QUATERNARY DIVISION. 
151 
joins the Ramapo; another through the valley of the Hackensack, from the Hudson valley 
near Haverstraw. This latter also undoubtedly communicated with the Stony point branch, 
leaving the Palisades as a cluster of islands in a curved line on the east and north, (as this 
range of trap rock is represented on the geological map of the State,) and the Highlands on 
the west as an island or a cluster of islands between that and the channel through Smith’s 
clove. Another current may, perhaps, be considered as having passed through the Walkill 
valley, and communicated through the Pequanick river with the Passaic river, and as having 
contributed in the formation of the quaternary of Staten island. Another current may pro¬ 
bably have flowed from the Walkill valley, through the Kittatinny valley, in which flow the 
Muskonekong, Pequest and Pawlings creeks, to the Delaware valley near Easton ; and another 
through the Mamakating valley, from Kingston on the Hudson, to Carpenter’s point on the 
Delaware ; but these could not have contributed to the formation of Staten island. 
The Shawangunk mountains and Blue mountains would thus form a long island. The 
Pochunk mountains. Mounts Adam and Eve, Lookout mountain, with the high ranges of 
hills to the northeast, terminating on the Hudson in Marlborough mountains and Huzzy hill, 
would thus have formed a chain of islands ; Bellevale mountain. Sugar-loaf mountain. Sugar- 
loaf mate. Goose-pond mountain, Pedler’s hill. Round hill. Brimstone hill, and Snake hill, 
another long group, including Skunnemunk mount, and the mountain region of the Highlands, 
between Bellevale mountain and Smith’s clove.* The Highlands, including the Dunderberg, 
Colaberg and Haverstraw mountains in Rockland county; Bear mountain. Bare mount. 
Crow’s Nest, Butter hill. Deer hill. Devil’s peak. Black mountain and Pine hill in Orange, 
formed another island or cluster of islands. Breakneck, the Beacon mountains and Bull hill, 
would form one island or a small cluster, with a channel leading from Fishkill to Coldspring, 
and another to Peekskill, leaving Anthony’s Nose, Sugar-loaf, and other mountains, between 
it and the Hudson river. Putnam county, in fact, would form a group of islands ; and the 
continuation of this range of mountains north, through the south and southeast parts of Fish- 
kill and Beekman, the west parts of Pawlings, Dover, Amenia, Northeast, and the east parts 
of Unionvale, Washington and Stanford to Winchell’s mountain, which terminates in Northeast 
and Ancram, would form a long cluster of islands, with the main eastern channel extending 
from between Mount Washington and Winchell’s mount in the valley of Oblong creek, through 
Northeast, Amenia, Dover, (where it would unite laterally with the Housatonic valley, but 
the continuation of the valley described passes south through Dover,) Pawlings, Patterson, 
Southeast, and down the valley of the Croton river to the Hudson valley. 
Through all the straits or channels mentioned, viz. the Mamakating valley, Walkill valley. 
Smith’s Clove valley, Haverstraw valley. Oblong and Croton valleys, and numerous smaller 
and lateral valleys, currents seem to have flowed to and from the Champlain and Hudson 
valley, and contributed their proportions in the formation of Long and Staten islands. The 
* Smith’s clove, a place frequently referred to, is a deep valley crossing the Highlands, between and through the ridges, in a 
nearly north and south direction as a general course. The Ramapo flows from one end of the valley, and the south branch of 
Murderer’s creek from the other. 
