Diluvium. 



157 



up the steep side of this mountain, from 1000 to 1500 feet, if that 

 current was at right angles to the direction of the mountain, is ab- 

 surd. Yet as the direction of the current was very oblique to the 

 direction of the mountain, it is possible that there might have been 

 power enough in it for the work. And it ought also to be stated that 

 the quartz rock in Clarksburg seems to be a spur from the Hoosac 

 range and rises to an almost equal elevation, although a valley of 

 considerable depth intervenes. In the east part of Cheshire, also, 

 the quartz rock exists in situ, at a high elevation ; especially a vari- 

 ety that is interstratified with gneiss. And no deep valley intervenes 

 between its locality and the top of the Hoosac range. The situation 

 of several valleys, also, along the western slope of this mountain, is 

 very favorable for enabling a northwesterly current of waters to drive 

 bowlders up the declivity. 



The gray wacke bowlders which are scattered over the valleys and 

 hills of Berkshire, and which are sometimes of several tons weight, 

 must have been forced over the Taconnic range of mountains. But 

 the western slope of this range is not generally as steep as that of the 

 Hoosac : and in several places transverse valleys occur ; or rather 

 depressions of the summit : as for instance, the ravines through 

 which the principal east and west road passes in Hancock, and be- 

 tween Canaan and West Stockbridge. Still, a prodigious force must 

 have been exerted by the waters in carrying over this ridge such an 

 abundance of coarse detritus. 



Indeed, some may suppose it necessary to refer this diluvial action 

 to a period preceding the elevation of the strata : for to suppose it 

 produced by that elevation, will not relieve the difficulty ; since the 

 wave produced by the rise of the strata, would not act till Hoosac 

 mountain was actually thrown up ; and besides, that wave must have 

 flowed from the west to the east ; whereas the current that moved 

 these bowlders must have come from a direction not far from north- 

 west; as appears from the diluvial grooves and scratches on the 

 rocks, which I am about to describe. But if these bowlders were 

 removed by currents previous to the elevation of the strata ; that is, 

 while they were yet in the bottom of the ocean, how does it happen 

 that the blocks are accumulated along the western base of the Hoosac, 

 and along its steep face, just as they would have been, if they had 

 met with that mountain to obstruct their progress. 



Wherever we find valleys passing obliquely up the face of this 

 mountain, especially those running in a southeasterly direction, we 



