138 Mr. Delahigarrt*s Excurfions on the Blue Mountains, 



other veftige than the impreffion of fuch fhells on the various 

 flones which we may difcover at the foot of our mountains.* 



* There are, it is true, impreffions of fhells on various ftrata of limeltones. 

 Thefe impreffions at leaft appear to have been made by fhells, though nothing 

 can afford a fatisfadtory proof of the fadl as long as not a fingle particle of fuch 

 fhells is to be difcovered, nor adhering nor loofe, even by digging at a confiderable 

 depth into the quarries of limeftone. On the other hand, all thefe impreflions do 

 not reprefent cut fliells of one and the fame kind. Let them be larger or 

 fmaller, the defign is entirely alike. Chancellor Livingfton, upon examining 

 thefe impreffions, found them to be in fhape and make, entirely like the fcollops 

 on the fea-coads ; except that they do none of them exceed half an inch in length 

 or breadth. As they are only impreffions on the flone, without any remains of 

 the fliells, they always take the colour of the ftone. 



Rlr. Jeffcrfon, p. 45, brings forth fome obfen-ations, which at the firft fight 

 fcem to contradidt ours on this fubjeft : I will relate them here, and our 

 Headers will judge if they can ftand any longer againft our opinions and 

 remarks./ 



" Near the eaftern foot of the north mountain, are immenfe bodies of fchift, 

 " containing impreffions of fhells in a variety of forms. — I have received petrified 

 *' fhells of very different kinds from the firft fources of the Kentucky, which bear 

 '* no refemblance to any I have ever fecn on the tide-"waters. It is faid that 

 »' fhells are found in the Andes in South America fifteen thoufand feet above the 

 *' level of the ocean." 



ift. Schift containing only imprefTions of fhells at the foot of a mountain, 

 agree with us, and proves nothing againft our own obfervations. 



dd. Petrified flieUs may naturally be found in fprings and fources, without 

 having recourfe to a deluge to account for thera. 



