GORGES ON AGAWAM RIVER. 101 



old bed entirely, but was, subsequently worn away, not by Westfield river, but by 

 less powerful agencies. During the last submergence of the continent, doubtless 

 the former bed of the river became filled to the height of 208 feet, so that upon 

 its emergence, the river found a lower channel on the east side of the hill, where 

 it has cut the deep rocky channel in which it now runs. At the north end of this 

 gorge (which is not far from a mile long), and only a few rods north of the Russell 

 depot, we find pot-holes on the west bank, nearly 70 feet above the stream. The 

 rock is mica slate, traversed by huge granite veins. The greatest sceptic could not 

 doubt, after visiting this spot, that the river has lowered its channel at least 70 

 feet, and admitting this, what reasonable man can suppose that the work has not 

 been carried on at least to the height of 208 feet. The evidence that the river 

 once ran in the old channel is so strong, that the farmers who live in the vicinity, 

 have no doubt of the fact, though unconscious of the interesting geological con- 

 clusions resulting from it. For they see the proof in the water-worn appearance 

 of the rocky sides of the old bed, and in the fact that they find logs in the alluvial 

 deposit to the depth of nearly 30 feet. 



This then is a case of postdiluvian gorge, in a convenient situation for examina- 

 tion, since the Western railroad passes over it, and a delay from one train to 

 another, would afford time for the exploration. The length of the gorge is not, 

 indeed, as long as from Niagara Falls to Ontario ; but the rock here is much more 

 difficult to wear away. A tolerable idea of this case may be obtained from 

 Plate III. 



9. Another old bed occurs on this same river, or perhaps I should say on its prin- 

 cipal or eastern branch, where it unites with the western branch, at Chester 

 village. It lies a little east of the village, is perhaps a mile long, and is separated 

 from the present bed of the river by a hill, perhaps 500 feet high. 



10. Still further up this east branch, say about four miles above Chester village, 

 in Norwich, on the east side of the present stream, and separated from, it by a hill 

 of some height, is a deserted bed, which may be half a mile long. A small village 

 occurs at the spot, and though I have not made accurate measurements either at 

 this old bed, or at that described in the last paragraph, they both appeared to me 

 to be examples of antediluvial channels through which the river ran on the last 

 continent. 



11. Gorge on Little river, in Russell and Elan ford. — Little river is a tributary of 

 Westfield or Agawam river, into which it empties a little east of the village in 

 Westfield, after having pursued a nearly parallel course through Blanfbrd, Eussell, 

 and Westfield. Five miles west of Westfield village, it emerges from the moun- 



- tains, that bound the west side of Connecticut valley. From this point, for six or 

 seven miles up the river, we find it with occasional interruptions, occupying the 

 bottom of a deep and crooked gorge, so difficult to be crossed that rarely do we 

 find a road over it, nor do any roads lead along the banks near the gorge. 



The road to Russell from Westfield ascends the mountain on the north side of 

 the gorge, and here I observed two or three quite interesting facts. By the road- 

 side, perhaps 150 feet above the river, are most distinct marks upon the rocks of 

 the former action of the river. The surface is rounded and smoothed, just as we 



