20 WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. [1824- 



It is evident from these tables, that the mountain system 

 occupies the entire width of the southern part of the state, 

 between the Hudson and Lake Erie. The section given in 

 Table No. 1, exhibits a mean elevation, after the first 13 

 miles from the Hudson, of 1400 feet, and presents no height 

 less than 935 feet, except at its extremities, and in the two 

 places where the survey descends into the deep ravines in 

 which are situated Cayuga and Seneca lakes. If this section 

 had passed a few miles to the south of the head of Seneca 

 lake, the lowest point would have been 890 feet, which is 

 the highest part of the bottom of a valley extending from 

 this lake to the Chemung river. The mean elevation of the 

 several ridges, crossed by the same section, is 1700 feet. And 

 as tliese elevations are the lowest notches near the line of 

 the survey, they may be considered as being but little higher 

 than the general elevation of the surface of the country. 



The second division of the mountain district of the state, 

 or that on the north side of the Mohawk and Oneida valley, 

 and between Lake Ontario and Champlain, has not been as 

 minutely explored by topographical surveys for roads and 

 canals, as the division we have already described; but the 

 surface is known to be traversed, in a northeast direction, 

 by at least five or six parallel ridges. The position of the 

 principal one of these, beginning in Oneida county, may be 

 traced on the map, between the heads of streams flowing to 

 the right and left of its course through the middle of Herk- 

 imer and Hamilton counties, and the northern part of Essex, 

 near the sources of the Hudson. The lowest pass across this 

 ridge, between the valley of the Black river and the head 

 waters of the Mohawk, is shown in table No. 4, and is ele- 

 vated 1185 feet above the level of tide water. The lowest 

 notch between West Canada creek and the Black river, is 

 elevated 1226 feet, and between Fish creek and Salmon river, 

 near where the ridge commences, the pass is 659* feet high. 

 One of the peaks of this ridge, called the White Face, rises 

 to the height of 2686 feet; and the general elevation of the 

 country in the middle part of Hamilton county, has been 



* Judge Geddes' report. 



