Exploring Visits to the Sources of the Hudson. 301 
Art. XIV.—Some account of two visits to the Mountains in ‘Essex 
County, New York, in the years 1836 and 1837; with a Sketch 
of the Northern Sources of the Hudson; by W. C. Repriexp. 
NotwitnstanpinG the increase of population, and the rapid ex- 
tension of our settlements since the peace of 1783, there is still found, 
in the northern part of the state of New York, an uninhabited re- 
gion of considerable extent, which presents all the rugged charac- 
ters and picturesque features of a primeval wilderness. This region 
constitutes the most elevated portion of the great triangular district 
which is situated between the line of the St. Lawrence, the Mo- 
hawk, and Lake Champlain. That portion of it which claims our 
notice in the following sketches, lies mainly within the county of 
Essex, and the contiguous parts of Franklin, and comprises the 
head waters of the principal rivers in the northern division of the 
state. 
In the summer of 1836, the writer had occasion to visit the new 
settlement at McIntyre, in Essex County, in company with the pro- 
prietors of that settlement, and other gentlemen who had been invi- 
ted to join the expedition. Our party consisted of the Hon. Archi- 
bald McIntyre of Albany, the late Judge McMartin of Broadalbin, 
Montgomery county, and David Henderson, Esq. of Jersey City, 
proprietors, together with David C. Colden, Esq. of Jersey City, 
and Mr. James Hall, assistant state geologist for the northern dis- 
trict. ‘ : 
First Journey to Essex. 
We left Saratoga on the 10th of August, and after halting a day 
at Lake George, reached Ticonderoga on the 12th ; where at 1 P. M. 
we embarked on board one of the Lake Champlain steamboats, 
and were landed soon after 3 P. M., at Port Henry, two miles N. 
W. from the old fortress of Crown Point. The remainder of the 
day, and part of the 14th, were spent in exploring tha vicinity, and 
examining the interesting sections which are here exhibited of the 
junction of the primary rocks with the transition series, near the 
western borders of the lake, and we noticed with peculiar inter- 
est the effect which appears to have been produced by the former 
upon the transition limestone at the line of contact ; the latter being 
39 
_ Vou. XXXIII.—No. 2. 
