158 



that instead of this the softer portions of rock are worn 

 away by the action of sand and gravel washing over it. 



In reply to a call for an account of the large bowlder 

 in the Manchester woods which had been visited by the 

 party, the Secretary, Mr. John Robinson, stated that he 

 had taken great pleasure, during the morning, in visiting 

 the curious bowlder in the woods on the road to Essex. 

 After a pleasant but difficult walk through woods and 

 clearings, and finally by a scramble to the summit of the 

 hill upon which many bowlders rest they came to the rock 

 designated. It is about half the size of Ship Rock, so 

 justly celebrated, and in shape almost a cube, of perhaps 

 twenty feet on a side, one end resting upon the ledge 

 which forms the hill, and the other propped up about two 

 feet by a wedge-shaped rock, the sharp end downwards ; 

 the base of the thus inverted wedge is against the under 

 side of the bowlder. Beneath is room for two persons to 

 crawl, and the glacial scratches upon the ledge, being so 

 well protected, are nearly perfect, while a sidelong glance 

 shows the surface of the ledge to be quite smoothly pol- 

 ished. Mr. Robinson, after speaking of the importance 

 of such characteristic bowlders in demonstrating the gla- 

 cial theory, and of the interest expressed by the late 

 Prof. Agassiz while visiting this rock some years since, 

 made, at the suggestion of some residents of Manchester, 

 the following motion, which was unanimously accepted, 

 after being seconded by Mr. Lewis N. Tappan, who 

 offered some remarks on the subject, including reminis- 

 cences of Prof. Agassiz' visit to the spot : — 



Voted, that the bowlder visited during the morning by 

 a party from the Kssex Institute Field Meeting, held at 

 Manchester, Oct. 2, 1874, be named and hereafter known 

 as "Agassiz Rock." 



