The Arkansas advocate., 1835-07-17

l eFly direction, ] crossed, within a distance
 of eight miles, four abrupt ridges, running east and west, consisting of highly inclined reddish ferruginous sandstone, -intersected 1 by seams of quartz: and; examining the country around with greater diligence; found that the sandstone rested ;pori grfii-
 waeke slate, had many opportunities, du- ring the remaining part of my progress to the banis oi tie Arkansas, 10 verify this observation, and to satisfy myself that l was upon the true equivalent of the old red sandstone and grauwacke of English geo. loglsts. la various situations l found the old red sandstone formation exceedingly broken up, and the fragments piled up as 1t were in great masses. tIftlere are some singular instances Of this within three miles of Little Rock, on the north side Of tho Arkansas river.
 "ihe advance to Little Rock, in this direction, Is over two miles of alluyial soil, perfectly fiat; and the extremely steep bank of the river, during low water, shows on the north side no rocky structure whatever, but on the south side the grauwacke slate crops out very boldly on the bank, and be- ing ihe first stony substance met with as- cending from the mouth of the Arkansas river, has given its name of Little Rock to the present seat of government, of the Territory of Arkansas" ]"
 l:e author hasthg crossed ihe Arkansas, passes by an ancient crater on bis way to Inc Mashifa Springs
 it thirty five miles from Little Rock, the country is covered with ferrusinous conglomerate of tie old red sandstone.-
 Wherever this latter rock Is found. ilie pine prevails, as is usually the case in siliceaus counties; but about forty eight miles from Little Rock, observed an approaching change in the timber, the pine having en- trely disappeared, aud being replaced by decidnous trees.
 s' Where this change commenced I found a total change of mineral structures; the old red sandstone had given place 10 an ancient greensboro, containing great quantities of cystalized hofnbIende. The rock rose here about one hundred and fifty feel, aa9 having reached he top, l saw was upon the bfim of waat, in the western part of i Virginia, near the Clinch mountain, where l have seea several, as well as in the neigh borhood of Seqaatchee valley ill Iennes- see-is called cove. This cove, which is not quite circular, but rather affecting the form of gunrd. has an interior basin. which slopes peasingly down; and contains, 1 probably, one thousand five hundred acres of very excellent soil. In various parts of the bottom, found large masses of decon- posing feldspar; studded with black tourma. liness some of which were in long pris,ns,
 whilst others formed stelIated figure of beauhfnl delicate acicular rays. Some of the felspathic rocks were filled with amor phous masses Of while sulphuret of iron, believed by many persons to be silver. In other parts of the cove found masses of coarse grained svenite, consisting of red l teldspaf, hornblende, mica, and some quartz. But what will always give celebri- ity 10 this remarkable locality, now called
 Magnet Cove; Is inc magnetic iron which abounds there. Fhere IS an extensive mound of if, covered with pebbles of mag netie iron, from an ounce to four pounds weight. From some examination5 made by ai.ss.es s, r...a.:::: ss,a o,- bles, like those of the iron vein in Missouri, overlie masses of the metal of prodigious extent. Some ofthe specimens l obtained possess a surprising magnetic power; and such IS the influence of the mass in place, that Col. Conway, the surveyor general, in-
 formed me he had been tumble to survey ! the country, as the needle will not traverse
 on approaching this locality. From care ] sul examination Of the different portions of this most interesting cove, I came to the conclusion that tla whole structure of this ! elevation, as far as its exterior as well as its interior was concerned, was an old greenstone belonging 10 the intrusive
 rocks, and occupying, for limited space,
 a place amidst the cid red sandstone. = That as far as ihe greensboro extends, al ] tie trees are declduous, and without its H. l init all the trees are eyergreens and pines. i 1t Is impossible to look at this qnasicircnlar 1 brInl, and the cove belows and take into
 consideration, at the same time, all the mi nerals and metals found there; without be-
 ing impressed with the opinion that ii is the result of very remote volcanic action, and
 IS, perhaps, one of those extremely ancient
 craters, that may have preceded those of
 which basalt and lava are the products"
 The account of the Hot Springs of the
 Washta is so interesting, that We give it en- tire:
 sIhe distance from Magnet Cove to the Hot Springs of the Washita Is about six teen miles, keeping always upon tlIe old red sandstone, and no change i'll the mineral, ayeapf f,pa veiy, cf craapctona with opnolI