Geology of Deerfield^ S/-c. 107 



the continues, with a few exceptions, to the ocean. The map 

 might also be extended to the boundary of Connecticut, by 

 prolonging the primitive ranges with some divergency, and 

 colouring the intermediate space secondary, except a narrow 

 tract on the east side of Connecticut river, which is alluvial. 

 These extensions were not thought necessary. 



In the town of Gill, at E, there is a cataract in Connecticut 

 river, from 30 to 40 feet in height ; and it is believed that the 

 alluvial region, and part of the secondary shown on the map 

 from this fall to the place where the river passes between 

 mount Holyoke and Tom, was formerly the bed of a lake . 

 for the logs are still found undecayed in many places, from 

 10 to 20 feet below the surface ; the river has evidently worn 

 a passage between Holyoke and Tom : many of the hills oa 

 the northern part, and the sandstone on the plain, bear the 

 marks of having been washed by water, and the channels of 

 two rivers are still visible in Deerfield, the one 30, and the 

 other 100 feet above the present bed of Connecticut river. 

 Between mount Tom and the mountains west, there is a 

 secondary plain of suflficient height to throw back the water 

 over the supposed bed of the lake, before a passage was worn 

 between Holyoke and Tom. South of these hills commences 

 another alluvial and secondary tract, extending on both sides 

 of the river to Haddam, in Connecticut, where the river passes 

 between mountains, and perhaps this region also was the bed 

 of a lake. 



The plain on which the village of Deerfield stands, with the 

 adjoining meadows, is sunk 50 or 60 feet below the general 

 alluvial tract, and was undoubtedly the bed of a pond, or small 

 lake, that remained after the larger one of which we have 

 spoken had subsided. When this larger lake decreased, Deer- 

 field river was cut off from a communication with the Connec- 

 ticut by the mountain CD, and the plain extending westward 

 from this mountain. There is a tradition, derived from the 

 aboriginals of Deerfield, that the passage in which Deerfield 

 river now runs through the mountain CD, was begun by f; 

 squaw with a clam-^hell, 



11 * 



