26 Geology, Mineralogy, Scenery, &fc. of the 



Art. V. — Geology^ Mineralogy, Scenery, ^c. of the High- 

 lands of JVeio-York and JVew-Jersey. Read before the 

 Catskill Lyceum of Natural History, by James Pierce. 



[Communicated for insertion in this Journal.] 



General description and Geological character. 



The elevated mountain range called the Highlands, is a 

 continuation of a primitive chain, that commences in Cana- 

 da, passes through Vermont, and forms the western boun- 

 dary of Massachusetts and Connecticut. 



The Highlands present parallel ridges, which pass from 

 north-east to south-east, through the states of New-York 

 and New-Jersey, crowned by many sugar loaf eminences, 

 that form a waving profile characteristic of primitive regions. 



The average width of the Highlands in the State of New- 

 York is twelve, and in New-Jersey, twenty miles. The 

 general elevation is greater to the we«t, than to the east of 

 the Hudson. The Fishkill is the most prominent and ex- 

 tensive of the Highland ranges to the east of the Hudson. 

 Most of the mountains on that side of the river, viewed from 

 Mount Dunderberg, in Rockland County, appeared consid- 

 erably below me, and the summits like the broken waves of 

 of a tempestuous ocean. The prospect from Mount Dun- 

 derberg is extensive and interesting. The Hudson is in 

 view to the south for thirty miles. I overlooked the well- 

 tilled region of Westchester county, and traced the tower- 

 ing greenstone range which forms the western border of 

 the river. The secondary country between this narrow 

 ridge, Haverstraw bay, and the Highlands, resembled an 

 extensive plain in a high state of cultivation. The position 

 of towns, and lakes, and the course of streams, were dis- 

 tinctly marked on this nap of nature. To the north, the 

 Hudson contracted, appeared far below, like a canal in a 

 deep ravine. Its course for several miles could be traced. 

 Elevated mountains limit the prospect to the north-west. 

 To the south-west the waving Highlands were seen exten- 

 ding as far as vision could reach. The greenstone ranges 

 of the interior of New-Jersey, and the mountains of Stat- 

 en Island, were scarcely distinguishable from clouds. 



