332 Sketch of the Geology of 



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upon one of these elevated spots, and account, if he can, 



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for the accumulation under his feet, in any other mode 

 than by a strong current from the north. If any cause 

 now in action could have produced it, it has escaped my 

 observation. 



But the diluvial grooves and scratches on the rocks 

 around and within Portland, exhibit the agency of a 

 former debacle of waters more strikingly than any thing 

 else. I have never met with them any where else, so 

 distinct and uniform in their direction. The slaty rocks 

 of that region seem to be almost entirely unaffected by 

 the disintegrating and decomposing agencies of the atmo- 

 sphere. In fact, I apprehend that they exhibit almost 

 the same appearance as they did immediately after the 

 last deluge had swept over them. The tracks of a sleigh, 

 or sled, through fresh fallen snow, are scarcely more dis- 

 tinct, than the scratches upon some of these rocks. I 

 took the direction of many of them with a pocket com- 

 pass ; and found them all running south, from 10^ to 15** 

 east. I shall name several places where some of the 

 best examples of these grooves may be seen ; so that 

 others will have an opportunity to verify my statements, 



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or to prove them erroneous. 



Some very good examples may be found along the 

 shore in the southeast part of the city, and also in the 

 northeast part, especially a little beyond the tower. 

 Also on the north side of Elm street, a little east of its 

 intersection with Cumberland street ; and in Fore street, 



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near where Silver street intersects it. On Cape Eliza- 

 beth, a tolerably good example exists on the western 

 slope of the hill, a little west of the new meeting-house, 

 opposite to Portland. In Westbrook, the cases are very- 

 numerous, and some of them very fine. They generally 



