Account of the Kaatskill Mountains. 25 
bordering = river, and for some distance back are many 
cedars of a small size, the soil being usually so thin, as to 
toch: their Tsing deep root. Elms, iron-wood, and white 
irch, and in the swamps a wood called swamp ash, are 
thinly scattered among the trees before mentioned. Map! le, 
beech and hemlock, do not often grow below the ica 
but as soon as you ascend, these trees make their appear- 
ance. The two first on the sides of the mountain are more 
abundant, but as soon as you cross the ridge in the serpen- 
tine path which leads to the lakes, the evergreens are very 
numerous. The hemlocks here, and still 3 more on those 
peaks farther west, are very large, and rise to a great alti- 
tude. The spruce and the white pine, are visible in a 
thicket soon after crossing the ridge just eed Pepe 
the lakes, and for seve ral miles west of them, a e which 
| “Phis wee is titel admired for 
and often d to adorn the grounds 0 of the opulent. ‘I 
have never Chuaived any which had the rich silvery lustre, 
or grew to the same Senet ga ieee. those near these bedies | 
rise to a great witty Most of the vallies which lie be- 
tween the ridges of these mountains, are covered with hem- 
lock, with birch, beech and cherry trees es among 
them. For some distance up the sides of the ridges and 
peaks, the hemlock continues, but near the top the hard 
woods are the most nee Along the currents of water 
which are very abundant on these mountains, the hemlock 
is Sensrally found, and if the peaks (which often rise almost 
cularly from these streams) are not very elevated, 
this tree usually continues to the top of the ascent. The tops 
of those ridges and peaks which are very elevated, are co- 
vered with moss and with many thickets of spruces, which 
are often so dense as to be almost inaccessible. Some large 
oaks are found near the tops of the peaks, but at this alti- 
tude most of the trees are much diminished in theirsize. West 
Vou. I...No. 4. 4 
