120 
GEOLOGY. 
part of the region traversed is in the southern Catskills, as defined by 
the authority already quoted, in the following words : — 
“The mountain region is divided by the Esopus Creek into two 
groups differing considerably in their physical structure, one on the 
north, the northern or Catskills proper, situated mainly in Greene 
county ; the other on the south, the southern Catskills or Shandaken 
Mountains, in Ulster county.’’ 
Of the geological origin of the region Mr. Guyot says: — 
“ The masses of rocks forming the Catskill Mountains were deposit- 
ed in a gulf ot the Devonian Sea comprised between the Adirondack 
plateau and the Green Mountain range, including the low Silurian 
ridges between the Hudson and the foot of the Catskills, all of which 
were probably emerged when the Devonian age began. Most of 
New England was also above the level of the ocean. The thickness 
of the sediments shows that the bottom of this gulf gradually sub- 
sided during lhat time to a depth of some 5ooo feet, constantly mak- 
ing room for new deposits. The presence of the gray conglomerate 
capping the highest hills proves that the deposition of these sedi- 
ments continued into the sub-carboniferous period, after which they 
were upheaved above the level of the ocean, before the deposit of 
the Coal-measures, and have remained emerged ever since.” 
A further quotation of some very pertinent remarks on the general 
character of the region may here be made : — 
“ In a former paper on the physical structure of the Appalachian 
system, I noted the fact that, though extending through the most 
populated and civilized part of the United States, that system of 
mountains was still among the least known of our country. This re- 
mark applies with double force to the Catskill Mountain region. 
“ Situated in the old and flourishing State of New York, only one 
hundred miles from its metropolis, in full sight and within a few miles 
of the great artery of travel, the Hudson River ; visited every sum- 
mer by thousands of tourists in search ot the beauties of nature and 
of the cool air of its high valleys and plateaus, its real mountain re- 
gion has been thus far almost a sealed book to the geographer and 
the geologist as well as to the transient visitor .... The whole 
region was originally an unbroken lorest, and, with the exception of 
the bottom and slopes of a few valleys and of some portions of the 
northeastern plateaus, it has remained so to this day. 
“ The wilderness of the Adironclacks is more extensive but hardly 
more complete than that of the pathless forests of the Southern Cat- 
skills, the habitual haunts of numerous bears, wild-cats, and occasional 
panthers.” 
