﻿164 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  country 
  it 
  traverses, 
  while 
  the 
  occasional 
  flat 
  bottoms 
  in 
  it 
  at 
  

   Blenheim, 
  Breakabeen, 
  Fultonham 
  and 
  Middleburg, 
  rarely 
  attain 
  

   more 
  than 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  in 
  width. 
  Its 
  course 
  from 
  Blenheim, 
  

   through 
  Middleburg, 
  Schoharie 
  and 
  Central 
  Bridge, 
  where 
  

   it 
  receives 
  the 
  Cobleskill, 
  is 
  alternately 
  to 
  north-northeast 
  

   and 
  north. 
  From 
  this 
  place 
  instead 
  of 
  following 
  the 
  broad 
  

   valley 
  through 
  which 
  runs 
  the 
  Albany 
  and 
  Susquehanna 
  railroad 
  

   [now 
  Susquehanna 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  Delaware 
  and 
  Hudson 
  R. 
  R.], 
  

   it 
  leaves 
  it 
  and 
  cutting 
  its 
  way 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  through 
  the 
  high 
  

   hills 
  which 
  border 
  the 
  Mohawk, 
  it 
  finally 
  enters 
  that 
  river 
  near 
  

   Fort 
  Hunter, 
  after 
  a 
  course 
  of 
  over 
  76 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  contrast 
  of 
  the 
  broad, 
  open 
  valleys 
  between 
  the 
  moun- 
  

   tain 
  chains 
  above 
  described 
  [the 
  Catskills], 
  and 
  the 
  narrow 
  and 
  

   deep 
  cut 
  of 
  the 
  Schoharie 
  creek 
  when 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  

   plateau 
  region 
  is 
  a 
  feature 
  to 
  be 
  noted. 
  

  

  This 
  drainage 
  which 
  sends 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Catskills 
  all 
  the 
  

   way 
  around 
  to 
  the 
  Mohawk 
  to 
  come 
  back 
  by 
  the 
  Hudson, 
  after 
  

   a 
  course 
  of 
  175 
  miles, 
  to 
  within 
  10 
  miles 
  of 
  their 
  starting 
  point 
  

   is 
  certainly 
  remarkable, 
  and 
  betokens 
  a 
  very 
  peculiar 
  physical 
  

   structure. 
  This 
  is 
  made 
  more 
  striking 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  on 
  both 
  

   sides 
  of 
  these 
  highlands 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  Cats- 
  

   kill 
  and 
  Esopus 
  creek 
  flow, 
  as 
  we 
  might 
  have 
  expected, 
  from 
  

   the 
  western 
  plateaus 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river. 
  These 
  three 
  

   streams, 
  which 
  are 
  so 
  near 
  each 
  other, 
  flow 
  in 
  opposite 
  direc- 
  

   tions, 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  as 
  if 
  this 
  plateau 
  of 
  the 
  Catskills 
  had 
  been 
  

   lifted 
  up 
  on 
  its 
  eastern 
  part 
  to 
  a 
  higher 
  level 
  from 
  which 
  its 
  

   waters 
  were 
  sent 
  in 
  the 
  opposite 
  direction." 
  

  

  The 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  Schoharie 
  valley 
  for 
  geological 
  investi- 
  

   gation 
  was 
  early 
  recognized 
  by 
  geologists 
  and 
  Mather 
  wrote 
  as 
  

   follows 
  concerning 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  about 
  to 
  be 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  more 
  particularly, 
  " 
  The 
  valley 
  of 
  Schoharie 
  creek 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  Middleburg 
  bridge 
  and 
  Gilboa, 
  also 
  offers 
  fine 
  oppor- 
  

   tunities 
  for 
  examining 
  these 
  strata 
  [of 
  his 
  Erie 
  division] 
  and 
  

   the 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  streams 
  that 
  flow 
  into 
  the 
  Schoharie 
  kill 
  

  

  ttAmer. 
  jour, 
  science, 
  3d 
  ser., 
  1S80, 
  19 
  : 
  442-4:3. 
  

  

  