74 Dr. Jillen on West River Mountain. 



frequently heard " noises like thunder on the mountain" — 

 that " the hole made by the eruption, was about thirty feet 

 deep" — and that " he repeatedly visited the place, but nev- 

 er saw any flame." 



The mountain is situated on the east side of Connecticut 

 river, opposite to Brattleborough, East- Village. Its great- 

 est length is north and south, and does not exceed four 

 miles. Its height, above the water in the river, as ascer- 

 tained by my friend Erastus Root, M. D. is nine hundred 

 and forty feet. Passing from the river to the mountain, the 

 rocks change from argillite to mica slate which constitutes 

 most, if not all the mountain. 



Towards the top, the mountain separates into an east- 

 ern and western section. At a distance of about thirty 

 rods, ascending from where vegetation flourishes, on the 

 south extremity of the eastern cliff, you come to the shaft 

 which has been sunk into the rock about one hundred feet. 

 Here the volcanic eruption is supposed to have occurred. 

 This place is extremely craggy. A spectator, here instinct- 

 ively falls on his hands and knees, and cautiously peeps into 

 the shaft, — for about thirty feet he sees a wide expanse, like 

 an irregular excavation, in the rocks ; it then diminishes like 

 a funnel, and at a distance of forty or fifty feet below, the 

 water, when a stone is thrown in, is seen undulating, and 

 appears to aid in reverberating a hollow sound. Above, 

 masses of rocks impend over your head, and seem ready to 

 crush the observer. From this place, I have known people 

 retreat with precipitation, lest that should be their fate. 



The shaft has been sunk at different times, by individuals 

 m search of the precious metals. The vein which has 

 been followed into the rock, is about a foot in diameter, 

 and contains haematite iron ore. From this shaft, at some 

 former period, it is said, capillary filaments of silver were 

 obtained, but this is probably a mistake.* 



* Mr. Gibbp, recently a (utor in Yale College, shewed me some of (his 

 ore, which, many years ago, was sent from the garrison at Fort Dummer, 

 to bis father, who then owned the mine. Afterwards, (his gentleman said, 

 he carried some of it to Professor Silliman, who pronounced it to be silver. 

 Some of the ore which Mr. Gibbs gave me, is inclosed — is it not a soldier's 

 fpaulet ? Did not the locality of native silver, mentioned in Cieaveland's, 

 Mineralogy, originate from tliis.' 



Jlrjwcr. — ft did — we know notliing, however, of the soldier's epaulet — 

 we can say only that 'he origiua! sperimen,, lik" (hat ?f^nt by Dr. Allen, was 



