Geology, S^c. of the Conneciicut. ^()3 



toiinei"al cabinets of our country, and to vie in beauty with 

 !he lead ores of Europe. 



The mouth of this drift is four or five feet wide, and about 

 three feet above the surface of the water. Tiie water is 

 deep enough, the whole length of it, to admit the passage of 

 a loaded boat. The person wishing to explore this internal 

 canal, must fire a gun at the entrance, or heat heavily with 

 a sledge on the timbers that support the soil; in ten or fif- 

 teen minutes he will perceive a gentle undulation of the wa- 

 ter, and soon after a boat advancing with lighted lamps and 

 a rower; having seated himself on the bottom of this boat, 

 and provided himself with an additional garment, he is pre- 

 pared for his subterranean expedition. As he enters the 

 passage, he will, for a moment, experience, or imagine he. 

 fexperiences, a little difficulty of breathing. But he will 

 soon become reconciled to his condition ; and after passing 

 about one hundred feet in the excavation, for vi'hich distance 

 the soil is supported by timbers, he will find occasionally 

 more room, so that he can stand erect. If he looks back, 

 after having advanced several hundred feet, the light at the 

 entrance will appear diminished to the size of a candle; and 

 before he reaches the extremity, it becomes invisible. About 

 half way from the entrance to the end of the drift, he will 

 pass a shaft ; down which a small brook is turned, for the 

 purpose of aiding the ventilator. When he reaches the 

 end of the drift, he finds himself to have penetrated nearly 

 sixty rods chiefly into solid rock; a voyage which although 

 inferior to that performed in the celebrated navigation mine, 

 in the Peak of Derbyshire, is still extremely interesting. 



The miners do not quit the drift when they blast ; but re- 

 tire behind a breast work thrown up for the purpose. En- 

 tering immediately after an explosion, I did not perceive the 

 air to be in any degree more oppressive than when powder 

 is fired above ground. One man told me that he had been 

 an inmate of that dark recess, eight or ten years, without 

 suffering in his health, and when he returned alone into his 

 dreary prison after conducting me to the day light, he struck 

 up a cheerful song, indicating buoyant spirits and a content- 

 ed mind. 



Every mineralogist passing that way, will of course visit 

 ihis drift. Intelligent gentlemen without professional views. 



