MODIFIED DRIFT ALONG CONNECTICUT RIVER. 33 



miles to 460 feet, nearly representing in height the normal upper terrace 

 of Connecticut river. We find this normal line shown on the Vermont 

 side by a nearly constant height of this terrace, varying between 470 and 

 460 feet for more than seven miles, from above Hall's brook to the south 

 line of Bradford. 



Delta of Waits River. We thus exclude, on the north from Bradford 

 village, the principal plain, which is from 10 to 15 feet above this upper 

 terrace, being highest at its south end, and the still higher terrace of the 

 fair-ground, and on the south the conspicuous remnants of the ancient 

 delta of Wait's river, which are more than 100 feet above the Con- 

 necticut normal line. These terraces have all been deposited by Wait's 

 river, which seems to have first thrust its high delta into the main valley, 

 whose strong currents undermined and removed a large portion, leaving 

 the rest with a steep escarpment ; afterwards most of this delta was chan- 

 nelled out by its parent stream and carried down into the main valley, by 

 which the terraces north of Bradford were formed ; and, lastly, it has also 

 swept out a large amount of the upper Connecticut terrace east of the 

 village. 



For a mile from the mouth of Wait's river southward, the number of 

 terraces is multiplied to five or six in ascending 75 feet from the river to 

 the wide upper plain. These furnish the best examples seen on the Con- 

 necticut of glacis terraees, sloping steeply towards the river and gently 

 away from it in a wave-like series, with from 5 to 10 feet difference in the 

 height of successive crests. 



Eastman's brook is the source of the modified drift on which Piermont 

 village is built. This delta rises in two thirds of a mile nearly 200 feet 

 above our normal line. 



Delta of Jacob's Brook. We now encounter in Fairlee and Orford one 

 of the most difficult problems presented on this river, in the abundant 

 deposit of alluvial sand, which, between Sawyer's mountain and Morey's 

 mountain, forms a high plateau, whose eastern edge overlooks the river, 

 while its western slope descends towards Fairlee pond. The highest por- 

 tion of this alluvium is 190 feet above the river and 155 feet above the 

 pond. The highest normal terrace is well shown through these towns, 

 varying from 75 to 55 feet above the river, or from 455 to 435 feet above 

 the sea. This terrace appears in Fairlee, at its north line, south-west of 



VOL. III. 5 



