40 
[Assembly 
I have thus given you, according to my promise, a sketch of my ope- 
rations thus far. I hope it v^rill be interesting to you. But whether 
this be so or not, you will at least be apprized of what we have been 
doing, and have the means of answering any inquiries that may be 
made concerning the mineralogical department. 
Our next excursion, on which we shall start in a few days, will be 
through the counties of Greene, Schoharie and Saratoga. — After this 
we proceed to Lewis and Jefferson, where I have promised to be about 
the latter part of June. We should be much pleased to have your 
company in visiting some of our interesting localities — as the lead or 
iron mines. We can at any time be ready to meet you on two or three 
days' notice. 
Very respectfully, 
Your obed't serv't, 
LEWIS C. BECK. 
Neiv- Brunswick, N. J. June 26, 1839. 
To His Excellency Gov. Seward : 
My dear Sir, 
I beg leave to present to you a summary of my 
operations since the date of my last communication. 
Dr. Horton, and myself met at Newburgh early in June, and pro- 
ceeded to Catskill, where we spent two or three days in studying the 
mineralogy of the vicinity. The prevailing rock being slate, similar to 
that found every where on the banks of the Hudson, we had no great 
reason to expect much that was interestng in our department. At Dia- 
mond hill, a short distance from the compact part of the village, we 
found some rather rare varieties of calcareous spar, and tolerable spe- 
cimens of rock crystal, or false diamonds, as they are sometimes called, 
to which indeed this locality owes its name. After finishing our work 
at Catskill, we continued our journey along the track of the Catskill and 
Canajoharie rail-road, as far as the village of Cairo. The rock exca- 
vations along this road gave us a fine opportunity of examining the ge- 
ology of the region, and we were fortunate enough to add to our col- 
lection, some large and beautiful crystals of carbonate of lime, not 
surpassed by any hitherto obtained from this State, with the exceptions 
of those from Jefferson, and St. Lawrence counties 
