Dr. Allen on West River Mountain. *75 



The rock, through which the workmen have passed iu 

 making the shaft, is mica slate, passing into granular quartz. 

 In some instances, however, the quartz is found crystalized, 

 but it is neither frequent nor elegant. 



Leaving the shaft, and ascending to the top of this cliff, 

 on the west side, you observe a descent of one hundred 

 feet perpendicular, and from the bottom of this the rocks 

 are scattered in huge broken masses, in such a manner, that 

 an inclined plane over the whole would form an angle of 

 about 45°, for the distance of ten or twelve rods where it 

 intersects the western section of the mountain. 



No appearances of lava could, by repeated examination, 

 be discovered. How then, it may be asked, are we to ac- 

 count for the repeated reports heard at Fort Dummer ? 

 Could they be imaginary ? 



We have no right to conclude they were, for the facts 

 were related by persons whose testimony would not have 

 been doubted on other occasions, and why should they be 

 called in question in this ? It is asserted in Bruce's Jour- 

 nal, that the reports were caused " by the wind's rushing 

 through the clift of the mountain near the shaft." If so, 

 why are not the same noises heard at the present time.^* 



Then to what cause shall we attribute these noises like 

 thunder on the mountain ? The most probable conclusion 

 is, that they were produced by the falling of the immense 

 masses of rocks from the western side of the eastern cliff. 

 By this conclusion every difficulty is removed. Go to the 

 spot, and there you will find evidences in favour of this 

 opinion, stronger than language can describe, — but search 

 for volcanoes, and you will find nothing deserving your no- 

 tice. 



In determining the geological character of the West-river 

 mountain, I am happy to acknowledge the assistance of th<j 

 Rev. Edward Hitchcock, A. M. of Deerfield, Ms. 



silver mi filaments — that it exbaled arsenic, by the blow-pipe, and would not 

 dissolve in nitric acid till the arsenic had been expelled ; it then dissolved 

 readily and was precipitated white by muriate of soda. Manufactured 

 silver, we believe, does not exhale arsenic, but native silver often contain* 

 arsenic — such is that at Mr, Lane's mine in Huntington. — Ed. 



