16 Account of the Kaatskill Mountains. 
< Slate continues one third of the ascent, when Sand Stone 
ain appears, resting upon it. The colour of these rocks 
is a dark varying toa hght brojvn. They are darker and 
much more compact than those near the base. On the 
peaks of these mountains, are ga specimens of Conglom- 
. erate or pudding stone. Jobserved a rock of this kind 
(on the peak north of Round Top.) of half a mile in length, 
and from eight to ten feet in height, forming an immense 
band to the mountain. The pebbles imbedded were from 
the size of a bullet, to that of a six pound shot. There 
are no Limestone rocks on these mountains. The in vabi- 
tants have to bring all their lime from below. I saw a speci- 
men of carbonate of Lime, similar to that near the village, and 
partially filled with eae ase several miles west of the 
conglomerate rock. As it was lying loose in the road, and 
as the rocks around it were pees quartz or sand stone, I 
presume it must have been carried up the mountain by some 
of the inhabitants. 
he scenery of this mountain is probably not surpassed 
by any in the United States. The narrow glen, the deep 
ravine, the lofty precipice and the glittering cascade, com- 
bining the sublime and beautiful, excite the highest interest 
in the mind of the spectator. 
There are two roads leading up the mountain, one through : 
the Kaaterskill clove, the other is cut in a serpentine direction 
up the side of the mountain. The most interesting ascent — 
is through the clove or cleft in the mountain, which ee me 
to have been formed ‘by some great convulsion of nature. 
Kaaterskill Clove. 
“This ¢ Clove is formed so as to present a descending ra- 
_ vine, for five miles in length, in which the Kaaterskill pursues 
its way from near the top of one of the peaks to the base of 
the mountain. 
The road runs on the ‘idés of these mountains, following 
for several miles the direction of the stream, above which it 
is elevated from twenty to several hundred feet. After run- 
ning on the north side of the Kaaterskill for about a mile, it 
crosses it and rises two hundred feet above the stream.— 
Standing at this place, as the spectator casts his eye beneath 
him, he beholds the water forcing its way over a bed © 
te 
