130 OTTER CREEK. 



branches of East Creek, both having the same name as their united waters, come together in this corner of 

 Rutland, the one from Chittenden, and the other from Mendon. Very fine terraces are found upon the 

 Mendon branch for half a mile above the junction, but they will not compare for their number and sym- 

 metry with those upon the Chittenden branch in Rutland and Pittsford. The terraces are formed out of 

 an immense amount of detritus brought down from the mountains by these two streams. Terraces are 

 found upon the Chittenden branch worthy of notice, beyond South Chittenden ; but much of their mate- 

 rials consists of large bowlders of quartz rock. The first terrace is quite broad a mile below the village of 

 South Chittenden. 



The very serpentine course of Otter Creek, both above and below Rutland, is due to the loamy character 

 of the meadow. All sluggish streams passing through fine materials are characterized by a meandering 

 course. 



West of Rutland Depot accumulations of coarse gravel press close upon the river, which are not dis- 

 tinct terraces. Farther to the north the creek passes over rocks, finally tumbling down a precipice at 

 Sutherland s Falls. From this point commences a meadow often over two miles wide, extending to the 

 south part of Middlebury. Here it is very narrow, and in this condition extends to Vergennes, where it is 

 interrupted by a ledge of rocks ; after which it continues uninterruptedly to the lake, and at its mouth a 

 delta is forming, consisting now of low marshy land. 



A second terrace is continuous from Sutherland's Falls, to the lake along the banks of Otter Creek 

 From Weybridge to the lake, what we have called the second terrace is of the same general level as the 

 Champlain clays. Still it has the form of a terrace, and it is convenient to call it one, although we suspect 

 that it was formed by the creek only in this sense, that the creek cut a passage for itself in an oceanic 

 deposit. The same remark will apply to all the small streams in the Champlain clays, and the map shows 

 that nearly all of them have only two terraces, the meadow, and the border of the old oceanic deposit. 



Tinmouth River, emptying into Otter Creek near Center Rutland, exhibits very few terraces. From 

 its source in Danby to North Tinmouth the meadow is quite narrow, and there is only one terrace worthy 

 of notice, which is near the north line of the town. In Clarendon its valley is generally quite narrow. As 

 soon as it enters Rutland the meadow begins to expand, and for a part of the way terrace No. 2 may be 

 seen at its side. Rarely a level-topped hill may be mistaken for a terrace upon this stream, as in the 

 north part of Tinmouth. It consists of horizontal strata of limes tone, capped by a few feet of decom- 

 posed rock. There is a high hill of modified drift, perhaps a terrace, immediately east of West Rutland 

 Church. One end of it we estimate to be 50 and the other 100 feet high. The church is located upon the 

 second terrace. 



The terraces on Furnace River in Pittsford are well developed. At Pittsford Mills there are four terraces on 

 the east side and three on the west side, all very distinct. These continue, with an occasional interruption, 

 beyond Hitchcockville to the Furnace village, three miles from the mills. Below the Furnace there are 

 four terraces upon both sides of the river, of which the highest is of tertiary age. Furnace River turns 

 abruptly to the east near the Furnace. Upon the north side of this turn there are six terraces, rising one 

 above another, whose production was facilitated by a small tributary from the north. 



At the furnace there commences a narrow deep gorge, but not of great length. Between this gorge and 

 North Chittenden there is a prodigious amount of terrace materials in the form of terraces and moraine 

 terraces. At the upper end of the gorge there may be seen four terraces upon each side of the river, some 

 of them remarkably distinct, and the highest is far above the gorge. Nos. 1, 2 and 3, though very distinct, 

 are unusually short : hence they appear and disappear so rapidly in passing along the river, that it is 

 impossible to map them upon so small a map as Plate II. But No. 4 or the highest terrace is generally 

 constant. We traced it upon both sides of the river as far as a curious tower of limestone, nearly a mile 

 and a half above North Chittenden. The village at North Chittenden is located in a pretty basin hollowed 

 out of the highest terrace. Most of the terrace materials in Chittenden arc very coarse, as is generally the 

 case upon rapid streams near high mountains. 



Upon Sugar Hollow Brook, a tributary of Furnace River at the village of Pittsford, there is a fine basin of 

 terraces about two miles north of the village. The scenery in the vicinity is quite picturesque. Between 

 this basin and the village the stream passes through a rocky gorge. 



