a most 
 extraordinary size, and which indicated a stature 
 eight feet in height. The person appeared to have 
 been deformed, either by birth or through acci- 
 dent ; the right jaw bone running in a straight 
 line from the mouth back, while the left preserved 
 the usual curve. 
 
 This excavation was made near tbe banks of 
 the river, where the soil is a rich alluvion, and 
 covered by a heavy growth of forest trees, such as 
 are peculiar to the richest Ohio and Mississippi 
 bottom lands. 
 
 tf 
 
284 
 
 SECTION VIIL 
 
 Dwarf Skeletons. 
 
 From ihe Missouri Gazette of November C, 1818. 
 
 A short time since, Mr. Long, the proprietor of 
 a farm on (he south side of the Merrimack River, 
 about fifteen miles from this place, (St. Louis) dis- 
 covered on the scite on which he had fixed his 
 dwelling, a number of graves, the' size of which 
 appeared uncommonly small. This awakened 
 his curiosity, and led him to a minute examination, 
 which convinced him they were the remains of 
 human beings much smaller than those of the pre- 
 sent day. He seemed warranted in this conclu- 
 sion, as well from the uniform appearance of ihe 
 skeletons, (the length of which in no case exceed- 
 ed four feet) as from the teeth, which bore the evi- 
 dent marks of those belonging to adult persons. 
 He communicated these facts to a gentleman of 
 this place, who on Sunday last, together with two 
 other gentlemen, accompanied by Doctors Walker 
 and Grayson, proceeded to the place of interment. 
 They found, as had been stated, in a wood adja- 
 cent to the house, a great number of graves, all 
 situated on small tumuli or hillocks, raised about 
 three feet above the surface ; they examined seve- 
 ral, the first of which by actual measurement was 
 discovered to be only twenty-three inches in length. 
 The grave was carefully cased up on both sides, 
 as well as at the head and foot with flat stones ; in 
 
285 
 
 the bottom also a stone was fixed, on which the 
 body was lying* placed on the right side with the 
 head to the east. Time had completely destroyed 
 all the soft parts of the body, as well as decom- 
 posed the bones, which, however, still preserved 
 their relative situation. The teeth, which were 
 expected to furnish the best, and perhaps only 
 data to judge, were found in a state almost perfect, 
 being defended by the enamel, which seems only 
 to yield to chemical decomposition. To the asto- 
 nishment of all, they proved to be the teeth of a 
 being, who, if it had not attained the age of pu- 
 berty, had unquestionably arrived at that period 
 of life when the milk teeth yield to the second or 
 permanent set. The molares and incisorcs were of 
 the ordinary size of second teeth. The jaw bone 
 seemed to have its full complement, unless it was 
 the dcntis sapienta, or what is better understood by 
 the wisdom teeth, which make their appearance 
 from the age of eighteen to twenty-two or twenty- 
 three. The next grave examined was on an adja- 
 cent mound, and measured twenty-seven inches ; 
 it resembled in every respect the first, except that 
 the top of it was covered with flat stones placed 
 horizontally. Several others were opened, all of 
 which presented a uniform appearance ; and none, 
 although many were measured, proved to be in 
 length more than four feet two or three inches. 
 
 From these facts the mind is brought to the ir- 
 resistible conclusion, that these are the remains of 
 beings differing altogether from, and inferior in 
 general size, to ourselves. 
 
280 
 
 For if in the subject first mentioned we suppose 
 it to be a being of the usual growth, the facts of 
 its having attained the age of seven or eight years, 
 as seems proven from the teeth, is directly oppo- 
 site to, and at war with, the circumstance of its 
 being only twenty-three inches lo-ig, the usual 
 length of a child eight or ten months old, and jus- 
 tifies the conclusion that by nature it was destined 
 to be of inferior size. As to the time these bodies 
 have been deposited, there is no clue by which to 
 form any certain opinion. The bones have been 
 thoroughly changed by time, nothing remaining 
 but the lime or earthy particles of them, which 
 can undergo no further change, and may as well 
 be supposed to have been in this state five centu- 
 ries ago as one. It is certain they have been there 
 an immense length of time, from the largo growth 
 of timber on the mounds, and the roots of trees 
 which have made their way through the graves. 
 
 The subject certainly invites the attention of 
 the learned and curious, and opens an ample field 
 for investigation, at least to form some plausible 
 conjecture of a race of beings who have inhabited 
 our country at a period fir beyond that of which 
 tradition gives us any account. 
 
 The following remarks on the same subject from 
 the pen of Rufus Pittibone, Esq. of St. Louis, ap- 
 peared in the same paper in February ensuing: 
 
 "A publication in your paper of the sixth of No- 
 vember last, concerning a discovery of some dwarf 
 skeletons, made upon the farm of a Mr. Long, on 
 the north bank of the Merrimack River, in this 
 
287 
 
 county, (St. Louis) together with several letters 
 from this place, on the same subject, are now 
 going the round of the American papers. As yet, 
 I have seen no attempt to account for the size and 
 appearance of those skeletons, upon any other 
 supposition than that they are the remains of a 
 people far less in size than any known at the pre- 
 sent day. Unwilling to adopt a belief so contrary 
 to the general order of nature and to the history of 
 the human species, so far as it has been transmitted 
 to us, I shall hazard some conjectures upon the 
 subject, which I think will, in some measure, tend 
 to dissolve the mystery that hovers over these 
 bones, and to reconcile their appearance with 
 the general history of our race. To be sure, Na- 
 ture, in her sport, has now and then produced 
 monsters. A taste for the marvellous among tra- 
 vellers and historians, has occasional^ conjured 
 up a race of giants, or a nation of pigmies ; but 
 when the light of truth has reached us from the 
 distant corners of the earth where they were said 
 to dwell, we have found them to assume the size, 
 shape, and attitude of men, and nothing more. So 
 far as observation or history extends, we find the 
 species nearly the same in all ages and in all coun- 
 tries. Climate has had some effect upon the size 
 and upon the complexion. The excessive cold of 
 the north has shortened an inch or two the necks 
 of the Esquimaux, and the heat of the south has 
 coloured the African. But what in this genial cli- 
 mate should make dwarfs? Ft is here, if any 
 where, that we should naturally expect to find 
 giants! All the other productions of nature are 
 
288 
 
 here brought forth in the highest perfection. And 
 shall man here grow a pigmy ? Unless we are 
 ready to adopt the opinion of certain naturalists, 
 that the human species are the legitimate descend- 
 ants of the apes, and that they once wore tails, 
 and were of their diminutive size, — unless we are 
 ready to believe the history of the Lilliputians, 
 and of Tom Thumb, I think we shall discard the 
 idea of a nation of dwarfs, as wholly preposter- 
 ous. But how shall we account for the appearan- 
 ces upon the farm of Mr. Long, upon any other 
 supposition ? 
 
 " None of the graves found there exceed four feet 
 in length, many of them fall short of three, and 
 the teeth found in all of them show that they con- 
 tain the remains of human beings who had arrived 
 at years of maturity. The manners and customs 
 of the Indians with respect to the treatment of 
 their dead, will, I think, solve all difficulties ; and 
 satisfactorily account for these appearances, with- 
 out doing violence to nature. According to the 
 testimonies of travellers and historians, it has 
 been the custom among many tribes of Indians, to 
 hang their dead in baskets upon trees, and upon 
 scaffolds, until their flesh was consumed, and 
 then to take them down, and clean their bones, 
 and bury them. There existed an order of men 
 among them called bone-pickers, with long nails like 
 claws, whose business and profession it was to 
 clean the unconsumed flesh from the bones, pre- 
 vious to burial. This custom still exists among the 
 Indians on the waters of the Missouri, and ration- 
 ally accounts for the appearances upon the farm of 
 
289 
 
 Mr. Long. The bones of a skeleton of the or- 
 dinary size when separated, would naturaliy oc- 
 cupy a grave of three or four feet in length It 
 appears that in all the graves which were opened, 
 the bones, except the teeth, were reduced to a 
 chalky substance, so that it would be impossible 
 to know, with any certainty, in what state, con- 
 dition, or form they were deposited there. These 
 skeletons are said to rest on their sides. Taking 
 this fact to be true, it goes to strengthen my ideas 
 on this subject. In burying a corpse it is natural, 
 and so far as we are acquainted, universally the 
 custom, to bury them with the face upwards. We 
 can look upon our dead friends with a melancholy 
 complacency, — we cast a long and lingering look 
 after them until they are completely shut from 
 our view in the grave ; and nothing is more hard 
 and heart-rending than to tear our last looks 
 from them, it is natural then that the body should 
 be placed in such a position as most to favour this 
 almost universal desire of the human heart. But 
 in burying a skeleton, it would be as natural to 
 avert the horrid grin of a death's head from us. 
 To face the grinning skeleton of a friend must fill 
 us with horror and disgust. 4 Turn away the horrid 
 sight,' would be the language of nature. If we 
 adopt my supposition, as correct in this case, all 
 the facts correspond with nature. But if we 
 adopt the opinion of the writer in your paper, our 
 opinions are at war with nature, reason, and 
 universal observation." 
 
 The following observations by the Rev. J. M 
 Peck, of St. Louie, may also here be added. 
 
^290 
 
 " A communication in the Gazette of the ICth in- 
 stant, by " Historicus," accounting in a rational 
 manner for the graves on the plantation of Mr. 
 Long, has given rise to the following remarks, as 
 tending to cast further light on the subject, and in 
 part confirm the opinion of the writer: 
 
 Mr. M — — , informed me, that himself, his lady, 
 and another, were present at the opening of seve- 
 ral graves, after the spot had been visited, and 
 the skeletons examined by several physicians of 
 St. Louis. One grave was opened which measur- 
 ed four feet in length ; this was formed by laying 
 a flat stone at the bottom, placing one on each side, 
 one at each end, and covering the mouth with an- 
 other. In the last circumstance, this grave differed 
 from the others that were opened, the contents 
 were a full grown skeleton, with the head and teeth, 
 part of the spine, the thigh and leg bones, in a tole- 
 rable state of preservation The leg bones were 
 found parallel with the bones of the thighs, and every 
 appearance indicated either that the corpse had 
 been entombed, with the legs and thighs placed 
 so as to meet, or that a skeleton had been deposi- 
 ted in this order. The first opinion seems the 
 most probable, from the fact that a large done pipe 
 was found in the tomb, and which I under -tand is 
 now in the possession of Mr. Long. 
 
 It is a well known fact, that both implements of 
 war, and of domestic use, are f-urieci with the 
 dead bodies of the Indians, but it admits of a que- 
 ry, if they are ever deposited with the mere sk teton. 
 
 " It is a well known fact," says bislu p Madson, 
 while writing on the supposed ibrtincations o* the 
 
291 
 
 Western county*, " that among many of the Indian 
 tribes the bones of the diseased, are annually col- 
 lected and deposited in one place, the funeral rites 
 are then solemnized with the warmest expressions 
 of love and friendship, and that this untutored race, 
 urged by the feelings of nature, consign to the bosom 
 of the earth, along with the remains of their dis- 
 eased relatives, food, weapons of war, and often 
 those articles they possessed, and most highly 
 valued when alive." This fact is substantiated 
 from various respectable sources. The pious cus- 
 tom of collecting the relics of the dead, which ac- 
 cident, or the events of a battle, might have dis- 
 persed through the wilderness, easily accounts for 
 the graves on the Merrimack, as well as explains 
 the origin of the artificial mounds in our vicinity. 
 If these were opened, there would be found pro- 
 miscuously deposited the bones of the aborigines, 
 which pious veneration from year to year, and 
 from century to century, industriously collected. 
 The cemetery alluded to on the plantation of Mr. 
 Long, may be viewed as the public burial place of 
 some powerful nation of the same size, and similar 
 customs with other Indians. 
 
 No wish is entertained to object to the hypothe- 
 sis of " Historicus," in regard to the customs to 
 which he alludes. The shortness of the graves 
 may be attributed to different causes." 
 
 On the preceding information, it may be obser? 
 ved,that however ingenious and forcible the reflec- 
 
 * See American Philosophical Transactions, Vol. vi. 
 37 
 
252 
 
 tions appear, which have been advanced by Mr 
 Petti bone, and Mr. Peck, in opposition to the pre- 
 valent opinion of the dwarfish origin of the Merri- 
 mack bones, their remarks cannot, however, be 
 considered as conclusive. Undoubtedly those 
 customs, to which allusion has been made, were 
 were formerly prevalent among many of the savage 
 tribes of North America, and may still be practis- 
 ed in the remote and uncultivated regions of the 
 west, but it is difficult to bring the mind to the con- 
 clusion, that a person arrived at the age of maturi- 
 ty, of the common stature of the human race at 
 the present day, and whose bones had been inter- 
 red several centuries ago, but still preserve their 
 relative situation, should measure only four feet in 
 length, while the teeth and the bones in several of 
 the graves opened in the presence of doctors Wal- 
 ker and Grayson, indicated a child arrived at the 
 age of eight or nine years, and whose stature could 
 not have exceeded twenty-three inches. Where 
 is the child of the present day, arrived at eight or 
 nine years of age, whose height will not exceed 
 this, by at least a foot ? Nor is the circumstance 
 of the relative anatomical situation which was ob- 
 served to exist among these bones, by any means 
 reconcileable with the supposition of the interment 
 only of the osseous parts of the body, which would 
 probably be thrown together without the exercise 
 of that knowledge in anatomy, which is requisite 
 in putting joint to joint, and bone to bone, in the 
 manner they were created. 
 
 We must therefore hesitate in receiving conclu- 
 sions which are not founded on physical observa- 
 tion, or drawn from facts too evident to admit of 
 
203 
 
 contradiction, but on the contrary, there is much co 
 favour the opinion that they are the relics of a 
 race of beings inferior in stature to ourselves. 
 Who they were— whither fled — why created, or de- 
 stroyed ? are inquiries which do not admit of be- 
 ing satisfactorily answered. Our knowledge of 
 the ancient history of the land we inhabit, is very 
 little. Afewdetached facts, some traditions and sur- 
 mises, drawn rather from the probability of things 
 than the discovery of facts, is all we possess. A 
 beginning only has been made. Of our antiqui- 
 ties we know nothing. Every year is bringing to 
 light some fresh relic of ancient use, folly or splen- 
 dour, and all tending to show that our country has 
 been inhabited by a people conversant with the 
 arts, if not the refinements of civilized life. Our 
 mounds, tumuli, embankments, and ancient for- 
 tifications, are subjects replete with the highest, 
 interest, and presenting an ample field for philo- 
 sophical speculation and inquiry. Connected 
 with this subject are the Merrimack bones, the 
 silver cup of Marietta, and the glass beads of Nia- 
 gara. But we must wait till additional facts are 
 collected and compared, before we can form a con- 
 clusive theory. We cannot reason surely from the 
 inspection of one detached point; we must view 
 our whole country in connexion, not only as regards 
 the order of time, but its geographical position, 
 its soil and climate, its geological structure, and 
 the physical changes it has undergone since the 
 creation of man — the cycles of excessive heat, or 
 excessive cold, to whose influence it has been 
 submitted, in the lapse of centuries, — these and 
 
294 
 
 other analogous matters, must be considered in 
 contemplating its ancient history. But these are 
 not the efforts of a day, nor the works of an indivi- 
 dual ; time must be consumed, exertions must be 
 made, difficulties must be encountered, and preju- 
 dices overcome; and the collective energies of a 
 Society are necessary to accomplish so desirable 
 an end, — to collect, compare, and apply accumu- 
 lating facts, — to embody and spread them — to as- 
 sist the studious in the pursuit of further know- 
 ledge — to point the methods of procedure — and 
 finally, to encourage the enterprising, and to re- 
 ward the successful. When such efforts are made, 
 we shall fcnow more of the history of our land, 
 and of ourselves; and the light of antiquity will 
 shine upon our neglected mounds and fortifica- 
 tions, with a splendour that shall vie with the walla 
 of Babylon, and the ruins of Herculaneum. 
 
INDEX, 
 
 A, 
 
 Page 
 .rkansaw territory erected 21 
 Asli furnace introduced 19 
 
 .Anthony Crozat 10 
 
 Ancient bounds of Louisiana 11 
 Academy of mines suggested 23 
 Agriculture, state of 38 
 
 Account of St. Geneveive 45 
 Herculaneum 46 
 
 
 Potosi 
 
 48 
 
 
 St. Louis 
 
 159,240 
 
 
 St. iVI ichael 
 
 49 
 
 
 Franklin 
 
 160 
 
 
 St. Charles 
 
 ib. 
 
 
 Carondelet 
 
 239 
 
 
 Cahokia 
 
 240 
 
 
 Cape Girard 
 
 eau 227 
 
 Arsenic 
 
 
 44 
 
 Antimony 
 
 
 44, 54 
 
 B 
 
 Page 
 
 18 
 ., 12G 
 
 Amount of lead made at Potosi 49 
 
 Alum Cave 5' 
 
 Animals die of mine sickness 3i 
 
 Austin's Shaft 65,119,127 
 
 A saving suggested 79 
 
 Alloys, fusibility of 74 
 
 Alliot's experiments 86 
 
 Artificial chimney jambs, &c. ib. 
 
 Analysis of basalt 87 
 
 Account of furnaces 94, 98 
 
 Asbesoflead 97 
 
 how washed ib 
 
 Ash furnace B3 
 
 situation for Id.' 
 
 materials of ib. 
 
 how heated 103 
 
 cost of ib. 
 
 Assay of ore 109 
 
 Analysis by Dr. Thompson 110 
 
 Argentiferous lead glance ib. 
 
 Annual produce 1 13 
 
 Aggregate amounts of lead 122 
 
 Agent of mines suggested 132 
 
 A receipt for Enamel 143 
 
 Artificial Gems, how made 148 
 
 Acetite of lead ib 
 
 Antiquities of Missouri 16° 
 
 Ashley's Cave 171 
 
 Axes of stone (antique) 170 
 
 A catalogue of minerals 177 
 
 Argillaceous oxyd of iroa 191 
 
 Antimonial ore 197 
 
 Alum W9 
 
 Agaric mineral 200 
 
 Agatized wood 207 
 
 Alabaster 204 
 
 Agate 215 
 
 Arkansaw Gypsum 211 
 
 vitriol £0: 
 
 salt 207 
 
 loadstone 192 
 
 oilstone 183 
 
 hot springs ib. 
 
 quartz 182 
 
 agate 215 
 
 Account of sawyers 223 
 
 Ancient falls of the Mississippi 229 
 
 American bottom 237 
 
 Advantages of St. Louis 240 
 
 Account of White River 246 
 
 Antique silver cup 276 
 
 glasses 280 
 
 bones 284 
 
 Antiquarian Societ y suggested 294 
 
 18 
 
 28 
 
 32 
 
 29 
 
 36 
 
 47 
 
 50, 232 
 
 51 
 
 54 
 
 30 
 
 61 
 
 65, 128 
 
 65, 127 
 
 65, 126 
 
 65, 127 
 
 56,69, 197 
 
 70 
 
 urto?;, discovery by 
 
 Bryan's mines 20. 65, 75, 
 
 Biographical sketch of M. 
 
 Burton 
 Botanical character of mine 
 
 country 
 Banks of Mississippi 
 Beach grape 
 Birds, accaunt of 
 Beef and pork exported 
 Bois Brula bottom 
 Bellevue 
 Bates' Lick 
 Bilious complaints 
 Bull Shoals, antiquities at 
 Brushy-run Diggings 
 Bibb's Diggings 
 Belle Fountaine 
 Becquet's Diggings 
 Blende 
 
 Blossom of lead 
 Black jack 
 Barytes 
 
 Blue glazing, spontaneous for- 
 mation of 73 
 Bottles, remarks on 80 
 Basalt, new uses of 82 
 Big Hoen River 89 
 Burning of lime 102 
 Bar and pig lead, amount made 122 
 
 Buttons, manufacture of 
 Boundaries and extent 
 
 Missouri 
 Black River 
 Braves, a military order 
 Bone?, where found 
 Biown Hematite 
 Black oxyd of manganese 
 Burning clay, etl'ects of 
 Blue vitriol 
 Basanite 
 Buhrstone 
 Burning spring 
 
 of 
 
 149 
 
 153 
 
 165 
 175 
 
 169 
 192 
 199 
 202 
 21 u 
 212 
 216 
 ib. 
 
 Bottom lands, extensive tract 237 
 
 Banks at St. Louis 241 
 
 Butlaloe Fork 254 
 
 Black River 255 
 
 its tributaries 256 
 
 soil, productions, &c. ib 
 
 Beads of glass 280 
 
 Bourbon lead mines 278 
 
 '?ones, antique 284 
 
 V/apital of Missouri 240 
 
 Crozat, Anthony, grant to 10 
 
 Copper mine 16 
 Country granted by Louis XIV. 10 
 
 ompany of the west 
 Company «LSt. Phillips 
 
 hronological table 
 Character of soil 
 Cotton wood 
 Climate 
 
 il 
 14 
 25 
 26,27 
 29 
 33 
 
 Cows and horses, easily raised 34 
 Cloth manufacture 35 
 
 Churches 25, 174 
 
 Carolina potatoe 34 
 
 Cultivated fruit trees 42 
 
 Commerce of the mines 
 of St. Louis 
 Caledonia 
 County of St. Genevieve 
 
 ?age 
 
 County of Washington 51 
 
 Madison 57 
 
 Jeti'erson 58 
 
 Cook's settlement 51 
 
 Causes of misrepresentation 52 
 
 Chicago 54 
 
 Catalogue of wild fruits 28 
 
 of wild quadrupeds 36 
 
 of exports 43 
 
 of mines t> & 
 
 of manufactures 57 
 
 of steam boats 263 
 
 Citadel Diggings 65, 127 
 
 Cawk 70 
 
 Calcareous spar ib- 
 
 Cannon's mites 66, 127 
 Cession of Louisiana by France 25 
 
 Cobalt, conjecture respecting 73 
 
 Chemical experiments 78 
 
 Clay, refractory 76 
 
 Chaptal, information by 82 
 Composition oi bottles 83, l>6 
 Chimney jambs,&C how formed 86 
 
 Cause ol tiisappointments 91 
 
 Cost of furnaces, 94 103 
 
 Constituents of limestone 102 
 
 Calcination, how effected 103 
 
 Customs among the miners 107 
 
 Cupellation, how pertormed 1 1 1 
 
 Cerusse, manufacture of 13~/ 
 
 Chromate of lead '3' 
 
 Curiosities of Missouri l^ 3 
 
 Character of inhabitants 3 J — 
 
 Changes in society l'i 
 
 Condition of the blacks 17li 
 
 Caves of nitre 170 
 
 Catalogued' minerals 177 
 
 Chalk 179 
 
 Common quartz IKS 
 
 Citrine 184 
 
 Calcareous spar 190 
 
 Cave-in-rock 191 
 Common argillaceous oxyd of 
 
 iron 193 
 
 Chalcedony 194 
 
 Copper, native 198 
 
 Carbonate of lead ib. 
 
 Crucible clay, where found 200 
 
 Common jasper 20C 
 
 Carnelian 207 
 
 Common salt ib. 
 
 Calcaieous alabaster 201 
 
 Conglomerate 205 
 Cave Creek 201, 20S 
 
 Character of infusible clay 201 
 
 Copper, sulphate of 209 
 
 Coal ib. 
 
 Carburretted hydrogen 21 
 
 Chalk banks 227 
 
 Cape Girardeau ib. 
 
 Cape Garlick 230 
 
 Cape St. Comb 232 
 Commercial advantages of 
 
 Herculaneum 237 
 
 Cahokia 240 
 
 Carondelet 239 
 
 Character of St. Louis £40 
 
 Commerce of White River 250 
 
 Cut oil" 25:* 
 
 Commerce of New-Orleans 265 
 
 Colouring ingredient 271 
 
 Cotton 265 
 
 Cup of Marietta £76 
 
296 
 
 DFaga 
 iscovery of mines 16,18,20 
 Date of grants 10, 12 17 
 
 JJiit'-.-ulties opposed to mining 22 
 Diseases oft he mines 30 
 
 Dyeing plants 23, 30 
 
 Dogs and cats, mines affect 
 
 them 30 
 
 Distilleries 57 
 
 Dubuque's claim 62 
 
 Doggett's mine 66, ll't; 
 
 Discovery of Louisiana 25 
 
 )•'■ "mposert shale, wherefound 76 
 it. jnjoi"lc-id, how performed 90 
 Divining rod, folly of 92 
 
 Description of furnaces 94, 98 
 Disappointments, causes of 91 
 Double-eyed furnace, advan- 
 
 t lge of PC 
 
 Disputes, hoy? prevented 107 
 Durham ore 1 10 
 
 Dr. Thompson, analysis by ib. 
 Deductions 128 
 
 Du'y on imported lead 129 
 
 Dr. Hunter, receipt by 137 
 
 Duelling prevalent 173 
 
 Delaware Indians 176 
 
 Devil's oven 230 
 
 Description of St Louis 240 
 
 fit. Geneveive 23.1 
 Herculaneum 23!i 
 
 Page 
 
 74 
 
 1, 100, 146 
 
 13 
 
 Discoverer of lead mines 
 
 Dormant v alls 
 
 T!r ert ol' Louisiana 
 
 Davi Isohville 
 
 D ai i skeletons 
 
 235 
 236 
 
 247 
 256 
 
 E 
 
 ast India & Chinese Com- 
 pany 16 
 Emigrations to Louisiana com- 
 mence 19 
 Extent of the mines 20 
 Elevation of country 32 
 Epidemics 30 
 Epochs, historical 25 
 Exports 43,47 
 Emery 44 
 Explanatory remarks 63 
 Elliott's mines 66,75, 126 
 Earthquake, effects of 76 
 Error corrected 77 
 Experiments! 73 
 Expense of furnaces 94,103 
 Effects of heat on limestone 103 
 Estimate 126 
 Elias Pates, invention by 139 
 Enamels, how made M2 
 Employments of the inhabit- 
 ants 171 
 Emigrants, character of 172 
 Effeminacy, where apparent 173 I 
 Earthy substances 177 
 Earth, yellow 199 
 English ores 110 
 Earthy oxyd of lead 197 
 Emigrants 230 
 Extent of internal navigation 242 
 Extract from a western paper 269 
 
 JO ailcre of the Mississippi 
 
 scheme 14 
 
 First lead smelted in Louisiana 16 
 Facility of raisiug cattle 34 
 
 Farming 38 
 
 Ferries - 42 
 
 Fruit-trees 42 
 
 Flour exported 47 
 
 Foundery, seat for 55 
 
 Fredericktown 49 
 
 Fir^l •ttlrmrnt in Louisiana 25 
 Fnurche a Courtoia 66,127 
 
 France cedes Louisiana 25 
 
 Fusible alloy 
 Fluxes, remarks on 
 Fusibility of basalt 
 Folly ol mineral rods 
 
 Furnaces, account of 94.9b 
 
 Fuel, how employed 96 
 
 Fluor spar, where found 101 
 
 Flint glass, remarks on 146 
 
 Flint 1 80 
 
 Ferruginous quartz 135 
 
 Feldspar 191 
 
 Fluate of lime ib. 
 
 Fuller's earth 203 
 Franklin steam-boat, how sunk 224 
 
 Falling-iti banks 225 
 Falls, ancient, where situated 229 
 
 Fertile tract of land 237 
 
 Forks of White River 252 
 
 G f 
 
 rant to Crozat 10 
 
 to the Company of the 
 
 West 1 1 
 
 of land to Renault 16 17 
 Gold and si v?r 9 
 
 General outline of the mine 
 
 estintry 26 
 
 Gypsum 44,211 
 
 Grist mills 57 
 
 General Pike, information by 62 
 Granular quartz 50 
 
 Gravelly diggings 65,127 
 
 (nay's mine 66,75, 127 
 
 Gravel ore 69 
 
 Glass-till' 70 
 
 Gold, substance mistaken for 71 
 Glass, Hint, remarkson 146 
 
 German crucible clay 76 
 
 Geological character 92, 108, 119 
 210, 238 
 German ores 110 
 
 General deductions 128 
 
 Gems, artificial, how made 148 
 Geographical outline of Mis- 
 souri 153 
 Gasconade River 163 
 Geological phenomenon 170 
 Gun Hint 180 
 Granular quartz 185 
 Galena 195 
 Granular sulphuret of lead 196 
 Glass-house pots, remarks on 201 
 Graphite 209 
 Greenstone porphyry 213 
 Gas, inHammabie 216 
 Grand Tower 229 
 Great muddy River ib. 
 Geological remark 238 
 Government of Missouri, 
 
 seat of 2 lO 
 
 Gov. Clark's museum 241 
 
 Great North Fork of White 
 
 River 254 
 
 Grand Cut Off 253 
 
 Greenupsburgh manganese 269 
 Glass-soap, its uses 271 
 
 Gems, natural, where found 265 
 Glasses, antique 280 
 
 H 
 
 istoricai, sketchof the 
 
 mines 9 
 
 Horses, facility of raising 34 
 
 Herculaneum 46 
 
 Historical epochs 25 
 
 Hops 44 
 
 Hawkins' Mine 65, 127 
 
 Henry's Digging! 66, ib. 
 
 Height of furnace 95 
 
 Hands engaged in mining 113 
 
 Hunter population 174 
 Honours, how obtained a- 
 
 mcDg the Ojages 175 
 
 Pag - 
 
 Hospitality characteristic 172 
 
 Hornstone 181' 
 
 Hoary quartz 189 
 
 Heavy spar 190 
 
 Hematite 192 
 
 Hydrogen gas 216 
 
 Harrisonville 237 
 
 Hot Springs of Washitaw 253 
 
 Hot .Mountain 259 
 
 Hamburgh glasses 280 
 
 J. row pyrites 70,192 
 
 Inflammable gas 216 
 
 Inhabitantsofthe mines 39 
 
 Internal improvements *1 
 
 Indigo 42 
 
 Iron 44 
 
 mountain 54 
 
 mines 57 
 
 Information bylieut. Pike 62 
 
 Indians, mines worked by ib. 
 
 Iceland spar 70 
 
 I Humiliations seen 76 
 Ignorance of smelters, where 
 
 apparent 77 
 Improvements suggested 79 
 Ingredients of glass 80,146 
 Inspector of mines 132 
 Infusible clay 76 
 Information by Chaptal 82 
 Ingredients of limestone 102 
 Imported lead, duty on 129 
 Improvement in casting shot 139 
 Illinois River 161 
 Indian grave on the Merri- 
 mack 169 
 Inflammable substances 178 
 Indian pipe stone 189 
 Iron, native 217 
 argillaceous oxyd 193 
 micaceous oxyd ib. 
 brown oxyd 192 
 red oxyd 195 
 sand ib. 
 Indiana magnesia 212 
 buhrstone 216 
 Illinois floor spar 101 
 opal 205 
 lead mines 195 
 salt works 207 
 coal 211 
 copper 198 
 gypsum 21] 
 antimony 197 
 Independence, how celebrated 224 
 Indian meal, new property of 234 
 Increase of St. Louis 240 
 Inhabitants of White River 249 
 Information, miscellaneous 258 
 
 J f.fferson county 58 
 its mineralogical 
 
 character ib. 
 
 i's mines 59 
 
 its salt works ib. 
 
 sulphur springs ib. 
 
 manufactures ib. 
 
 representation 60 
 
 Jones' shaft 65,119 
 
 J. Scott's Diggings 66 
 
 Junk bottles, materials for 80 
 
 Jasper 206 
 
 common ib. 
 
 striped ib. 
 
 Journal of a voyage 221 
 
 James River 253 
 
 soil and climate ib. 
 
 prairies ib. 
 
 game ib. 
 
 lead Mines 254 
 
 J M. l'egk,observatioDsby 289 
 
297 
 
 KPage 
 ASKASK1A 15,233 
 
 Klingstein 87 
 
 Kanzas 88, 161 
 
 Knowledge of in; nerals, where 
 
 ful 
 
 91 
 
 207 
 216 
 269 
 278 
 2U 
 233 
 
 Kanhaway salt works 
 Kentucky hydrogen gas 
 
 man? anese 
 
 lead mines 
 
 coal mines 
 Kaskaskia River 
 King's River 
 Kentucky paper, extract from 26a 
 
 L-iouis XVI. cedes Louisiana 10 
 Laplatte river ib. 
 
 .Lead smelted by Renault 16 
 
 Lebaum's mines 20, 66, 127 
 
 Louisiana becomes a state 21 
 
 Lead mines, history of 9 
 
 Longevity, an instance of 1 8 | 
 
 Latitude of the mines 33 
 
 List of mines worked by Spain 20 
 
 wild fruits 
 
 28 
 
 wild animals 
 
 36 
 
 exports 
 
 43 
 
 mines 
 
 57 
 
 manufactures 
 
 ib. 
 
 Lead made at Potosi 
 
 49 
 
 Lead furnaces in Washington 
 
 
 county 
 
 57 
 
 Lead mines of Prairie Du Chien K 
 
 Lantte and Bronsheaux 
 
 61 
 
 Lead ore 
 
 67 
 
 Lambert's Diggings 66 
 
 127 
 
 Little mines ibid. 
 
 La Motte ores 
 
 73 
 
 Lava, how fused 
 
 83 
 
 Length of the Yellowstone 
 
 89 
 
 Lead, how dug 
 
 90 
 
 how dressed 
 
 93 
 
 how smelted 
 
 ib. 
 
 duty on 
 
 129 
 
 Log furnace 
 
 94 
 
 Localities of ftuor spar 
 
 10.1 
 
 Limestone 
 
 102 
 
 Lead diggers, how paid 
 
 106 
 
 made at Shibboleth 
 
 113 
 
 shipped from Hereula- 
 
 
 ueum 
 
 120 
 
 Litharge, manufacture of 
 
 136 
 
 Language of the inhabitants 
 
 171 
 
 Loadstone 
 
 192 
 
 Localities of Galena 
 
 195 
 
 -Lanesboro sand 
 
 188 
 
 Lime, sulphate of 
 
 211 
 
 fluate of 
 
 191 
 
 carbonate of 
 
 190 
 
 Louisiana iron 
 
 217 
 
 Little Chain of Rocks 
 
 226 
 
 Little Rock Ferry 
 
 235 
 
 LeDgthof the Missouri 
 
 242 
 
 Yellowstone 
 
 ib. 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 243 
 
 Illinois 
 
 ib. 
 
 White River 
 
 248 
 
 Louisianian Desert 
 
 247 
 
 Little Red River 
 
 256 
 
 List of steam -boats 
 
 263 
 
 Localities of Manganese 
 
 270 
 
 Lead mines of Millersburg 
 
 278 
 
 M 
 
 Lines of Missouri, history of 9 
 
 Mississippi scheme, failure of 14 
 
 Mine a Burton 18,20,48,65,77,126 
 
 La Motte 16,17,20,65,72,126 
 
 Renault 16, 20 
 
 a Robino 20, 65, 127 
 
 a Martin 20, 65, 80, 127 
 
 Shibboleth 20,65. 116,126 
 
 a Joe 20, 65, 127 
 
 Moses Austin, Esq. explores 
 
 the Mines 19 
 
 Page 
 Mine sickness 30 
 
 Manners and morals 39 
 
 Madder 43 
 
 Mineralogical school sugges- 
 ted 23 
 Manufactures 43, 57 
 Manganese 44, 199 
 Marble 44 
 Madansburgh 49 
 Madison county 75 
 Murphey's settlement 51 
 Mill seats 55 
 Mine couutry, outline of 26 
 soil of 27 
 climate of 33 
 diseases of 30 
 quadrupeds of 36 
 birds of 36 
 streams of 3(> 
 roads of 42 
 tow ns of 45 
 religion of 40 
 Mines of Prairie Du Chien 62 
 Mine Astraddle 65, 126 
 Massen's Diggings 65, 127 
 Micheaux's Diggings ibid 
 Moreau's Diggings ibid 
 Mine Liberty 65,126 
 Miller's Mine 65 
 Mine Silvers 55,126 
 McKaue's Mine 65,80,128 
 Mineralogical character of 
 
 mines 66 
 
 .Mineral blossom 71 
 
 Mammillary quartz ih. 
 
 Mu-lev clay 6« 
 
 Materia! for bottles 80 
 
 Met hod of working the mines 90 
 Mason's wages 94 
 
 Minium, how made 135 
 
 Massicot 13" 
 
 Metallic buttons, alloys for 149 
 Missouri wine 158 
 
 Territory 153 
 
 situation, boundaries 
 
 and.extent ib. 
 
 soil, climate, & pro- 
 ductions 155 
 rivers & mountains 160 
 political divisions 158 
 population 159 
 principal towns ib 
 mines and minerals 166 
 antiquities and cu- 
 riosities 169 
 employments and 
 
 manners 171 
 
 language St religion ib 
 savages 175 
 
 slavery 176 
 
 mounds 169 
 
 manufactures 172 
 
 Mississippi River 160 
 
 Missouri River 161 
 
 Merrimack River 16l 
 
 Mechanics, where wanted 172 
 Metallic substances 178 
 
 Minerals, catalogue of 177 
 
 Missouri topaz 184 
 
 Mica 190 
 
 Magnet 190 
 
 Micaceous oxyd of iron 193 
 
 Madrepore 204 
 
 Muriate of soda £07 
 
 Magnesia, sulphate of 212 
 
 Millstone 216 
 
 Mouth of Ohio 221 
 
 Mockasou Spring 229 
 
 Mississippi water, how clari- 
 fied 23-1 
 Military posts 244 
 Museum at Sc Louis 241 
 Miscellaneous information 258 
 
 Page 
 
 Medicinal Spring 25$ 
 
 Marietta cup 276 
 
 Millersburg lead mines 278 
 
 Merrimack hones 284 
 
 aianui Aciure c* -.vhilt lead 1 & 
 
 red lead ib. 
 
 lithai e 136 
 
 massicot 137 
 
 Naples yellow ib. 
 
 chromat of lead ib. 
 
 patent mineral yellow ib. 
 
 shot and bullets 13,', 
 
 penter 139 
 
 sheet lead 140 
 
 solders ib. 
 
 printer's types 141 
 
 pot metal ib- 
 
 potter's glazing ib. 
 
 enamels 142 
 
 Hint glass 146 
 
 artificial gems W3 
 
 sugar of lea i ib. 
 
 metallic buttons .149 
 
 sheet lead boxes ib. 
 
 hts k measures ib. 
 
 tcj 5 and castings lu. 
 
 IM ew Diggings 20, 65, 71, 1:7 
 
 Nitre 44 
 
 New-York canal 41 
 
 antiquities 280 
 
 New-Orleans founded £5 
 
 Nev.-Bourboii 49 
 
 Number of lead mines 57 
 
 lead furnaces ib. 
 
 gn.-t mills ib. 
 
 saw mills ih. 
 
 distilleries ib. 
 
 saltpetre caves ib. 
 
 iron mines ib. 
 
 bands engaged in 
 
 mining 113 
 
 Natural phenomenon 76 
 
 New application of bassalt 82 
 
 Notice of geological structure 92 
 
 New locality of fluor spar 101 
 
 Naples yellow, how made 137 
 
 New invention by E. Bates 139 
 
 Nitre caves 170 
 
 Negroes, their condition 17c 
 
 Novaculite 183 
 
 Native magnet 192 
 
 copper 198 
 
 vitriol 209 
 
 iron 217 
 
 white lead 19y. 
 
 Nitrate of potash 208 
 
 New-York plank 226 
 
 Nocturnal adventure 238 
 
 Navigation contemplated 2<i3 
 
 North '-Vest Territory 244 
 
 Natural canal 25j 
 
 o 
 
 age Indians 175 
 
 Oxyd of iron iy;> 
 
 common argillaceous 193 
 
 micaceous ib. 
 
 brpwn ]gg 
 
 Opalized wood £00 
 
 Opal 205 
 
 Ochre 2U 
 
 Onyx £15 
 
 Ohio clay 20! 
 
 coalmines £11 
 
 saltworks 207 
 
 iron founderies 193 
 
 Olean boards and plauk 226 
 
 Obrazo River 230 
 
 Ocaw River 233 
 
 Old soldier 235 
 
 Outline of St. Louis 248 
 
 Ouarhitta, hot springs of 258 
 
 On the uses of manganese £69 
 
296 
 
 A" 
 
 Page 
 Oxygen gas, hew procured 269 
 Observations by Il.Pettibone 
 
 Esq. 286 
 
 Observations by Rev. J. M. 
 
 Peck 289 
 
 Old mines 20, 66, 126 
 
 Pjora 16 
 
 Origin of the western company 10 
 
 Occupation of Louisiana by 
 
 tbe United States 20 
 
 Outline of the mine country 26 
 
 Missouri territory 153 
 
 Oil stone3 44 
 
 Of the different mines.ores.&c. 64 
 
 Ores of lead 67 
 
 zinc 69 
 
 iron 54 
 
 manganese ib. 
 
 Observations on glass bottles 81 
 
 Ores, how raised 90 
 
 how dressed 93 
 
 how smelted ib. 
 
 Orleans founded 25 
 
 Operation of smelting 104 
 
 Oxyd of lead, how formed 1 1 1 
 
 On the uses of lead 134 
 
 Ohio River 161 
 
 Osage River 162 
 
 Xhilip Francis Renault 14 
 Present state of the mines 21 
 Picturesque scenery 31 
 
 Phenomenon in vegetation 29 
 Parakeet 37 
 
 Principal towns 45 
 
 Potosi 48 
 
 Pig and bar lead exported 47 
 
 Patent shot manufactured ib. 
 
 Plumbago 44, 209 
 
 Pumice ib. 88 
 
 Powder-mill 57 
 
 Pike, lieut. information by 62 
 Prairie Du Chien 62, 244 
 
 Principal iron mines 57 
 
 Progress of discovery 64 
 
 Perry's Diggings 65, 126 
 
 Paper sand 67 
 
 Psuedo-galena 69 
 
 Pratt's mine 66, 127 
 
 Pyrites mistaken for gold 71 
 
 Phenomenon, natural 76 
 
 Produce of ore 96, 109 
 
 Price of lead 106 
 
 Produce of the mines 113 
 
 Pig & bar lead, amount made 122 
 Patent mineral yellow 137 
 
 Pewter, manufacture of 139 
 
 Printer's type, composition of 1 41 
 Pot metal ib. 
 
 Potter's glazing ib. 
 
 Pumice 212 
 
 Porphyry 213 
 
 Planters 223 
 
 Prevalent opinion 234 
 
 Picture of St. Louis 240 
 
 Prices of merchandise 250 
 
 Pine River 254 
 
 mistake respecting 255 
 Prices of freight 264 
 
 Precious stones of Missouri 265 
 Pork ib 
 
 Process for making enamels 143 
 Population of Missouri 159 
 
 Prevalence of duelling 173 
 
 Plundering.where honourable 175 
 Pipe stone 189 
 
 Pyrites 192 
 
 Plastic white clay 200 
 
 Pittsburgh glass-sand 188 
 
 coal 209 
 
 Pennsylvania iron furnaces 193 
 
 Pa;e 
 Puddingstone 205 
 
 Potasn. nitrate of 20U 
 
 Precious opal 205 
 
 Properties of fuller's earth 203 
 
 Q 
 
 _i;adrupeds, list of 26 
 
 Quantity of lead made at Potosi 41 
 Quality of Bellerue iron 54 
 
 Quantity of lead made atShib- 
 
 boleth 116 
 
 shipped from Hercu- 
 laneum 120 
 
 Q.ualificati9ns requisite for 
 
 an agent 132 
 
 Quartz 71 
 
 common 183 
 
 radiated 184 
 
 yellow ib. 
 
 red ferruginous 185 
 
 granular ib. 
 
 tabular 188 
 
 hoary 189 
 
 R, 
 
 age for adventures 9 
 
 Renault's mines 20, 66, 75, 126 
 Retrocession of Louisiana by 
 
 the India company 17 
 
 Religion 40, 171 
 
 Roads 42 
 
 Red chalk 44 
 
 Representatives from St. Ge- 
 nevieve co. 51 
 Washington co. 67 
 Madison 58 
 
 Jefferson 60 
 
 River St. Francis 58 
 
 Rosebury's mine 65, 127 
 
 Rocky diggings ibid 
 
 Rhombic spar 70 
 
 Radiated quartz 71 
 
 Refractory clay 76 
 
 Remarkable phenomenon ib. 
 Result of experiments 78 
 
 Remarks on basalts 82 
 
 Rock formations 92, 108 
 
 Refining of lead. Ill 
 
 Rationale of cupellation ib. 
 
 Receipts of lead at Hercula- 
 
 neum 122 
 
 Richwoods 126 
 
 Red lead, manufacture of 135 
 Rent of mines 131 
 
 Receipt for Potter's enamel 143 
 Remarks on glazing 141 
 
 Rivers and mountains of Mis- 
 souri 160 
 River Mississippi ib. 
 Missouri 161 
 Ohio ib. 
 Illinois ib. 
 Osage 162 
 Gasconade 163 
 Merrimack 164 
 St. Francis 165 
 Black ib. 
 White 246 
 Religious societies 174 
 Retrogression of society, an 
 
 instance of ib. 
 
 Robbery, how encouraged 175 
 Rock crystal 182 
 
 Radiated quartz 184 
 
 Red ferruginoas quartz 185 
 
 Red oxyd of iron 195 
 
 Reddle 199 
 
 Rock salt, where found 208 
 
 Remarks 218 
 
 Review of St. Louis 240 
 
 Rates of exchange 250 
 
 Remarks on thejuse of man- 
 ganese 270 
 
 R«lics of antiquity 276, 280 
 
 R. Pettibone, Esq. observa- 
 tions by 286 
 
 s, 
 
 t. Louis 240 
 Sketch of the life of Burton 18 
 
 Shot tower erected 19 
 Spain acquires possession of 
 
 Louisiana 17 
 Streams of mine tract 30 
 Savage art in dying 30 
 Sensitive brier 29 
 Schools 40 
 Slavery ib. 
 St Genevieve 45 
 Salt ib. 
 Serpentine ib. 
 Soapstone 44, 189 
 St Genevieve county 50 
 Salt Lick 54 
 St. Michael 49 
 Salt works 50 
 Society at the mines 39 
 Seats for water works 55 
 Salt pet re caves 57 , 208 
 Saw mills 57 
 Sacs and Foxes, mines work- 
 ed by 62 
 Sulphur springs 59 
 Steam distillery 57 
 Silicioue aand 50 
 Stricklin's Diggings 65,128 
 Scott's Diggings ib. 127 
 Substances accompanying 
 
 the ore 17 
 
 Sulphuret of lead 69 
 
 Situation of mines 65 
 
 Sulphur, effects of 74 
 
 Sublimate of lead 77 
 
 Saving suggested 79 
 
 Steel-grained ore 80 
 
 Slag, uses of ib. 
 
 Signs attended to 91 
 
 Size of furnaces 94 
 Smelting of lead 93,97, 104 
 
 Silver in lead 110 
 
 Shot manufactured 125 
 
 Superintendant of mines 131 
 
 his duty ib. 
 
 his qualifications 132 
 
 Stealing, how encouraged 175 
 
 Saline substances 17S 
 
 Steatite 189 
 
 Sulphate of barytes 70,199 
 
 Spar, calcareous ib. 
 
 fluor 191 
 
 Sulphuret of lead 195 
 
 common ib. 
 
 granular 196 
 
 Sulphuret of zinc 197 
 
 Sulphuret of antimony ib. 
 
 Stalactite 204 
 
 Stalagmite ib. 
 
 Striped Jasper 206 
 
 Sulphur 207 
 
 Soda, muriate of ib. 
 
 Saltpetre 20» 
 
 Sulphate of zinc 20!* 
 
 copper ib. 
 
 lime 211 
 
 magnesia 212 
 Sibley's account of gypsum 211 
 
 Scenery on the Arkansaw ib. 
 
 Schorl 214 
 
 Shale 215 
 
 Sawyers and snags 223 
 Scenery of the Mississippi 227, 
 229,230,231 
 
 Situation or ancient falls 229 
 
 Sk«tch of the Merrimack 239 
 
299 
 
 Page 
 singular appearances of the 
 
 country 239 
 Situation of St. Louis 24( 
 Soil on White River 14' 
 Streamsuf White River 25: 
 Springs of Washitajw 258 
 Steam-boals on the Missis- 
 sippi 26 
 Stone axes, (antique) 170 
 Series of lead receipts 12i 
 System of mining suggested 13! 
 Shot, how made 138 
 Sheet lead, manufacture of UO 
 Solder.; ib 
 Sugar of lead 14 
 Sheet lead hoxes, manufac- 
 ture of U9 
 Soil & climate of Missouri 155 
 Salt River 165 
 St. Francis Ri'. er il> 
 Saltpetre caves 170 
 Society west of theMississippi 172 
 Savages of Missouri 17.'. 
 Shawauee Indians 17G 
 Slavery in. 
 Singular facts respecting the 
 
 Osages ib. 
 
 Silver cup 275 
 
 r v 
 
 -L owns of the mine coun- 
 try 45 
 Tobacco 44,265 
 Trees, indiginous 28 
 Travellers deceived 48 
 Town of St. Louis 240 
 St. Genevieve 45 
 Franklin 160 
 St, Charles ib 
 Herculaneum 46 
 Potosi 48 
 St. Michael 49 
 Caladonia ib 
 .New-Bourbon ib 
 Carondelet 239 
 Cahokia 240 
 Kaskaskia 150 
 Cape Girardeau 
 Chariton 160 
 Tebault's Diggings 65, 127 
 T. Scott's Diggings 65 
 'i'apley's Diggings 65,127 
 Tiff 70 
 Trade, of Herculaneum 47 
 Torrefactiou recommended 74 
 Yahong River 89 
 Tools used in mining 90 
 Traits of geology 92, 108, 119, 210 
 238 
 Theory of cupellation 111 
 Total amount of lead annually 
 
 made 122 
 
 Toys,castings,&c how formed 149 
 Tribes of Indians in Missouri 175 
 tradesmen, w here wanted 172 
 Topaz, western Ifto 
 
 Page 
 
 Tabular quartz 188 
 
 Touchstone 21-' 
 
 Tyawapety bottom 225 
 
 Trade of St Louis M0 
 
 Tributaries of the Missouri 242 
 
 Mississippi 21'! 
 
 Topography of White River 246 
 Transparency of White River 248 
 
 Trade of White River 250 
 
 Three forks of White River 252 
 
 Tributaries of White River ib. 
 Temperature of the Hot 
 
 Springs 2G0 
 Trade of tiie Western coun- 
 try 26 1 
 Taffia -65 
 
 \J nion of the Western & 
 
 India company 16 
 
 United s. territory ceded to 25 
 
 Uses of lead 134 
 
 barytes 70 
 
 quartz 72 
 
 iron pyrites 70 
 
 Unmagnetical pyrites 5.; 
 
 Uses of slag 80 
 
 basalt 82 
 
 United States, lead made by 128 
 
 Uses of manganese 269 
 
 Utica paper, extract from 280 
 
 V. 
 
 iEwof St. Louis 2-10 
 
 Vete pouche ib. 
 
 Vegetable phenomenon 29 
 
 productions 28,34 
 
 View of St. Genevieveco. 50 
 
 Washington co. 51 
 
 Madison co. 57 
 
 JeU'erson co. 58 
 
 Vulgar opinion respecting 
 
 gold 71 
 
 Volcanic products 82,212 
 
 Valley of the Yellowstone 89 
 Vitrescent mixtures 80, HO, 186 
 Vermont emigrants 235 
 
 Vitriol, native 209 
 
 Virginia buhrstone 21fi 
 
 lead mines 195 
 
 coal mines 21 1 
 
 Voyage up the Mississippi 221 
 Views on 'the Mississippi 227, 231 
 Vapour, itseH'ects 260 
 
 Wr 
 
 father at the mines 33 
 
 Whiskey exported 47, 265 
 
 Washington county 51 
 
 Water works, seats for 55 
 
 White sand 50 
 
 Wild quadrupeds 36 
 
 fruits 28 
 
 Washington mines, mills, &c. 57 
 Wood ashes, composition of 82 
 Working the mines, account of 90 
 Wages of masons 94 
 
 Wood, how employed % 
 
 Page 
 Want of information, effects 
 
 of 93 
 
 Washing of lead ashes 97 
 Want of durability in furnaces 103 
 
 Worth of lead ' 10G 
 
 Ware-houses 121 
 Whole quantity of lead made 
 
 by United States 128 
 
 White lead, how made 135 
 Weights and measures, alloys 
 
 Of 149 
 Wine of Missouri 168 
 Western rivers, fact respect- 
 ing 163 
 Winter in Missouri 33 
 War Eagle Fork 252 
 Waterbolt River ib. 
 Washitaw hot springs 258 
 its minerals 261 
 Warm water, property of ib. 
 Western paper, extract from 269 
 Wheat 265 
 Western antiquities, 280, 281 
 Water communications 243 
 Want of Mechanics 172 
 Western minerals 17'* 
 White lead, native 198 
 Wood, opalized 200 
 agatued 207 
 White clay 200 
 vitriol 20'J 
 Weythe county lead mines 195 
 Waters of the Mississippi 23-1 
 Watering place 238 
 Western capital 240 
 White River 246 
 its geographical position ib. 
 its magnitude 2)7 
 its sources sc character 243 
 vegetable productions ib. 
 its transparency ib. 
 soil 249 
 inhabitants ib. 
 trade 250 
 minerals 251 
 its tributaries 252 
 James River ib. 
 Rull'aloe Fork 25-i 
 Great North Fork ib. 
 Black River 255 
 Little Red River 25t) 
 
 Y, 
 
 ellowstoxf. River 83 
 
 Yellow, patent mineral 137 
 
 Naples ib. 
 
 chromic ib. 
 
 Yellow quart,: 184 
 
 earth 1S9 
 
 lAivc 
 
 44 
 
 sulphuret of 
 
 56,69, 197 
 
 sulphate of 
 
 209 
 
 Zane 
 
 105 
 
 Zanesville clay 
 
 201 
 
 coal 
 
 211 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 38 
 
235 90 
 

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 BINDERY INC. [HI 
 
 -a MAY 90 
 
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 N. MANCHESTER, 
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