The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1819-09-01
A9isreiIan'p., !,
, ANrEDILUvlAN sNiIQUITIEs.


NEW YORK July %.
4 The township of Mddetown is very re-
msrkabl- for the relics ofsnimsIs and things
thai may be conceived 10 have existed before
the food. For several years, the farmers
have oeen-in the practice Of enfiching their
lands with an earthly, substance, dug from the
sttstum which undorlays their arabic soil
This material they call MarI. 1t is such an
)excellen' fertilizer, lha the thin, poor, g. ex.
haus,ed grounds Of that region have been, by
being properly dressed with IL, as productive
as thoscof the inIaod country, by the opera
ton Of gypsum.
Almost every farm contains plentiful sup
ply OF this valuable article and on many the
mari can be procured sbundan,ly in tho seve.
raj sections or fields of the same plantation.
The inhabitants really possess tho means of
raising, at pleasure, the heaviest crops for
theif industry, with the aid of the mari, Is re-
wafded with manifold increase.
Dostor Mitchell, sod Mr.. Pierce, have late.
ly accommodated this interesting tract, and
conf med the accents given OF the abundant
prodac, IN grass and grain, which follows the
application OF this fossil manure.
Tne mari pits are rspicte with extraordi
nary things. Remains Of animals, eithsr OK
tine, OF no, now known TO DC alive, or not
found IN ,hese pars, constitute considera-
bic part OF tho mail. Nopyol them arc pet
riticd; but all are detached, and the pieces
are ~ various states ol dccum position, accord
ing 20 l5sir situations 9. qualities. Bslemi.
mites, five OF six inches loog G.yphi,es,
PAIR ois1hose shells weigh between six and
seven pounds small sort of zIgzag Oyster,
not moro than an inch loog very distinct
tecth OF the famous animals of Maestrich,
WIN portions Of the jaws annexed several
species oi CLAIMS aud Cookies bone, belong.
ing 10 Whales, or 10 some kind of ceiaceous
creatures teeth S< vertebi a, OF Sharks ex
ceed'ngly curious bacu!Iics are some of the
animal remans which tho pfop,ieiors find, by
penetrating, with the pIckaxo and shovel, q
tow feet.
Ihcy discover, also, various tools and i'm
piemonts, made by The hand Of man. Frsg.
nienls OF clay pipes fof smoking, have been
repeatedly fuuod One al those received by
d., Mncheil, from d. Reynolds, is uncom
mobly curious, unusually large, &c neatly en-
tne II Is even said that metallic articles,
sach ~ Buckles and longs, have been found,
likewise, dug out Of the mari pi,s.
Bones, horns, and teeth of land animals,
are mingled IN ,his juToble Of materials which
the mari pits affo d. rhe horn Of deer,
the tooth of an elephant, The thigh oil rhinoc-
eros, and the fragments of other skeletons.
no, 80 we'll oscertained as yet, show tho ad.
rnl,ebc and unaccounlabs association of he
tcsogcnsous snbstances deposited here.
Such are some OF The disclosures made io
The beginning of ,hese Investigations. Every
qua, y that Is opened, aud every load that ~
rcm,ysi, promises new and valuable Add,
ions, Thus, while the mari pes eif,td sgn
cuhu' al wealth to the .proptie,ors, they will
fnfn,sn harvest, equally abuodan,, to the an
tIqufty, the theoog,an, and the geologfsl,
IL Is believed taa, the oelf or gone contain.
ing mis- mari, Reaches ffom the Hudson 70
the D slhwarc, In direction parallel with the
oshee geat fprmanons Of North America,
from ". +, 10 5 w. Its thought TO be from
TWO TO FIVE miles wide, beginning al the base
pf lne Navers'nk Hills near Sandy Hook s:
<cnding between B1rdeniown aud Burlington
" Tae disclosures hIthsrto made in this re.
.gion ,may be considered as in their com.
mn emeD,, There is wide and inviting
y hrid to- improvement aud such spirit Of
rcscsch mas gune 70 III. ,nu there can be no
devp chat boih owne,s aud labourers, will
<prcasfve, fo' dsii5erite sxamlpstiqn, tho rare
and 'cniou, ri gf, d'scpver--Gaz
rN> -@ossJ-~Si-/
Lt.4 ..i1 .dEN'YS.