132 
GEOLOGY OF THE FIRST DISTRICT. 
Johnstown, Clermont, Redhook, Rhinebeck, &c. Merino mountain, Becraft’s mountain, and 
other high hills, are entirely or mostly surrounded by the quaternary division. Bays of this 
formation occupy the east side of Huzzy hill, and the valley of Black creek ; the valley of the 
Rondout, to Eddyville ; the valley of the Esopus creek, from Kingston by Hurley and Marble- 
town, to Rochester and Wawarsing, on the Rondout. A large cluster of rocky islands, if we 
may so term them, emerges through the quaternary, and forms most of the hills of the town¬ 
ships of Northumberland, Saratoga, Stillwater, Halfmoon, Clifton-Park and Malta in Saratoga 
county; another cluster of these islands extends from Rochester in Ulster county, between 
the Esopus and the Rondout and Hudson rivers, by Kingston to Saugerties, and thence on by 
Catskill to New-Baltimore. 
The whole of this formation, on the east side of the Champlain and Hudson valley, from 
Whitehall to Rhinebeck, is interspersed with rocky islands. 
Another of the quaternary patches occupies a part of the valleys of White creek and Black 
creek in Salem, Washington county, and the valley of the Battenkill between Fitch’s point 
and Red bridge in Salem; thence it extends south by Jackson and Cambridge, down the 
Owlkill, to the Hoosick river; whence it ascends that stream and its main tributaries, the 
Wallamsack and Little Hoosick, by Hoosick falls and Hoosick corners, towards Bennington, 
Williamstown and Berlin. One main branch or bay of this formation extends from Cambridge 
northeast to the south bend of the Battenkill, and extends some two or three miles up that 
stream. It is probable that the Battenkill once discharged its waters through the valley of the 
Owlkill, into the Hoosick. 
Another of these patches commences in the valley of Kinderhook creek in Stephentown, 
Rensselaer county, and communicates with that of the Lebanon valley. 
Another forms plains in Hillsdale, Copake and Ancram, in the valley of Ancram creek and 
its tributaries in Columbia county. 
Another extends from Pine-Plains down Wappinger’s creek, and up some of its tributaries 
in Dutchess county. The drainage that now finds its outlet through Ancram creek, probably 
flowed in former times through the valley of Wappinger’s creek. 
Another occupies a part of the valley of Oblong creek in Northeast and Amenia, in Dutchess 
county. 
Another forms the plains in Dover, and extends south up the valleys of the streams that 
flow from Pawling into the Ten-mile river in Dutchess county. 
Other deposits of similar character with those above described, occur on Fishkill creek and 
its tributaries, in the townships of Fishkill, Beekman, Lagrange and Unionvale ; on Wap¬ 
pinger’s creek and its tributaries in Lagrange, Pleasant-Valley, Washington and Clinton ; and 
perhaps this may be connected with the same formation about Poughkeepsie and Hyde-Park, 
and with the main mass of the quaternary formation of the First district, that was described 
as probably terminating in the lower part of Rhinebeck. 
A small patch of the quaternary occurs on and near the shore of the Hudson, between the 
mouth of Fishkill creek and the point of Breakneck mountain ; another between this mountain 
and Bull hill; another between Bull hill and Quarry point, which extends southeast and south 
