The Arkansas advocate., 1835-07-31
F'EA ATHERsToNHAUGH's REPORT.
Contsnued.

21ol springs inc country IS mountainous ana broken, consisting of cones and ridces
 from three hundred to five hundred feet above the streams which meander in very narrow bottoms. If, in Missouri and the norm parts ot Arkansas, | had observed
 the singular propensity to substitute slice 1 ous Tor calcareous matter, here found the Iferruginous hills of old red sandstone. some
 tlmes consisting of solid masses of flint, at otner times of beautiful novaculite, and
 a3atn of ferruginous sandstone, with heavy
 vens ot iron passing through them, and
 inParting ehalybeate character to many 1 springs issuing from their slopes. These
 hills contain that beautiful mineral substance
 called the Washita oilstone, which is some
 times well exposed in small vertical layers, ana which adhere so tenaciously to each o1her that, Oh account of their remarkable
 bnttleness, they are separated with much oiiiiculty- It IS not easy, for this reason, to ohtaIn good specimens of it. The curl ous gradatlons of this siliceous matter. in the forms of old red sandstone, flint. no-
 yacullte, hornstone. and quartzoSe rock, are surprising. For many miles these lofty hllls present a succession of these minerals. Tn yanous forms. In some parts rock crvs tai abounds in great profusion, and of a good transparency and large dimensions beautiful crystals of quartz, of a large size. are also found with double terminations. and not unusually of bright topaz yellow color. But the most remarkable mineraiT saw was the noyaculite, or oiistone, a slice ous stone of pearly semi-transparent na- lure, presenting singularly smooth natural faces, and occasionally tinged, in very pleasing manner, with metallic solutions. Lofty hills are found there, composed en- Hrely of this material On one of these I saw several large pits, twenty to thirty feet deep, and as many in diameter, resembling inverted cones, the insides of which are covered with broken chips Of # this beanfi- tui mineral, some white, some red, some earmiae, some blue, some quite opalescent. in and near these pits round and lone masses were scattered about, of hard greenstone had found in place eighteen miles distant, and none of them too laroe# for the hand. They were, undoubtedly, Indian tools, and these were the quarries from whence the Indians had formerly obtained the materials they used for their arrow heads, and other weapons of offence.
 found no arrow heads there, however. hut subsequently on many of the alluvial banks ot the streams in the country around. amidst the circular holes and mounds. where their now fallen mud cabins formerly stood, prodlglous quantities of chips of the same mineraI, and of broken arrow heads also, were strewed around, from whence 1t may be inferred that they resorted to the mountains tor pieces of the mineral, and carried It to their villages to fabricate.
 Although 1t Is true that no hints have vet been found Tn the United States, in the chalk formation, yet, in Missouri and Ar- kansas, inexhaustble quantities of flint are to be obtained, of the best quality, and from
 the most accessible situations
 sDurlng my stay here, endeavored in yaIn 10 procure guide to cross the country with mo to Cantonment Towsan,& as. Red river, opposite the confines of the Mexican territory. In this direction, except for a short distance, there is not even a bridle path all roads terminate here, and the oas- ses are only known to hunters but heavy rains had set Tn, and the mountain streams were excessively swollen; the hunters. too, were ayerse to break off from their favorte pursuit of bear-hunting, which com- menees at this season. Deemno 1t imprn- dent 10 run the risks to which, under these circumstances and at so Iate |; period of the year, and without a hunter to provide me with food, should have been exposed, l reluctantly gave up my intention of fur ther exploring the hills in that direction, and accordingly directed my course to Red | river, lower down the Washita."
 '4From the Caddo to Tournois creek, the distance Is about fifteen miles, always upon good level soll. Part of the country, however, was sandy, with heavy beds of a biuish green arenaceous clay, containing a
 trace of lime. found no fossils or irn-. pressions Tn 1t, but was induced to believe 1t was the equivalent of some tertiary beds
 l had seen near Shirley, on James river, Virginia. The whole of this part of the country almost seems to be underlaid with
 rotten limestone. derived from broken down
 marine shells. The country hence, for several miles, consists of good bottom land, full of holly and laurel, with occasional hills Of old red sandstone of moderate size, with their usual pine trees. Having gone about twenty miles, the country fell again to the South, and soon came to an important stream which rises to the Northwest, and
 empties into the Washita, called the Little
 Missouri, from it's waters being of dusky red, muddy color. On crossing this stream, entered upon dense low bottom