THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



JULY, 1831. 



Art. I. Letters, descriptive of a Natural History Tour in 

 North America, By T. W. 



(Continued from T^,\\&.) 



Letter 5. The American Highlands, 



JVJ[y dear B. — Rounding Stony Point, we were quickly la 

 prospect of what is called the Entrance of the Highlands. 

 The river becomes narrow and rapid, and winds a singu- 

 larly twisted and angled course for a distance of sixteen 

 miles, or throughout the whole of this mountainous region. 

 It is hemmed in on both sides by stupendous cliffs, and 

 rocks of magnitude sufficient to stem the weight and fury of 

 an ocean ; the bed of the river appearing to be troughed out 

 of the solid stone. It is very deep, and easily floats the 

 largest vessels close to its margins. From the whirls, rapidity, 

 and violent tossings of the stream, its depth in many places 

 cannot be accurately ascertained, but it is supposed to be very 

 considerable. (Jig, 54<.) 



Forts Independence, Montgomery, and Clinton, now so 

 dilapidated as scarcely to be distinguished from the crags 

 that surround them, are at the entrance of the Highlands, and 

 at the time of the revolution were posts of very great conse- 

 quence ; they were, therefore, the scenes of many an arduous 

 struggle, and never remained long in the hands of either 

 party. Fort Putnam is two or three miles farther up the 

 river, and is said to have been the strongest fortress on the 

 Hudson ; its outer walls were 30 ft. in thickness. It stands 

 on a rock composed principally of feldspar and black schorl, 

 or tourmaline, and is 600 ft. above the level of the water. To 

 prevent the enemy's fleet from ascending the river at the 



Vol. IV. — No. 20. u 



