46 Miscellaneous Notices of American 
without beauty. It is probable that more research will dis- 
cover interesting varieties of siliceous and other minerals in 
the lime stone of the south end of Lake George. It would 
probably repay a good observer who should investigate it 
with industry and attention. 
Sands of Lake George.—At various places, we examin- 
ed the sands of the shores of this most beautiful lake. 
Around its head, there is a good deal of magnetic iron sand, 
of a fine glossy black, and both here and in many other 
places, we found the detritus to consist almost entirely, of 
the ruins of primitive rocks, and of their imbedded and es- 
pecially of their crystaline minerals. 
Limpid quartz, garnet, and epidote, are of most frequent 
occurrence, and when mixed with the black iron sand they 
have a pleasing appearance, especially when spread out on 
paper and viewed witha magnifier. It is indeed somewhat 
difficult to believe that the garnet and epidote, and proba- 
bly cocolite, often rich in their colours and highly translu- 
cent, are not ruby and chrysoberyl. It would be worth 
while to examine these sands more particularly, to ascer- 
tain whether there may not be gems among them, as the 
gems of Ceylon and of Brazil, and the hyacinths of Expail- 
ly in France, are found among alluvial ruins. Some sands 
shewn us by Professor Dewey, at Williamstown, and which 
came from the great falls of the Hudson, thirty miles above 
Glenn’s Falls, are even more remarkable for richness and 
beauty than those of Lake George: they and all similar 
sands should be examined with an attentive eye. 
Transparency and purity of the Waters of Lake George. 
—The fact is notorious, and the degree in which it exists 
is most remarkable : the bottom and the fish are seen at a 
great depth: the fishermen who rowed us asserted that 
they could, at particular times, see the fish at the depth of 
fifty feet: if even half of this statement be admitted, it is 
sufficiently remarkable. ‘The water is also very pure, sa- 
lubrious and agreeable to the taste. It is well known that 
the French formerly obtained and exported this water for 
religious uses,* and that they called the lake St. Sacra- 
ment. 
* To be used as holy water. 
