The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-11
From our regular correspondent
New YoRK, September 9, l845.

Before closing my correspondence from the West,
should have noticed very singular popularity of
the great western praires, especially appertnnng to
those beyond the Mississippi. 1t seems that, in
travelling over them, you here and there meet with
large boulders Of granite, some of which weigh
many tons. The singularity of their position arises
from the fact oftheirexreme soation-no other rock,
of any description, being scarcely ever found within
many miles of them, and none of similar kind be-
ing found in place." or permanent locality, within
from 500 to 1000 miles distant. These isolated
masses Of granite called ia roche erranie," or
wandering rocks" by the early French voyageurs.
The wonder is, how these huge rounded masses
Of rock reached their present restng-placcs on the
face Of the praires from such distent points. IL is
known that, north Of Lake Superior, and towards
Hudson's Bay, permanent formations of similar
granite are found.
The theory, then, would seem to be, that all the
prairie country of the West was, at no very remote
period, covered with water; and that these great
boulders of granite were detached, by the action OF
the elements from their beds far to the NORTH where
being enclosed in fields bergs of floating ice,
transported to the places where see them
just as the icebergs floating south now seen in
the Atlantic, bearing with them the rocks in ques-
tion which are melted in southern lat'tudes. This
view of their origin is made more probable from
the fact, that they are not found south of certain
parallels Of latitude They generally disappear
south OF that point degree beyond which cebcrgs
in the Atlantic never pass believe granite boud-
ers are never found in Florida Louisiana, or on the
prairies Of Alabama. They exist in greatest size
and number on the vast praires lying between the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
! The presence Of these boulders, however, is moi
the only proof of the great basin Of the Mississippi
having, at one time, formed the bed of vast lake
or sea. The limestone rock at Maysville, at Louis
| vile, at st. Louis, and various other places, on
being fractured, however hard and crystallized its
composition, scarcely fails of revealing the
forms Of sea-sheIls, of great variety Of sizes
and forms. At that early period, IL is supposed
huge monsters Of the sea lizard order existed
| in the ATTITUDES Of the Gulf Of Mexico, some
| Of whose remains have been discovered IN Clark
county, Alabama. The theory is, that the valley o
the Mississippi has been drained by the volcanic up
heaval of the high lands that exist east and west
and especially north Of it, about the upper lakes
particularly around Lake Superior, and west Of it
towards the Rocky mountains.
IL is said 10 be the opinion Tor rather theory) o.
Dr. Houghton, that Lake Superior contained tn,
central craters OF two vocanoes--one Of which wal
west of Keweena point and the other east Of III that
| by the action Of the west, the Isle Royae, th,
| high land north and west, with the trap ranges o
mountains overrunning the peninsula Of Keweent
| point, and Of the main land southwest Of it, wer,
upheaved by subterranean force leaving vast body
Of water in its extingushed crater; tina, with tn