J 20 GEOLOGY. 



part of the region traversed is in the southern Catskills, as defined by 

 the authority already quoted, in the following words: — 



"The mountain region is divided by the Esopus Creek into two 

 groups differing considerably in their physical structure, one on the 

 north, the northern or Catskills proper, situated mainly in Greene 

 county ; the other on the south, the southern Catskills or Shandaken 

 Mountains, in Ulster county." 



Of the geological origin of the region Mr. Guyot says : — 



"The masses of rocks forming the Catskill ^vlountains were deposit- 

 ed in a gulf of the Devonian Sea comprised between the Adirondack 

 plateau and the Green Mountain range, including the low Silurian 

 ridges between the Hudson and the foot of the Catskills, all of which 

 were probably emerged when the Devonian age began. Most of 

 New England was also above the level of the ocean. The thickness 

 of the sediments shows that the bottom of this gulf gradually sub- 

 sided during ihat time to a depth of some 5coo feet, constantly mak- 

 ing room for new deposits. The presence of the gray conglomerate 

 capping the highest hills proves that the deposition of these sedi- 

 ments continued into the sub-carboniferous period, after which they 

 were upheaved above the level of the ocean, before the deposit of 

 the Coal-measures, and have remained emerged ever since." 



A further quotation of some very pertinent remarks on the general 



character of the region may here be made : — 



" In a former paper on the physical structure of the Appalachian 

 system. I noted the fact that, though extending through the most 

 populated and civilized part of the United States, that system of 

 mountains was still among the least known of our country. This re- 

 mark applies with double force to the Catskill Mountain region. 



" Situated in the old and flourishing State of New York, only one 

 hundred miles from its metropolis, in full sight and within a few miles 

 of the great artery of travel, the Hudson River ; visited every sum- 

 mer by thousands of tourists in search of the beauties of nature and 

 of the cool air of its high valleys and plateaus, its real mountain re- 

 gion has been thus far almost a sealed book to the geographer and 

 the geologist as well as to the transient visitor .... The whole 

 region was originally an unbroken forest, and. with the exception of 

 the bottom and slopes of a few valleys and of some portions of the 

 northeastern plateaus, it has remained so to this day. 



" The wilderness of the Adirondacks is more extensive but hardly 

 more complete than that of the pathless forests of the Southern Cat- 

 skills, the habitual haunts of numerous bears, wild-cats, and occasional 

 panthers." 



