No. 200.] 
145 
A small marsh, and two or three small bars, are formed at and in the 
mouth of this creek, but most of its alluvion is swept down, or up the 
river, and deposited in situations more or less remote. 
Opposite Hudson there is an island of alluvial ooze of a mile or 
more in length- a canal has been cut across it, through which the ferry 
boats pass from Hudson to Athens. 
A large marsh of ooze between Hudson and Merino mountain is the 
proper delta of the creek which empties into the small bay below Hud- 
son. From the north end of Merino mountain to the lower end of 
Rogers' island, is an extensive marsh of several hundred acres of allu- 
vial ooze. It is used for pasturage. There are boulders of rock on it, 
left by the ice, by which they were transported. A part of this marsh 
is covered by such trees as grow in our swamps. 
Between Rodgers' island and Catskill is an island of alluvial ooze, 
covered with tall grass, or a plant which is believed to be the wild rice 
of our northern lakes. It grows on some of the ooze islands and mud 
banks eight to ten feet high. From Oak-Hill ferry an alluvial ooze 
bank, or flat, but which rarely shows itself above w^ater, extends eight 
-or nine miles down the river. 
At the mouth of Livingston creek, which is also called Ancram 
creek, and Roeleff Jansen's creek, the alluvian is coarser (fine sand and 
silt) and covered with reeds and aquatic plants. This delta is the lar- 
gest on this part of the Hudson. Opposite the lower part of German- 
town, this deposit of alluvial forms long spits, almost islands, connect- 
ed with the land at ohe end by very shoal water, while elsewhere they 
are separated by pockets of very deep water. The plant, believed to 
be the wild rice, grows very tall on these ooze spits. 
Between Upper Red Hook Landing and the mouth of the Saw Kill, 
an extensive alluvial deposit is forming, whicih may be considered as the 
united deltas of the Saw Kill and the creek which empties into the Hud- 
son S. E. of Upper Red Hook Landing. The bay in which this dispo- 
sition is taking place, is filling up by the deposits of the streams which 
flow into it, the wash of the adjacent clay hills on the east and north, 
and by organic depositions, which form a large proportion of the bulk 
of the accumulating matter. The aquatic plants grow very thick and 
luxuriantly, and by their annual decay form a large amount of carbona- 
ceous matter, mixed with the wash of the adjacent country. Two 
islands cut off the river from most of the west boundary of this bay, 
[Assem. No. 200.J 15 
