l!338j 



t^ARML^RS' RliJtilSTER, 



403 



points of the Atlantic Ocean. The elevation of 

 this spot proves by our observations to be more 

 than 4,700 leet above tide-water being more than 

 900 feel above the hi<ihe:=l point of the Caitskill 

 mountain?, which iuive so long been considered 

 the highest in the state. The couise of the Au 

 Sable to Lake Cham plain, docs not exceed -10 

 miles, yet its descent is 4,G10 leet ! This, accord- 

 ing to our present knowledge, is more than twice 

 the descent of the Mississippi proper, I'rom its 

 source to the ocean.'" 



The liighcst peak of the mountains lies S. W. 

 from the source of the Hudson one and a quarter 

 miles; and the party reached the most elevated 

 point about 10 o'clock. After clearing the zone ol 

 dwarf pines and spruces which surround the 

 mountain, they found the open rocky surface co- 

 vered only with mosses, lichens, and small alpine 

 plants; and a clear view in every direction. On 

 some small deposits of water in (he rock, ice was 

 found at noon, one-half an inch thick. "Around 

 lay scattered in irregular profusion, mountain 

 masses of various magnitudes and elevations, like 

 a vast sea of broken and pointed billows. In the 

 distance lay the ij-reat valley or plain of the St. 

 Lawrence, the glittering surface of Lake Cham- 

 plain, and the extensive mountain range of Ver- 

 mont." Through a depression o( the latter range 

 the party discovered another, and more distant 

 range, but whether the part seen was the White 

 JNlounlains of New Hampshire, or the Franconia 

 Mountains near the head of the Merrimack, they 

 could not determine. The barometrical observa- 

 tions, on this peak showed an elevation of 5.457 

 feet, exceeding the lieight of the Whileliice Moun- 

 tain by 600 feet, and the highest point of the 

 Cattskill by 1,650 leet. 



The parly afterwards visited two or three other 

 of the elevated points in this cluster of mountains, 

 none of which equalled, in height, the one alrea- 

 dy noticed. Two of these points they named 

 Mclntyre and McMartin, and the name of Marcy 

 has been bestowed on the high peak, a merited 

 compliment to our worthy governor. The geolo- 

 gical character of this nui-Ieus of mountains is 

 singular, as it is entirely dilierent fi'om that ol' the 

 country or the mountains around it, and the pecu- 

 liar rock which constitutes these elevated masses 

 is not found in any other place will. in the United 

 States. It consists of "da<-k-colored and soflie- 

 limes opalescent li;ldspar, accompanied towards 

 the exterior part of the formation with green an- 

 gite, or pyroxene, but in the central portions the 

 feldspar alone constitutes almost the only ingre- 

 dient of the rocks. It is apparently destitute of 

 mica, quartz, and hornblende, aiui also of any 

 traces of stratified gneiss." * * "The nearest 

 locality at present known of a similar rock, is 

 about 200 miles north of Quebec, on the N. E. 

 border of lake St. John, from whence it extends to 

 the Labrador coast." It is from this coast that its 

 name ofZa6ra«?ori7e,or Labrador feldspar, is derived. 

 The localities of this kind of rock derive more 

 importance in a geological point of view than they 

 would otherwise have, Ji-om the fact that the 

 boulders so thickly scattered over the Oneida coun- 

 try, and more or less over the whole of the lake 

 slope of western New York, are mostly of this 

 kind of rock, and hence can be traced directly as 

 it were to their original focation. "The most 

 eastern of these transported boulders, kaowa tio 



exist, is one of about one hundred tons weight at 

 Coxsackie on the Hudson, one hundred and fifty 

 miles south of the labradorite fbrmatinn«, and 

 ihiee hundred feet above the river." We have 

 seen them of several tons weight reposing on the 

 argillaceous ranae that runs through wesiern N. 

 York, and at elevations of from five to ten hun- 

 dred feet above the Erie Canal. Prof. Hitchcock, 

 in his valuable geological survey of Massachu- 

 setts, traces the boulders that occupy so much of 

 that state, to their original beds, and finds the 

 most conclusive proof that the current that de- 

 posited these masses of stone in their present loca- 

 tion, must have flowed from the west of north; and 

 the manner in which these labradorite boulders 

 are distributed, not less clearly shows, when their 

 present position and origin are considered, the ac- 

 tion of currents powerful and extensive from the 

 north-east. Mixed with these labradorite masses 

 of ftjkispar, we have seen some iew blocks of 

 opalescent or flesh-colored ieldspar, and some 

 beautiful specimens that were a pearly white, 

 needing but decomposition to form the valuable 

 earth called kavlin, and used when pure in the 

 manufacture of the finest porcelain. It may be 

 remarked that these latter varieties of feldspar 

 have less the ap[)earance of rolled masses than 

 the dark colored, or labradorite boulders, their an- 

 gles l)eing ac jte and apparently of recent fracture, 

 when compared vi^ith the heavy blocks of the la- 

 bradorite. From the researches of the state board 

 of geologists, we anticipate much valuable infor- 

 mation on all subjects connected with the geologi- 

 cal formations of this state; particularly the posi- 

 tion of the various strata, the localities, proois of 

 currents, superposition, &c. 



To show the rank to which these newly disco- 

 vered mountains are entitled, we have thought it 

 might not be unacceptable to give a summary of 

 the highest mountains yet known east of the Mis- 

 sissippi; we say yet known, because it is not im- 

 possible that in the tract of country we have de- 

 scribed, mountains of equal, or even greater 

 height, may not exist; and because the citizens in, 

 the viciniiy of the Black Mountain, in Norifa Ca/- 

 rolina, are putting forward its claims to be consi- 

 dered the highest mountain in the United States,. 

 No accurate measurement of that range Jias, how- 

 ever, yet been made, so liir as we know, and ex- 

 perience shows that the eye in estiniiaiing, or the 

 feet in climbing heights, are not always to be de- 

 pended upon. Those given are the result of baro- 

 metrical observations conducted with great care 

 by scientific men, and in most cases, repeated ad- 

 measurements have verified the-corres'tness. W n 

 commence with some of ihosgdetermined by Mr. 

 lledfield and his scientific pAT'ly. 



Lake Champlain absive tide-water, 90 feet. 

 West Moriah, Schsoun River, 1.117 



Johnson's, at Clear Pond. 2,000 



Boreas River brid'ge, 2,02<> 



Hudson River baidgej r,810 



Mclntyre, 1,883" 



Lake Henderson outlet; r,93t» 



Lake Colden outlet, 2,851 



Hudson Riv«r, above the Dyke Fails,, 3,356 

 ^ do. in liie High Valley, 3,711 



Source of the main branch, 4,747 



Summit of Mount Mclntyre,. 5,183 



do. Mount Marcjy ot the 



High' Pisak of Essex, 5,467 



