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%\: Geology. 119 



and whose direclioti is a few degrees east of north. According to 



Mr. Beaumont, this latter systenn would not only be older than (he Alle- 



ghanies, but even older than the oldest Silurian strata of North Amer* 



ica, since it is supposed to have originated previous to the Taconic 

 system. 



Now to this system is ascribed a most conspicuous part in the con- 

 stitution of the soil, not only of New England but of the whole conti- 

 nent, so that if true it naust be of paramount importance. From Mas- 

 sachusetts, Mr, Beaumont traces it in a south southwest direction to the 

 mouth of the Connecticut, and in the opposite direction across New 

 Hampshire and the White Mountains to the sources of the Connecti- 

 cut, from whence it extends across Labrador to Cape Chisley ; nor is 

 It supposed to stop here, for Mr. Beaumont follows it even beyond Da- 

 vis Strait into Greenland. The range is said to be not less extensive 

 m the southern direction. Representing it as a great circle, slarting 

 from Amherst College in a direction south 15°, he supposes it to run 

 parallel to the general direction of the coast of the United States from 

 I the mouth of the Hudson to Cape Hatteras. From thence it is sup- 



t posed to cross the eastern portion of Cuba, the Isthmus of Panama, and 



then to touch Cape Guyaquil, passing a little outside of the Coast of 



Choco, in a direction parallel to the principal mountain chains of New 

 Grenada. 



This system, thus laid down, is considered by Mr. Beaumont as one 

 ot the most remarkable mineralogical and metalliferous zones of the 

 globe, including all the localities whence are derived the remarkable 

 fninerals of Greenland and Labrador, the gold mines of Vermont,* Vir- 

 gmia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, the several gold mines of 

 Cuba, the gold and platinum mines of Hayti, and the gold and platinum 

 n)ines of Choco and the Eastern Cordilleras in New Grenada. 



If We now ask for the reason why this immense belt should.be so 

 wiuch older than any other mountain chain of this continent, we are 

 referred to the single statement, that in New Hampshire and Vermont 

 Jhe primary rocks following this direction are overlaid unconformably 

 by the strata of the Taconic system. And since the Taconic system is 

 supposed by Mr. Beaumont to be older than the oldest Silurian, the 

 inference on his part was but natural, that the ridges of New Plamp- 

 shire, Vermont, and Massachusetts must indeed be very old. They 

 ^vere thus made the point of departure of this vast system, to which 

 niost of the above-mentioned localities were added merely on account 

 of their direction or of the minerals which they contain- 



■T^ow that serious doubts are entertained as to the existence of a Ta- 

 conic system in New England, especially since it has been proved by 

 the mvestigations of the geologists of Canada that the slates of the 

 l^reen Mountains, which were referred to the Taconic, belong in reality 



y, Silurian formation, the theory of Mr. Beaumont cannot longer be 

 ^hed upon, being thus deprived of its principal basis. If it is once ad- 



^After the reacHrijfr of Mr. Desor*s paper, Mr. Alger observed, that the gold found 



th ^ ^7?^'^^' "Which he supposed was the authority for M. De Beuiimont's alIu?ion to 



h d^vl ^^^^ ^^ ^^^* ®**'^^^' ^^^'^ proved to be of artificial origin. It was gold which 



aa been thrown into a stream forty or fiftr years since by counterfeiters, who were 



Buaaenly disturbed m their counterfeiting operations. 



