ae J. De Laski—Glacial Action on Mount Katahdin. 
the case is that the strata everywhere slope from the shoulders of 
the mountain downward. On the north side, the dip is toward. 
the north; on the east, toward the east ; on the west, toward the 
west; and on the south, generally toward the south. This is the 
case with all the “ granite” hills of Maine, and is referable to the 
action of the great glacier over them. This structure has not 
been superinduced by superficial changes of temperature,” as 
Dr. Hunt conjectures, in Silliman’s Journal, July, 1870, p. 88. 
Among all the quarries of Vinalhaven, the surface is broken 
the quarries wholly exclude the idea of tHeir origin being refera- 
ble to variation of atmospheric temperature, or to any other 
cause, I think, than that of glacial action.* The first suspicion 
I had years ago of the enormous thickness of the great gla- 
cier, was suggested by these remarkable fractures. In the 
locality under the “ Chimney,” which I have just mentioned, 
where the formation is in sheets, and which is more than four 
thousand five hundred feet above the sea, quite a stream of 
water runs out of the fracture and falls into the “ Avalanche 
Brook,” which also, probably, has a similar origin. Wher- 
ever, therefore, the bare front of Katahdin is open to view, I 
think it will be found to be shattered as I have described; and 
in my judgment these effects must be referred to glacial action. 
Now the glacier could not have broken up the top of Katah- 
in, unless the ice-cap had been several hundred feet in 
to great ee Iam therefore not disposed to estimate the 
istory. 
I add a word on the route to Katahdin. 
Of the different routes to Katahdin taken by tourists, one 
is by way of the West Branch of the Penobscot, either down 
it by the way of Moosehead Lake, or up it from its junction 
with the Kast Branch ; and by the way of Sherman to the 
Hunt Farm, and the Wassatacook Stream. On this route, the 
* May not the origin of this structure antedate both the ice and the action of 
cial temperature ?7—Eps. 
