138 TRACES OP ANCIENT GLACIERS 



know of no other spot where the ensemble of the facts (except the moraines) are 

 so distinct and near together. 



But if a glacier once descended this valley, doubtless other valleys opening 

 eastward from the same mountain range, must have been subjected to similar 

 action. Guided by this inference, I have examined other spots where the outline 

 of the surface seemed to promise most in this respect. 



In the east part of Granville is a depression of the surface, forming a valley 

 north and south, and bounded easterly by an elevation of considerable height, called 

 Sodom mountain. This ridge is cut in two by a small stream, and a deep valley 

 is formed, opening easterly into Southwick. It occurred to me that this might be 

 such a gorge as a glacier might pass through. I accordingly found at its entrance, 

 near the termination of the road, at a point 565 feet above Connecticut river, and 

 630 feet above the ocean, near the house of Mrs. Jones, that very distinct striae 

 on the mica slate run E. 20° S. and W. 20° N., pointing easterly directly into the 

 gorge, and westerly to the high region from whence a glacier might have come. 

 Unfavorable weather prevented me from penetrating far into the gorge, where no 

 road exists; but I cannot doubt that we have here another example of glacier 

 action. 



The next region to which I directed my explorations, was on the north slope of 

 the range of mountains lying between Little river and Westfield river, presuming 

 from the course and lofty sides of the latter, that a glacier or glaciers may have 

 descended that valley also. I followed an old turnpike road from Blanford to 

 "Westfield, through the north part of Russell, and found that it follows what looks 

 much like an old abandoned river bed, or that of a glacier, perhaps both. At any 

 rate, some agency had acted upon the up stream side of the ledges and rounded 

 them; though the stria? are mostly obliterated by disintegration. The direction of 

 this valley is nearly east and west, and where it joins the present bed of Westfield 

 river, the south bank is distinctly striated. This would be near the spot where a 

 glacier, descending this valley, would unite with one descending the Westfield 

 river valley, and of course the pressure would be here at a maximum. 



The east branch of Westfield river, which I believe is rather larger than the 

 west branch, runs so nearly south, and consequently so nearly coincides with the 

 course taken by the drift, that I apprehend, had a glacier once descended this 

 branch, it would now be impossible to distinguish between the effects of the two 

 agencies. That the up stream side is the stoss side, is quite obvious; but the work 

 may have been done by drift as probably as by a glacier. 



The west branch of this river, however, which has a direction from 30° to 40° 

 S. of E. and N. of W., is more favorably situated for distinguishing between the 

 agency of drift and a glacier. And yet it must be confessed that the direction of 

 the drift agency on the mountains to the west of this river, if I have not con- 

 founded the effects with those produced by glaciers, is quite irregular, and some- 

 times gets round towards east and west, as far as 45°. But in the valley of West- 

 field river, I think I have found some other evidence of a descent of a glacier 

 besides stria?. 



The part of this river that I have examined with the most care, lies between the 



