Jig INTRODUCTORY. 



tain any impression of the chance explorer or, perhaps, never invaded 

 by the foot of man, remains rugged and absolute as it came from the 

 cosmic forces. 



The entire region is decidedly mountainous, and traversed by 

 numerous valleys, of greater or less extent, with their streams and 

 brooks all swiftly flowing over rough and stony beds. The main 

 water-course of that part of the region here considered is Esopus 

 Creek, which, rising in one branch (Birch Creek) almost at a point of 

 junction of three counties — Ulster, Delaware, and Greene — circuit- 

 ously traverses the former towards the Hudson, which it finally 

 reaches, after a journey of nearly sixty miles, at a point not thirty 

 miles from its source. 



The railroad follows the course of this stream on its track through 

 the mountains, and that the birds have also taken advantage of this 

 unobstructed way from the Hudson to the heart of the Catskills seems 

 to be shown by the presence of several species along the valley, even 

 far in the mountains, which were not noticed without its limits. 



Extending from this valley, less than thirty miles from the Hudson, 

 is the Big Indian Valley or Hollow, which passes irregularly south- 

 ward with a gradually increasing elevation until dissipated in moun- 

 tain passes, about eight miles from its entrance. Here it cradles the 

 early flow of the main branch of Esopus Creek, guiding its rapid and 

 increasing waters into more expansive course below. 



The highest elevations in the Catskills are found among the moun- 

 tains about this point, where are clustered several peaks closely 

 approaching four thousand feet in altitude. Rising among these is 

 Slide Mountain (4,205 feet), which has recendy been ascertained to 

 exceed in height all other peaks of the Catskill group, so that to this 

 comparatively unknown mountain has now been awarded the palm 

 which was long supposed to belong to others. Its name was evident- 

 ly bestowed with reference to an extensive land slide which has bared 

 its eastern slope, for a varying width of rods, from near the summit 

 far down into a gorge, where, from above, its devastation becomes 



