-1830] WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. 9 



however, nearly the same direction as the main ridge ; and in 

 passing through North-CaroHna and Virginia, assume the 

 form of four principal ranges, nearly parallel to each other. 

 The three westernmost of these mingle together in the north- 

 ern part of Pennsylvania, and form a mountain chain, which 

 diverges to the east from the great water shed, and in pass- 

 ing through the state of New- York, occupies the space be- 

 tween Seneca lake and the Hudson river. At first sight, it 

 appears to terminate at the valley of the Mohawk; but it 

 soon rises again on the north side of the river, and forms 

 the mountain district between Ontario and Champlain ; is 

 afterwards cut through by the valley of the latter, and then 

 passes on towards the sources of the Connecticut. The re- 

 maining ridge of the four parallel ones continues separate 

 from the others, and suddenly turns to the east in Pennsyl- 

 vania, crosses the state of New-Jersey, and is deeply cut 

 through by the Hudson at West-Point, where it forms the 

 highlands of that river. It afterwards passes to the north iu 

 nearly a straight line, and forms the dividing ridge between 

 the waters of the Hudson and those of the Connecticut : at 

 the sources of the latter, it mingles with the other mountain 

 chain, and they then together pass on to the northeast, and 

 may be traced even to the coast of Labrador. The opening 

 between these ridges forms a long, deep, and narrow valley, 

 in which is situated the part of the Hudson river between 

 West-Point and Glen's Falls, and the whole of Lake Cham- 

 plain. South of this state, the several collateral ridges are 

 cut through by the Susquehanna, the Potomac, and several 

 other streams of less magnitude, which rise near the crest of 

 the water shed, and flow with a rapid descent to the ocean. 

 This fact has been stated as something peculiar in the to- 

 pography of our country, and has given rise to the fallacious 

 hope of finding practicable canal passes through the river 

 vallies from the waters of the Atlantic to those of the Missis- 

 sippi ; but the water shed, in its uninterrupted continuity, 

 every where rises as an insuperable barrier, and the lowest 

 pass yet found south of New- York is elevated more than 2000 

 feet above the ocean. As a whole, these mountains are known 



