8 Geology, ^c. of the Connecticut, 



sistibly drawn to the striking and diversified geological fea- 

 tures before him. For be has a view of nearly all the sec- 

 ondary region, extending from I^evv-Haven f^bnut 110 miles 

 northerly; and he sees a vast extent of prim.tive on its 

 borders. As he casts his eye over this extensive tract, he 

 perceives many of those grand characteristics of the differ- 

 ent rock formations, which are not derrved from their com- 

 position, but from a contour, peculiar to each, given by ihe 

 Almighty Hand that originally produced them : So thi^t if 

 this geologist were unacquainted with the nature of the rocks 

 before him, he would be able to say. with a good degree 

 of confidence; — yonder hills to the south, so precipitous on 

 the one side, and gradually sloping oi; the other, must be- 

 long to the trap family. But these extensive unbroken 

 mountain ranges on my right and left, rising so gradually, 

 must be primitive ; and this intervening valley is doubtless 

 alluvion. Ai.d on turning his eye northerly, he will pro- 

 nounce the rounded Sugar Loaf and Toby to he sandstone. 

 But it would increase his pleasure, were he to be informed 

 that the former is the Wernerian old red sandstone, and the 

 latter a peculiar conglomerate of the coal formation, sepa- 

 rated from the red sandstone by a ridge of greenstone ; and 

 that its venerable head overshadows the coarsest granite, 

 and that at its base, pressed down by its enormous weight, 

 may be found cemeteries of fishes that swam in some ante- 

 diluvian stream. He may be pointed also to the South- 

 Hampton vein of lead ore in its whole extent; and to the 

 localities of the beautiful beryls, sappars, tourmalines, &c. 

 of Haddam and Chesterfiesd. 



This geologist cannot but perceive that the extensive val- 

 ley, north and west of Holyoke, must, at some remote pe- 

 riod, have been covered by the waters of the Connecticut, 

 ere the passage between Holyoke and Tom was worn 

 through — And he will also conclude, that another similar, 

 but much larger lake, must have existed in the extensive ba- 

 sin south of Holyoke, before the waters of the Connecticut 

 had forced a passage through the mountains below Middle- 

 town. Hence he will be led to speculate upon the pe- 

 riod when these waters began to subside, and upon the 

 time requisite to wear away such immense masses of rock : 

 and ere he is aware, his thoughts will be 1 -d back to the 

 period, when the cataract of Niagara began its seven mile 



