HERKIMER COUNTY. 255 
Oneonta, considerable portion of the higher parts of Butternuts, and the south part of 
Laurens. 
3. Herkimer County. 
This county has great length, but not much breadth comparatively. Extending farther to 
the south than Montgomery, it contains more rocks. 
The line which separates the Primary rocks from those of the Transition class, commences 
a short distance above Brocket’s bridge on East-Canada creek, pursues a west course for 
about two miles, and then strikes Spruce creek near Salisbury centre, and continues up the 
creek ; and by a curve, passes to the north of Black creek, not far from Ives’ tavern; and 
continues on the north side of the creek, about a mile or two from it, into Oneida county. 
The whole of the Primary rock, with the exception of a small portion at Little-Falls, and at 
Middleville, lies to the north of this line, extending through the wild and unsettled parts of 
the county. 
Very little of that region is settled ; the parts inhabited being in the town of Salisbury, and 
along East-Canada creek to Noblesborough, and a portion of the border of Black river. In 
general, it is thickly covered with forests, concealing the surface and its rocks. Through 
Salisbury it is hilly, but no determinate direction noticed for its hills. In Jerseyfield, and 
further north, the surface is more level, appearing to be divided by very low ridges, their 
direction somewhat east and west. North of Brown’s tract, from the lakes, it is hilly and 
mountainous, and the country very rugged. On the south side it appears to be less so, the 
highest point of the line of dividing waters being north of the lakes. The soil, in all the 
parts in Salisbury that were visited, appeared to be comparatively fair, but rough ; sandy and 
loamy in the middle or Ohio section, and rather stony in the direction of John Brown’s tract, 
on the side which faces Lewis county. Along the route to the tract, in numerous places, 
rough rounded stones of primary rock were abundant, covered more by moss than soil; they 
had none of the smoothness of river stones, but had evidently been rounded by the action of 
water. Similar stones were observed upon the top of one of the highest ridges which bound 
the lakes on the north side, but in a depression of the ridge, where a tree had been blown 
over. 
There were no rocks seen in any part of the region, but those of gneiss and granite, a little 
hornblende rock, an aggregate of granular carbonate of lime and coccolite noticed in the report 
of 1838, and some singular aggregates of a similar kind with feldspar, having the appearance 
of a breccia, but evidently the result of accretion. These were seen at the east end of the 
fourth lake, within the borders of Hamilton county. 
Where a country is thickly covered with forest, the surface is almost universally concealed 
by rubbish, moss, etc., so as to admit of but little examination beyond what is required to 
ascertain its predominant rock or rocks. Although many hunters and others have traversed 
the region, with a view to the discovery of ores, etc., yet but one locality of ore is known, 
