Account of the Kaatskill Mountains. a4 
waters of the Hudson at the village before mentioned. The 
Schohariekill after descending from this eminence, runs in 
a northerly direction, and unites with the Mohawk about 
fifty miles from its confluence with the Hudson. Hence the 
waters of this stream, which originate within three or four 
miles of those of the Kaaterskill, run about one hundred and 
fifty miles before they unite with them in the Hudson. The 
water composing. these streams, as well as the numerous 
springs which rise in every part of these mountains, are re- 
markably pure and pellucid. ‘The sweetness and purity of 
these fountains cannot escape the observation of the specta- 
tor. ‘They have the same soft lustre and transparency, that 
are so strikingly displayed in the waters of Lake George ; 
and would, if covering as large an extent, present the same 
brilliant emanation, which the surface of that beautiful sheet 
of water always exhibits. 
These mountains, when sailing upon the Hudson, appear 
to rise in the form of a ridge, and then to descend with 
nearly as great a declivity. I was much struck the first time 
I made the ascent, to find that instead of descending im- 
mediately as I had supposed, they presented a level for 
some miles, somewhat undulating, with here and there a 
deep ravine, when a succession of peaks rose one above 
another, as far as the eye could reach. Along the banks of 
the Schoharie, are intervals of considerable width, when the 
hills ascend at an angle of from 3° to 8° for several miles. 
The low price of these lands, has induced many persons to 
remove to these mountains, and this level has been laid out 
into a town called Hunter, which at this time contains from 
six to seven hundred inhabitants. ‘This land is very luxuri- 
ant the first year or two after it is cleared, owing to the 
vegetable mould on the surface. The intervals on the 
Schoharie, produce good crops and if manured would be 
very productive. ‘The town which is about 2,060 feet in 
height, does not exhibit that thrift and improvement which 
might be expected, as most of the inhabitants spend much 
of their time in converting their trees into lumber. This 
is easily effected, as there are more than fifty mill seats in 
the town, which are supplied sufficiently with water, to run a 
saw mill most of the year. 
The peaks of these mountains are covered with snow 
about one month longer than the lowlands immediately be- 
