THE MINERAL SPRINGS OF SARATOGA. 



25 



William Johnson was conveyed from Schenectady to this locality on 

 a litter, by some of the Indian braves of the Mohawk tribe, by whom 

 he was evidently much loved and esteemed. It is highly probable 

 that the High Rock was the only spring known to the Indians, and 

 that Sir "William was the first white man that ever visited it. In the 

 long interval that has elapsed since the location of the High Rock 

 was revealed, the number of springs developed has been very largely 

 increased. With regard to the origin of these springs there are two 

 theories advanced, both of which have able and zealous advocates ; 

 but, before presenting the claims of either of them to your considera- 

 tion, it will be necessary to describe the geology of this vicinity, in 

 order that they may be more fully comprehended. All of the rocks of 

 this county are members of the oldest systems of geological formation, 

 and are both metamorphic and sedimentary in their character ; the 

 granitic or Laurentian is of archsean origin, the remaining strata hav- 

 ing been deposited during the Lower Silurian age. The accompany- 

 ing map represents a transverse section of these formations, extending 

 from the eastern portion to the higher altitudes located in a north- 

 westerly direction from this village. The underlying rocks comprise 

 first, the Laurentian ; second, the Potsdam sandstone ; third, the cal- 

 ciferous sand-rock ; fourth, the Trenton limestone ; and, fifth, the 

 Utica, or black slate. At a very remote period of the past, the rocks 

 comprising these various strata were subjected to some powerful natu- 

 ral force, which resulted in their fracture, dislocation, and the gradual 

 upheaval of a large portion of them, producing at the point of disrup- 

 tion what is known to geologists as a fault. The position occupied by 



Fig. 1. 



OGA 

 PRING5 



the various strata is shown in Fijr. 1 : Xo. 1 indicates the Laurentian, 

 the oldest of those belonging to the metamorphic system ; No. 2, the 

 Potsdam sandstone ; Xo. 3, the calciferous sand-rock ; Xo. 4, the 



