228 DESCRIPTIVE MINERALOGY. 



The greatest length of this cavern, as far as it has been explored, is about two-thirds of a 

 mile. It contains fourteen rooms, ten of which branch off laterally from the main course of 

 the cavern ; and two lakes or pools, the surface of the one in the northern passage being ten 

 feet above the level of the other, and both containing water varying in depth from two to thirty 

 feet. Stalactites and stalagmites have been found in it, which are of the purest white, usually 

 varying from three to eighteen inches in length, and from one to seven inches in diameter. 

 One of a much larger size was removed entire, and is now in the possession of John Gebhard, 

 Esq. Its base, which is of an elliptical form, is three feet six inches at the largest diameter, 

 with a plane surface underneath ; but its upper surfaces rise regularly on all sides to the 

 centre, from which there is a column of fifteen by ten inches in diameter and seventeen inches 

 in height. At the upper part there is a horizontal projection, from which are suspended forty, 

 one stalactites from one to five inches in length. The weight of the entire mass is about four 

 hundred pounds. 



Nethaway^s Cave, two miles southwest of Schoharie court-house, has furnished beautiful 

 specimens of a honey yellow colour and columnar form ; these columns or prisms being often 

 terminated by three planes. They have been called arragonite ; but all the specimens that I 

 have examined easily give the rhombohedral form on cleavage, and I must therefore refer 

 them to calcareous spar. 



Young's Cave, in the town of Cobleskill, has also furnished fine specimens similar to those 

 found at the two preceding, which have, like them, often been mistaken for arragonite. 

 There is also a locality on Fox creek, 'two miles east of Schoharie, which deserves to be 

 noticed. The calcareous spar is columnar, and terminated by triangular prisms like that from 

 Nethaway's cave, and is of a yellowish white colour. 



It would be unnecessary to notice more in detail these and other localities in this county. 

 There are many caverns now known, which either have not been, or have been but partially, 

 explored ; all of which will undoubtedly afford specimens similar to those above described. 

 And the mineralogist who is desirous of studying the various forms of carbonate of lime cannot 

 be referred to a more interesting region than that which occurs within the circuit of a few 

 miles from Schoharie court-house. He will also here enjoy the advantage of examining the 

 fine cabinets of the Messrs. Gebhard, which will greatly assist him in his researches. 



Ulster County. Calcareous spar, which cleaves easily in the direction of the primary 

 planes, occurs in veins in Marbletown and elsewhere in this county. I am not aware that 

 any interesting crystalline forms have been observed. 



Warren County. On Diamond island, in Lake George, four miles north of the village of 

 Caldwell, calcareous spar is found in small obtuse rhombohedrons, and in low six-sided prisms 

 with three terminal planes (Fig. 63). These crystals are white or yellowish white, and are 

 often transparent. They are associated with quartz and pearl spar, in geodes in the calcife- 

 rous sandstone. Similar forms occur with the same associates at Diamond point, about a 

 mile north of the above locality. Laminated masses are also found here, which are some- 

 times of considerable beauty. In the immediate vicinity of the village of Caldwell, on the 



