On Bowlders and Rolled Stones. 37 



and here deposiied. It could come from no other source, 

 for the bank of gravel on the two sides that are yet entire 

 reaches to the pond shore, which is here about a mile 

 wide. These materials too must have been originally 

 brought from some distance and deposited in this valley, 

 for tliey are composed almost exclusively of a light grey 

 granite rock or gneiss. There is no rock of the kind in 

 place in any part of this region, and particularly for miles, 

 or any where to the west. But on the east side of Connecti- 

 cut river, they are every wiiere found and in place. In Or- 

 ford at the distance of from (wo to four and six miles they 

 are in great abundance and apparently exactly of the stime 

 kind. It is difficult to think of any other means by which 

 these blocks could have been brou^lit here and deposited 

 but by the ice. in return a particular rock that contains 

 a great proportion of carbonate of lime is every where 

 found on the east side of Connecticut river, with other 

 rounded rocks, altnou2;h none of that kind to my knowledge 

 are seen east of the river in place, but west of it after a few 

 miles they are in abundance and in place. A stream of 

 water recently turned over one of those remaining banks 

 for the purpose ot making a slip,* has washed it away to 

 the depth of nearly one hundred feet, and to a similar width, 

 and for two or three hundred feet in length. 



Every foot of the exposed surface or bank proves it to 

 have been deposited by v^^ater, and from the opening 

 through the ledge. It seems to prove too, that at that 

 time there was no growth of timber in the country, for 

 there is not the least appearance in all this bank of a frag- 

 ment of wood having ever been deposited. Had the wood 

 disappeared, still the cavity would have been seen. It is 

 singular thnt although such a great body of slate stone had 

 been removed in opening the channel through this ridge 

 and notwithstanding that the banks of the valley, for some 

 way to the west are formed entirely of that kind of stone, 



* Slips astliey are called hf-re (but in your Journal "i/irffs,") have been 

 formed around this poiid for about twenty years for rutininj the Pine Tim- 

 ber into and out of the pond from the mountains around it Most of the 

 way here thev are made by excavating the earth — depending' jenerally on 

 the frost and snow for preparing them for running: the timber. Pine trees 

 large enough to mike two or three thou:^and feet of boards, have been known 

 to run a mile in a minute. They have made the pine timber, that was and 

 would have been of little or no value without them, extremely valuable. 



