and seven hundred and fifty-six feet above the Atlantic ocean at Cape May. The apices of the highest range of hills are about twelve hundred feet above tide water level in the Chesapeake. The soil of the mountain valleys is well watered and excellent. Leaving the mountains, the country consists of ara ble hills, or, as it is commonly called, rolling ground. Near the water courses, the hills are sometimes too steep for cultivation, although possessing a fine soil, and clothed with a luxuriant growth of timber. This description embraces the greater part of Westmoreland, the western part of Fayette, Washington, Allegheny, Beaver, and Indiana. The three first named counties have the finest land; and Washington is placed first in rank. Mercer, Crawford, and Erie, have large bodies of level land of excellent quality; better adapted to grass than grain. Butler, Armstrong, Venango, and Warren, have soils so various, that it is difficult to give them a general character. Whilst large bodies might be pronounced almost worthless, and others deemed valuable only for their timber, there are extensive tracts which will not suffer comparison with any land in Pennsyl vania. Q. What are the minerals of this state? A. The most important are iron ore, Anthracite, Bituminous and some Kennel coal, the latter lately discovered by Prof. Rogers. In no part of the world is coal so plentifully found as in Pennsylvania. The western part is abundantly supplied with bituminous, and the eastern part with anthracite, this district containing this is principally occupied by mountains running parallel to the blue ridge, often very broad, with table summits, and rising generally from 1200 to 1500 feet above the ocean, and that is found on the rivers Conemaugh, Allegheny, Mononga hela, Ohio, and in numerous places, west of the Allegheny ridge-it is found in Huntingdon and Bedford county east of the Raystown branch of the Juniata. The following extract from Hazard's Register will show the importance of the coal trade of Pennsylvania. "The coal trade of Pennsylvania, recently and suddenly starting into existence, now constitutes one of the main branches of our domestic industry, and an important portion of the commerce of the state and the Union. It has given a new stimulus to individual, as well as national enterprise, and affords active and profitable employment for numerous and various classes of the community. It has introduced a spirit of improvement, interspersing the coun try with canals and Rail-roads, which by connecting the distant parts together, promote the convenience and prosperity of the people, while they add to the strength, and elevate the character of the state. It has raised up, in our formerly barren and uninhabited districts, an intelligent permanent population, and converted the mountains into theatres of busy life, and our hitherto waste and valueless 'lands into sites for flourishing and populous villages. It has opened a new field for the investment of capital, the expenditure of labor, and the persuit of all the purposes of civilization and society. Its benefits are not alone confined to those engaged immediately in the trade, but are becoming general and universal. Possessing all the varie-ties of their species, anthracite and bituminous, furnishing a cheap and preferable article of fuel; and affording new facilities to the manufacturer. The mineral coal of Pennsylvania now exerts an influence on every other branch of trade, affording the means of rearing, and permanently supporting on this side the Atlantic, all the mechanical arts and handicrafts of the old world." Q. Is iron ore abundant and of a good quality ? 60,000 tons of iron manufactured anually. The best iron ore is found in abundance in the calcerous valley between the ridges of the Appalachian mountains, particularly in Huntingdon, Centre and Mifflin counties.-A good quality is also found in many other counties, indeed in almost every county in the state, in Cumberland, Perry. &c. &c. There are about seventy-five furnaces in Pennsylvania. Q. Are there any other important minerals? A. Copper ore, in a variety of combinations, is found in many places among the mountains, there is some in Adams county, at Perkiomen Montgomery county. And I have seen a good quality obtained in Berks county. There is also an abundance of lead in some parts of the state. There is a lead mine at Perkiomen. "There is some Zine molybdena, titanum, &c, Sulphate of baryta has been found in Bucks county, and recently explored to some extent. Gypsum and hydraulic cement exist in immense quantities.*" White and variagated marble abound in Chester and Montgomery, and other building stones, as the common limestone, free-stone, granite and gneis rocks,. slate, &c. There are quarries of slate in York, Lancaster and Wayne counties. Rock slate is found very extensively in the western part of this state. Alum also abounds. Q. Are there any mineral springs in this state? A. There are many of the salt and other mineral springs. The salt springs are productive, and among the most productive are those near the margins of the Conemaugh Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The resources for the manufacture of salt in Pennsylvania seem to be inexhaustable. The capital employed, *Trego's Report. cannot be less, at a fair estimate, than 500,000, and the amount of salt annually manufactured, cannot be less than 650,000. The cost per bushel does not exceed 13 cents. There are also mineral springs, called medical mineralsprings. The most noted are the Bedford springs, discovered in 1804. They arise from a lime stone rock, at the fort of Dunnings mountain. There are several springs there all said to possess curative powers, efficacious in removing cutaneous and chronic complaints. The principal medical spring is Anderson's; another is called Fletcher's or the upper spring; the limestone spring; the sulpher spring, and the Chalybeat spring. The waters are charged with iron, magnesia and lime. al other medical springs in this state; the sulpher springs, near Carlisle; the warm springs Perry county, and the York sulpher springs, Adams county. Another 4 miles from Pittsburg. Dr. Mead recommends the water. Q. Are there any caves? There are sever A. In the Laurel mountain is one with a very narrow entrance, and various winding pasages, which has been traversed two miles. It is formed of a soft sand stone, and its roof is lined with bats. There is another at Durham Bucks county about 50 miles from Philadelphia. It is vulgarly called the Devil's hole. Three or four persons may enter abreast-the cave is divided into three great apartments, communicating with each other, by steep and rugged passages-it abounds with small pools and rivulets of water. At Carlisle is another, on the banks of the Cannoquoquinet about two miles north of the town. The entrance is by a semicircular archway, seven feet high in a limestone rock, of 20 feet perpendicular elevation-it extends about 95 yards-it has several small pools. This cavern is dark and damp, and must be examined by a torch light. Slatactical carbonite of lime a bounds in it. The writer procured some fine specimens in this cave and forwarded them to Philadelphia to exchange at their school lyceum. There There are several other caves in Cumberland county," to describe which would occupy too much space. is also a very extensive cave in Mifflin county, called Hanniwal's cave, having a depth of 100 rods. Considerable saltpetre has been obtained from it. There is another remarkable cave in Franklin county, near the base of the north mountain. It is described as being a very beautiful one and may be regarded as a great curiosity. The following is a brief description of its discovery and its grandeur and beauty: "A gentleman, living near the mountain, was about to dig for wa ter. Perceiving a very large spring, issuing out of a rock at the foot of a hill of considerable height, and a kind of sink hole, he there commenced digging, hoping to come on the stream, and proceeded but a few feet, when he could plainly hear the water running, seemingly with great rapidity; and at the distance of about twenty feet from the surface, he reached it, at the lower extremity of the fissure in the rock, which immediately expanded into a large and beautiful cavern, the entrance of which is partially obstructed by largs rocks which after advancing a little distance, entirely disappear, and instead of scattered rubbish, solid rocks appear enamelled with spar of different colors. In every direction are to be seen the most beautiful icicles, (stalactites) suspended from its noble, and in some places, majestic ceiling. Concretions, without number, and of almost every color, size, and dimension, are seen pointing downwards from the ceiling, and inwards from the sloping walls-some white, some red, some brown, some green, and others transparent as glass, and all solid as marble. They threaten the curious: adventurer with being torn to pieces by the craggy points, |