WHITE KIVEB. 123 



We will specify ten basins upon the principal part of White River, which we think are well defined. 

 The hurry of our observations did not permit us to delineate other smaller basins, which probably exist ; 

 and in fact it was chiefly by an examination of all the notes collected during the survey, that the arrange- 

 ment of the terraces in basins was ascertained to exist. Hence it would have been very easy for the 

 observer to have overlooked some of the smaller basins, when he was not aware that the terraces were thus 

 disposed in nature. 



The first basin belongs to the ninth basin of the Connecticut, which extends from Windsor to Norwich. 

 It is quite short, extending only fiom White Eiver Junction to a short distance west of White Eiver 

 village. Yet the terraces are finely developed, especially where White Eiver unites with the Connec- 

 ticut, there being five terraces on the south side the highest of which is composed of sand, and its summit 

 is 209 feet above the Connecticut at the Railroad Bridge over White Eiver and four upon the north side. 



The second basin extends from White River village, nearly to West Hartford, and is well lined with 

 terraces upon both sides, their number being nowhere less than three, and never exceeding seven. Yet the 

 number varies for every half mile. The valley varies from a quarter of a mile to a mile in width. 



The third basin extends from a rocky barrier at West Hartford, to a similar barrier, well marked, a mile 

 southeast of Sharon. The terraces are less numerous upon it than in the second, the number never exceed- 

 ing five, and there being often only No. 4 present. 



The fourth basin extends to South Royalton, and is limited like the others by a rocky barrier. Near 

 Sharon village the terraces are very beautiful, and in one place on the south side, No. 3 is unusually exten- 

 sive, reaching to the river and passing by the terraces to the southeast, like a tongue. This large terrace 

 seems to have been brought down by a branch of White River from the south. 



The fifth basin extends to Bethel and somewhat farther, and is characterized by very distinct terraces, of 

 which there are generally four upon each side of the valley. The limit between this and the next basin is 

 not very well ascertained ; but we can say that the village of Randolph is in the sixth basin. So beautifully 

 marked are the terraces in Randolph, that the traveler from the north on the railroad, who inspects the 

 country as he passes, is at once struck by the change of the scenery at this point, for he suddenly comes 

 from a region utterly devoid of terraces into their very midst. We were unable to follow up the branch 

 towards Brookfield to examine its terraces, but judge that they are numerous upon it, and that formerly 

 the stream must have been larger than it is at present, to have formed them. 



Returning now to Bethel, we follow the west branch to Hancock, or more properly White Eiver itself. 

 Bethel was said to be in the fifth basin. This extends a mile or two west of the village on this branch. 

 At Gaysville we find ourselves upon another basin, the sixth from White Eiver Junction, which is not rich 

 in terraces, there being at Gaysville two terraces on the north side and three on the south side. In Stock- 

 bridge, at the Hotel, are very high terraces, but few in number, which are considered as belonging to 

 the seventh basin. Upon the eighth basin, in Stockbridge, at the southern limit of the basin, No. 4 

 blocks up the valley to a depth of some 300 feet, much in the manner of a terminal moraine. The chief 

 village in Stockbridge is located upon it. In the south part of Eochester there is a similar accumulation 

 of material. But this is composed of coarse water-worn materials, and may perhaps be a terminal moraine 

 of the great glacier that once slid down this valley from Hancock and Eochester. The fact that it is at the 

 mouth of a small stream from the east, may show that some of the mass has been transported from the 

 cast, and also that this current has been an agency to modify the materials of the moraine. Other tribu- 

 tary streams in the vicinity have brought in detritus to the principal valley, and formed delta terraces, but 

 they are all very small when compared with this moraine, and they do not extend across the whole valley 

 like this. 



Some very pretty terraces are found at the village of Rochester, which we have considered as constituting 

 a separate basin. Above this point we have not thought it desirable to establish distinct basins, as terraces 

 are only found occasionally, and, like the west branch of the river in Rochester, the evidences of former gla- 

 cial action have taken the place of terraces. We noticed several very large accumulations, especially in 

 Hancock, which will be described in the proper place as moraines. 



These terraces upon White Eiver will be found delineated upon the general map of Surface Geology, 



