344 
[Assembly 
sex, Hamilton and Warren counties, the southern and western parts of 
Clinton, the southern half of Franklin, the southeastern angle of St. 
Lawrence and northern half of Herkimer counties. These estimates 
are founded partly upon my own observations, and partly upon infor- 
mation derived from other sources, and should therefore be regarded 
as vague approximations only to topographical accuracy. 
The natural features of this tract are prominent, and in some respects 
singularly interesting. The eastern division, commencing within a few 
miles of Lake Champlain, form the base of the Adirondack mountains. 
This mountain chain rises from the valley of the St. Lawrence, and 
takes a southern direction through Clinton, Franklin, Essex and War- 
ren counties. It is then interrupted by the valley of the Mohawk, 
where it loses its name, although it shortly resumes a portion of its 
grandeur in the Catskill mountains. 
In the county of Essex the chain attains its greatest elevation in the 
form of an aggregation of summits rising from an elevated base of near- 
ly 3,000 feet in height. These peaks usually affect a conical form, and 
exhibit some other indications of their having been subject to volcanic 
action at some remote geological epoch. After the able and interest- 
ing relation by Mr. Redfield of his visits to the sources of the Hudson, 
it would seem unnecessary for me to add that there are probably few 
places in North America where Nature is invested with more magnifi- 
cence and solitude than on these mountain peaks. Among the many 
summits which attain the perpendicular elevation of nearly a mile, Mt. 
Marcy is probably the highest, being 5,337 feet above tide. The 
western limit of this Alpine district is formed by Mt. Clinch,* about 
8 or 10 miles south of Long lake, which apparently reaches the height 
of 4,000 feet ; St. Anthony, (corrupted into Santanoni) a ridge of pro- 
bably 5,000 feet high, between Long lake and Mclntyre ; and Mt. Se 
ward, perhaps 4,000 feet in height, a few miles north and in the hne of 
Long lake, partially interposed between the Racket and Saranac ri- 
vers. The western division of this elevated tract presents a surface di- 
versified with plains and hills, with little of it, which came under my 
notice, deserving the appellation of mountainous. 
A striking feature observable throughout the whole extent of this 
high country, and one particularly interesting in an economical point of 
* In honor of the Hon. Mr. Clinch of New- York, who was one of the original pro- 
jectors of the survey now in progress. 
