252 Notice of a curious Waler-Fall, ^c 



Art. VI. — Notice of a curiotis Water-Fall, and of Excava- 

 tions in the Rocks. By Professor Hall. 



To the Editor. 



In proceeding from Middlebury to Woodstock, on the di- 

 rectest turnpike road, the traveller, soon after he passes the 

 tavern on the summit of the Green Mountain, notices a 

 small, rapid, pellucid streamlet, which accompanies him 

 nearly the whole distance down the mountain. He con- 

 stantly hears its music, as it murmurs along its rug- 

 ged course, and admires the transparency of its waters. 

 This is one of the branches of the White river. About three 

 miles from the tavern he crosses a rivulet, a little above 

 where it empties into the former stream. He advances a 

 few rods farther, and meets another. It comes from the 

 north, and is called by the mountaineers, the North Branch, 

 A little more than a quarter of a mile from the turnpike, up 

 this stream, is an object which merits the attention of the 

 curious. I have recently, been in company with the Rev. 

 Professor Keith of William and Mary College, Virginia, to 

 examine it. 



There is a road cut, but not much travelled, along the 

 western side of the North Branch, at a small distance from 

 the stream. From the road the water is seldom visible, be- 

 ing concealed by a thicket of evergreens, and, in some pla- 

 ces, by the banks which intercept the view of it. Its noise 

 may be distinctly heard. 



The better to accomplish our object, we proceeded up 

 this road nearly half a mile, which brought us to the head of 

 a succession of the most singular and interesting rapids thf^t 

 I ever savi^. Here the student of nature would stand aston- 

 ished to see how great effects have been produced by an 

 apparently trivial cause. 



At the northern extremity of the rapids, the ledge over 

 which the water passes, is a variety of common chlorite 

 rock, of a very dark brownish green color, containing veins of 

 milky and greasy quartz. I have never before seen chlorite in 

 such large masses. The fracture in one direction is ex- 

 tremely uneven. It may be scratched easily with the fin- 

 ger-nail. It is composed of minute scales, which are some- 



