347 



most every stratum of the clay, to the depth of some fif- 

 teen or more feet from the surface, ramifying in every di- 

 rection over the vertical faces of the cliffs. In many sit- 

 uations they have often been mistaken for ancient fossil 

 remains, but a slight inspection will most readily disclose 

 their recent origin. They have, in many instances, been 

 traced to the stems of still surviving trees. 



The clays of this formation have, for a great length of 

 time, been extensively made use of for the manufacturing 

 of brick. With now and then a rare exception, the entire 

 city of Albany has been erected from the material upon 

 which it stands. In many places, this clay contains sand 

 sufficient to constitute an excellent mortar for the purpose ; 

 but most generally it is necessary, particularly in its low- 

 est division, to give additional sand to its composition. It 

 is likewise capable of affording a fine material for tile ma- 

 king ; but the demand for such an article has been so 

 limited, that no individual, until very recently, has con- 

 sidered it of sufiicient consequence to embark in the enter- 

 prise. With a little more care in the tempering, I should 

 think that this material might easily be moulded into ele- 

 gant ornaments for decorating the door ways, windows, 

 and even the entire fronts of dwellings, so as to give to 

 the structure composed of it a very chaste and highly 

 beautiful appearance, and that too at a far more reasona- 

 ble rate than is now employed for the sandstones and mar- 

 bles at present in such general use. 



Quite recently, an attempt has been made to manufac- 

 ture fine glass from these clays ; but by a reference to the 

 table of analysis, it will be seen that some of the most im- 

 portant ingredients, if there at all, are not in sufficient 

 quantity to produce any thing more than a common va- 

 riety of coarse bottle glass, of little or no consideration 

 whatever. In conjunction with some of the metallic oxides, 

 however, it has produced some very beautiful variegated 

 door knobs ; but the expense attending their manufacture 



