132 



From that neighbourhood northeastward this portion of the 

 formation presents little that is worthy of record until we reach the 

 eastern side of the Round Valley Mountain. About a mile south- 

 west of the White Horse Tavern, and nearly opposite the curve 

 of the Round Valley Mountain, there occurs a rather singular 

 ridge of considerable elevation, extending southeastward from the 

 trap. On the southwest of this long ridge the beds of the red shale 

 have their prevailing gentle dip to the northwest, but immediately 

 after crossing it towards the White Horse Tavern, there is a 

 total change in the direction of the dip, which is to the northeast, 

 at an angle exceeding 40°; the change is sudden and strongly 

 defined. This ridge, apparently forming the axis of dislocation, 

 extending southeastward from the curve of the Round Valley 

 Mountain towards the Raritan, the angle of dip in the strata 

 gradually diminishes as we proceed north, or towards New Ger- 

 mantown, assuming a more eastern inclination, and becoming, east 

 of the Lamington river, the southeastern dip already spoken of. 



In the valley of the Passaic river, east and south of the 

 trap ridge, called Long Hill, the shale and sandstone, in many 

 places, appear finely exposed for examination. They constitute 

 an escarpment of some height on the southeastern declivity of 

 the hill, rising nearly half way up the steep ascent, exhibiting 

 great regularity of stratification, and an undisturbed dip to the 

 northwest, at an angle of 15°, directly towards the trap in the 

 body of the hill. In several spots along the base of this ridge the 

 shale has sustained a change of aspect from the heating action of 

 the trap. Being soft, friable, and, when wet, of a nearly black 

 colour, it has given origin to a mistaken notion in the neighbour- 

 hood, that these strata contain coal, and hence many fruitless 

 explorations have been undertaken here in search of that mineral. 

 In fact, it is said a company was organized, and expended $1000 

 in digging and boring for coal A little geological knowledge 

 would have shown the absurdity of anticipating coal any where 

 in this red sandstone formation. 



On the eastern bank of the Passaic river, at a point about a 

 mile and a half above Chatham, where the Morris and Essex 

 Railroad crosses the stream, the red shale has been exposed to 

 view in a quarry, from which the building stone for the viaduct 

 over the river was procured. 



