Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-11-07
COMMUNICATED.

IN working the James RIVER Slate tluarries in
buckingham County, Va, piece Of pine bark 3
inches long, inches wide, s. 81 of an INCH
thick, as perfect and sound as il lust taken from
the tree Except little scorched, snutted and
asiied on the inside, if from Goals or ei,bers or
perhaps by the blast) was brought our of the solid
mass o rock, iT ON Ii feet below lis top, and that
rock covered with or 10 feet OF solid earth an,i
clay never disturbed before. 1t has somewhat an
antique and uncommon appearances; which appsar-
ance, however, has somewhat les~ened, either
from familiarity or exposure 10 the open air, The
proprietor endeavoured preserve the bed or ho!-
10" III which this ancient reflex had lain 70
how tiIr exact fitness an aptitude TO each q her:
but, the rock being solid and hard TO be sepa-
rated in any other way than by the force Of pow
der, The bs'l was unfortunately entirely shattered
tnd DESTROYED
ihis iact, like the falling OF sing'2 a,,,. -,
Iiie hesdoi deep thinker, which produced some
OF the most wonderful discoveries and corrections
oil many gloomy superstitions, ignoTances fatal err
rcrs, aud barc!Aced impositions ought 10 excit..
The deepest reflection and enquiry OF the uh;ia.o
phcaiIy wise and penetrating
Ihot the DciuCe, which the whole earth hears
evlen, marks Of should have transpo.ed suhstan.
ces ana matters which naturally belonged TO In.
surface deep within its bowels: the Ji,,pino oc
Wells, the researches FOR salt, COAL aud other min
erals aud subeTraneous productions mot only on
the sea'coast and middle regons, but even among
the noun ans oil most counires) most clearly de-
monstrate. But how a substance so much soft 81
Than The rock ITSELF piece of pine bark should
IND It's way III feet within solid mass of rocR
without crack or any kind OF assure or crevic,.
- lore, and That covered with or 10 feet Of solid
eGri.i '.n Y. + fore disturbed by human
inrce, al least since ts growth of the ldrrSs trs
Is not 10 b accounted for (entirely and sa;if,c;o-
| riiy) on the score OF the effects of the DeIure
Wh'ch might transpose and throw loose natter
from their original positions into other and very dit
| ierent repositories an the mare earth Eothiuy
but he process OF time could possibly prod,,cc
strange ,ransposit-rl * arrangement of nature.
obvious order and purposes What process of
tint Then, must have been employed 10 produce
-uch an fleet, IN apparently such su,a and such
! an lDconSidersSle circumstance? is am enquiry
worthy the deepest consideration of the most ,-o
! found and wisgst philosophers.
10 make any thing like q reasonable calculation
on such hidJen and mysterious subject it is nc
cesiry (aS II ~ in all cases. to analyse little the
| material on which we have TO work. Tint ali
| rock that forms the fouDdation of the regions OF
the earh where II lies, partakes of the qualities
ana textures OF that earth clay, the corimones 81
observation VIII most clearly demonstrate. Those
oil the soft the coarse, the porous the gritty the
copgiomeraiing, petriiying quaics--sch as
are commonly called sOap-stone sand stone f..
stone, limestone, SC there is no doubt increase
| much iaster than those OF the more close the
more subtitle aud calcarious tcxturcs-snch as di-
dnOnd o. adanaut granite, flint, marble foDaz and
SLATE; which last admits Of the next smooth polish
20 marble. This positilion is fully demonstrated
/ by The scarcity and value, and She abundance and
| Sh'dpncsS Oi tue different sorts.
| Again--lhc six or seven last mentioned kinds
al increase the more slowly, in proportion to the
ncncss Of their textures aud the hardness of tbeir
/ bodies. AZ Il clear and positive proof of their
grown 90 Ne carili,n proportion IT, their different
Qualities and textures, there will always be found
IN OIL OF them, Gas well in most onesj q. frercnt
qualities III each Of their different srratins or Iv.
! cFS, as they arc brought forth ana examined IL,
use. ' '''
| IN III Slate, whose growth is The immediate Oh.
lect OF he present enquiry. and which will there
'"ie ne taken as the example, a30 years strict re-
search an examination into IFS qualities. ,yi,b ~
iere'ict views (tho bestof all ieachers has evinc.
60 INC hrst position, that j, parakes of the quality
| 81 the soil or clay in which ! lies. and liz besi
VEINS are 70 be sought for by such outward synp-
oinsi aud haiti grows in different, strafufns oy Ia "
crs oil solid masses, rising from ia foundations
| "iioFever they maybe, towards the surface, and
soneiimes entirely out, and also, that none ia o.
any value bat what is found not only under ground
l,ut un3er at least one, aud sometimes several Of
+ We trst or upper roek-stgaiums and re- sohl firm
and unjointed, was that IN which the bark was
found. ST any rite the upper s,ratums or LAYERS