ite occurs near the centre of the town of Nottingham, from
under which a small quantity of decomposed talcose rock
has been obtained. This deposit is apparently not of suf-
ficient extent to be of any practical value.
It is said that a bed of bog-iron ore occurs about three
miles north-west of the centre of the town, which was
worked to some extent during the revolutionary war, but
the iron not being of good quality, or the supply failing,
it was abandoned. Being disappointed in our guide, we
were unable to explore it at this time.
Saddleback Mt. which crosses this sectional line, lying
in the towns of Deerfield and Nottingham, is elevated
about 1032 feet above the sea level. It consists of mica
slate, the strata of which run nearly E. and W., and dip
to the north 40.
This rock contains garnets of fine clove-brown color,
but of small size ; also, well crystallized black tourmaline.
In some cases, the tourmaline in boulders occurring on
the side of the Mt., forms a well marked schorlaceous gran-
ite. A single well crystallized ruby, of fine color, but of
small size, was found at this place. More careful exam-
ination will perhaps furnish interesting specimens for the
Mineralogist.
SECTION FROM PORTSMOUTH TO CLAREMONT. 49
Proceeding from this mountain westward, the rocks are
mainly coarse grained felsparthic granite, alternating with
mica slate, which dips nearly vertically, and is stratifi-
ed in a direction nearly N. and S.
The McKoy Mts. based on mica slate, are from four
to five hundred feet in height, wooded and pastured to
their summits.
Soon after leaving Epsom, the diluvial granitic sand,
which fills the valley of the Merrimack, varying in depth
from ten to one hundred feet, effectually conceals all the
rocks in place from sight. This, throughout its whole
extent, is covered with low pine trees, with a weak un-
der growth.
At the Free Bridge at Concord, the diluvial sand is ele-
vated about 70 feet above the river alluvion, which is there
quite narrow. The descent from the plain above, is by
means of a natural defile, of suitable width for a road,
evidently worn out by the action of water. It would seem
that this might have been one of the channels through
which the extended plain above was drained, after the de-
position of this immense pile of diluvium. Similar defiles
occur of great interest on the sandy plains on Westfield
River, Massachusetts.
Concord is built upon the sandy diluvium of the Merri-
mack, through which a fine grained white granite occa-
sionally shows itself, forming low ridges of hills. In the
West Parish, an extensive quarry has been for some time
worked. Large quantities of stone have been furnished
for the use of the vicinity, and for the Boston market. Of
this the State House is built, and it is the best specimen
of the rock which could be shown.
The diluvial sand extends as far as Warner, with a gen-
tle rise as we proceed westward. Beds of mica slate ap-
pear above its surface. They are often highly pyritifer-
ous, and by their decomposition, are adding constantly to
50 SECTION FROM PORTSMOUTH TO CLAREMONT.
the mass of sand in the valley. They ran N. 45 W. and
dip to the north from 50 to 65.
Large boulders of porphyritic granite are very numer-
ous over the surface, from the West Parish of Concord, to
the centre of Warner, .where we find the rock itself in
place. It is a peculiar rock, having large crystals of fels-
par uniformly distributed through its mass ; they are often
glassy, so as to furnish beautiful and striking specimens.
This bed of granite extends across the State in a general
N. E. and S. W. direction ; it is from 8 to 10 miles in
width, though often interrupted with veins of granite of
various texture, often very coarse grained, and containing
occasional beds of mica slate. Boulders of this rock, which
are easily recognized from their peculiar porphyritic struc-
ture, are exceedingly numerous to the south, but we have
never found them beyond the northern limit of the rock
in place. The fragments, which at first are of great size
and little worn by action of the weather, gradually dimin-
ishing in size, have been transported at least 10 miles to
the south of their native bed. This rock continues on
this sectional line, about three miles west of Newbury,
where it is replaced by mica slate, which continues to Clare-
mont. It is generally very much contorted and filled with
quartz veins. At the Sugar River Falls, the strata dip a
little to the E. of S., and run N. and S. In this rock crys-
tals of pyrites 1-2 inch square abound.
Green Mt. in Claremont, is based on mica slate ; it con-
sists of quartz rock, which has the appearance of regular
stratification, but in reality it is a crystalline structure,
which divides the rock into huge rhombohedral frag-
ments.
On the side of this mountain in mica slate, occur large
crystals of Staurotide of considerable beauty. The mi-
caceous slate on Twistback Mt., is interstratified with
small beds of impure blue limestone.
SECTION FROM PORTSMOUTH TO CLAREMONT. 51
Near the centre of the town an excavation has been
made, with the expectation of finding iron. The ore is
oxide of manganese, with apocrenate of iron and mangan-
ese, and is contained in mica slate.
Sunapee Lake, which is about twelve miles in length,
is so near the summit level, that a slight excavation would
turn its waters either into the Connecticut, or the Merri-
mack. It is elevated about 1080 feet above the sea level,
and the descent of its outlet, Sugar River, to the Connect-
icut is very rapid.
The sections drawn by the aid of the Barometer, which
these outlines of their Geology are designed to illustrate,
are already drawn, and will be published with the other
sections and illustrations in the final or General Report.
LONGITUDINAL SECTION PARALLEL TO THE GENERAL COUBSK
OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.
While my Assistants were engaged in reconnoitering a
series of sections which cross the State in oblique direc-
tions, alternately transverse and parallel to the general di-
rection of the older strata, I explored the first great longi-
tudinal, and a series of transverse sectional lines. The
first longitudinal section runs in a North and South direc-
tion, parallel to the general course of the Connecticut
River, extending from Northfield in Massachusetts, to Ha-
verhill in New-Hampshire, and passes over the principal
rock formations of the Western portion of the State. The
profile of this section represents the elevations and depres-
sions of the country, and the manner in which the rocks
are disposed. It presents at one view the relative extent,
direction, dip, and axes of elevation of the strata, with
their principal included beds and veins. It is of an inter-
esting character, both in a scientific and practical point of
view, since it exhibits the junctions of the argillaceous
slates and limestones with the older primary rocks, and the
changes which have been effected in the former by the in-
fluence of the latter. Beginning at the Southern extrem-
ity of this sectional line. I shall describe the outlines of
the Geological structure of the country which it intersects.
54 SECTION PARALLEL .TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.
Ill the town of Northfield, near the south-western cor-
ner of the State of New-Hampshire, the red conglome-
rates and sandstones of the valley of the Connecticut
River are seen reposing upon the argillaceous slate rocks
of New-Hampshire ; but the sandstone does not cross the
State line.
The conglomerate and sandstone rocks of Northfield
consist of rounded pebbles and finer particles of the pri-
mary rocks, such as granite, gneiss, mica slate, quartz, and
angular fragments of argillaceous slate. These water-
worn fragments are cemented together by a paste of argil-
laceous and calcareous matter, and are colored red by the
per oxide of iron. The cement evidently resulted from
the abrasion and decomposition of primary rocks, and was
deposited by water among the pebbles, and the whole was
subsequently indurated by the influence of heat produced
during the elevation of the primary rocks. In several pla-
ces, beds of granite are seen protruding from beneath the
sandstone.
The conglomerates of Northfield and of Bernardstown
are represented, in Professor Hitchcock's Geological Map
of Massachusetts, as the New Red sandstone, a rock which
overlies the coal measures of Europe ; and at one time it
was supposed that coal might be found beneath the sand-
stone of the Connecticut River.
I am confident, however, that no coal will ever be found
in the rocks upon which the sandstone rests in this section
of the State, for they do not belong to that formation. If
the sandstone in question should ultimately prove to be the
New Red, it must be considered as out of place ; and it
may prove, like the tertiary, to have been deposited on any
rocks that happened to be uppermost at that epoch. Sim-
ilar phenomena have been observed on the continent of
Europe and in this country. Whoever examines the con-
glomerates and sandstones here described, will perceive
SECTION PARALLEL TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. 55
that the hard pebbles of quartz and granite have evidently
been rounded by the action of long continued currents of
water. We may therefore conceive that, in ancient times,
a powerful river of much greater dimensions than the
present Connecticut poured its waters through the high-
lands, and deposited the detritus of the primary rocks of
New-Hampshire, and the slates and lime-stones of Ver-
mont, in an estuary at that time existing in the lower
valley of the Connecticut. The waters of such a river
would have been able to transport these loose materials
to their present localities, the coarser pebbles being left
where the current was rapid, while the finer particles
were deposited in those wide valleys where the current
must have been quite moderate. That the waters of the
Connecticut once occupied a much higher level is incon-
testible, since we have along its whole course regular ter-
races of aqueous deposition far more elevated than the wa-
ters ever rise in modern times, during the most powerful
freshets. Ancient water-marks are also observed abun-
dantly on the rocky ledges, at a considerable elevation
above the present bed of the river. That the sea entered
the valley of the Connecticut in former times, has been
most fully proved by the interesting researches of Profes-
sor Hitchcock and others, who have examined the deposits
of finer slates and sandstones in the lower valley, which
contain impressions of fishes and the foot-prints of wading
birds of gigantic size. All the facts discovered tend to
prove that the sandstones of the Connecticut were pro-
duced by a deposition of ancient alluvium from the upper
section of the river, and that the fresh waters mingled
with those of the sea, at least as far up as Mount Holyoke,
and that the deposit took place anterior even to the erup-
tion of that mountain, since the trap rocks of which it is
composed were protruded through the sandstone, and now
56 ARGILLACEOUS AND METAMORPHIC SLATES.
rest upon its surface, where they spread out in a molten
state, and now overlap the sandstone.
It would prove highly interesting, did our limits permit,
to carry this section throughout the whole valley of the
Connecticut ; but this will not be expected in the present
Report, which will be limited to the State of New-Hamp-
shire and its immediate borders.
Argillaceous and Metamorphic Slates.
Our great longitudinal section begins at the Connecticut
River, at the south-western corner of the State, at an ele-
vation of 462 feet above the sea-level, departing from the
plains of Northfield and Bernardstown, which are under-
laid by the red conglomerates and sandstones before de-
scribed.
We shall examine next the argillaceous and metamor-
phic slates on which the sandstone rests. The argillace-
ous slates, as mentioned in a former section of this Report,
consist of clayey particles, which were originally depos-
ited by water, and were subsequently indurated by the
heat of rocks thrown up in an ignited state beneath them.
Where the action of the primary rocks was moderated by
the thickness or remoteness of the strata of sedimentary
rocks, the effect upon them appears to have been simply to
produce induration ; but where there was an immediate
contact, or close contiguity, the slates underwent consid-
erable changes in structure and composition, or are met-
amorphic.
In the towns of Leyden, Bernardstown, and Guilford,
may be observed some very interesting peculiarities in the
disturbance of the argillaceous slates, such as contortions
of the strata, shewing that they were once plastic and soft,
crossing and overlapping of strata, effected by lateral
ARGILLACEOUS AND METAMORPHIC SLATES. 57
thrusts, and the gradual passage or change of argillaceous
into micaceous slate.
The Gorge or Leyden Glen is frequently visited for the
sake of its picturesque beauty, and the refreshing coolness
of the atmosphere, which renders it a favorite resort for
travellers during the heat of midsummer. The curious
will also enjoy additional pleasure if they are led to con-
template the singular Geological features which this local-
ity presents. It is evident that the slates have been pow-
erfully acted upon by the protrusion of rocks beneath them,
the strata being curved and bent in various directions,
while the argillaceous slate exhibits a passage into mica-
ceous slate. Veins of quartz are also seen running through
the strata, filling fissures originally produced by rupture
of its mass.
In the town of Guilford several deposits of argillaceous
slate have been extensively quarried, so that the situation
and structure of the strata are exposed to view. One of
the most remarkable localities in this town is the slate
ledge owned by Mr. Bruce.
The strata at this quarry are very remarkably situated,
and to persons viewing the ledge in front, the slates appear
as if they had been broken by a crushing force from above.
On more minute examination, it may be seen that such
was not the case, but this apparent disorderly situation
was produced by a crossing and overlapping of strata, forc-
ed out from their original position by a lateral thrust, which
may have been effected by the elevation of the neighbor-
ing and subjacent primary unstratified rocks.
This locality also exhibits decisive proof of the fact
formerly mentioned, namely, that the slate strata were suf-
ficiently soft at the epoch of this disturbance to have suf-
fered considerable flexure without breaking ; and we can
discover, at the points where flexure and fracture were ef-
fected, the degree of flexibility which the slate possessed.
8
: . V "
58
ARGILLACEOUS AND METAMORPHIC SLATES.
The following diagram exhibits the manner in which
the upper strata were forced over those now below, so as
to overlap and curve the slates.
Section of Bruce's Slate Quarry, Guilford.
On the face of the quarry the strata may be seen cross-
ing each other nearly at right angles, and they are broken
at their points of contact.
This quarry is wrought to considerable extent for roof-
ing slates, which are solid and durable, but are not so
smooth as those from Wales, or from the quarries in Maine.
They are used for covering roofs of houses in Brattleboro',
and cargoes are sent down the Connecticut River in boats.
On the Western side of the Connecticut River, the ar-
gillaceous slate rocks predominate, forming the sub-strata
throughout extensive districts in Vermont, and include
many valuable beds of limestone. The same strata extend
across the river into New-Hampshire, and overlap the more
ancient primary formations of Winchester, Hinsdale, Ches-
terfield, Walpole, Charlestown, Unity, and Claremont, ex-
hibiting those remarkable and interesting metamorphoses
in structure and composition, which have been alluded to
in a former section of this Report. It is well known in
Europe that the junctions of stratified rocks with the un-
stratified, are the points most highly charged with metal-
ARGILLACEOUS* AND METAMORPH1C SLATES. 9
liferous ores ; hence we are led to expect many interesting
discoveries in the district traversed by this sectional line.
Leaving the sandstone rocks of Northfield, and proceed-
ing northwardly, we pass over Long Mt., in Winchester,
and descend to the borders of Ashuelot River. Long Mt.
is composed of mica slate rocks, the strata of which run
N. E. and S. W., and dip to the N. W. The same strata
are seen along the banks of the Ashuelot River, in Win-
chester. Further to the North we come to granite and
gneiss rocks, which form the principal basis of the eastern
parts of the towns of Hinsdale and Chesterfield, while on
the western side we again observe mica slate strata, which
pass insensibly into argillaceous slate, which is frequently
charged with iron pyrites. By the decomposition of this,
bi-sulphuret of iron, copperas or sulphate of iron, and bog
iron ores are formed. The copperas acting upon the ar-
gillaceous matter of the slate rocks, forms sulphate of al-
umina, which frequently is seen on the surface of moist,
sheltered ledges, in the form of an incrustation. Bog iron
is formed from the solution of sulphate of iron, which is
dissolved from the decomposing rock, and being washed
into the lowlands, it becomes by action of the atmosphere
converted into per sulphate of iron, which is decomposed
by the vegetable matters in the soil, and apocrenated bog
iron ore is formed and deposited in low meadows, or on the
hill-sides.
Veins of magnetic iron ore are said to have been found
in Winchester, but we had not time to examine the local-
ity during the measurement of this section. Iron pyrites
occurs disseminated in the argillaceous slates of Chester-
field, but I have not learned whether there is a sufficient
amount of the ore for the manufacture of copperas, the
specimens having been sent to me since we left the field.
The rocks which most abound in this town are mica slate,
the strata of which dip to the . E. Near Spoiford's pond
60 WESTMORELAND.
we observed the junction of this rock with the gneiss, the
strata of which dip to the N. W. Near this point is a cen-
tre of elevation, as shown by the opposite dipping of the
strata.
WESTMORELAND is underlaid by gneiss, granite, and mica
slate, in every part of the town where the rocks were ob-
served to crop out ; but there is reason to believe, from the
direction of the strata of argillaceous slates of Hinsdale
and Chesterfield, that they also exist in the western bor-
ders of this town, but are concealed by the superficial soil.
Many interesting minerals occur in the rocks of West-
moreland, and have long been sought for by mineralogists
as objects of study. Some attempts have been made by
the people to discover valuable ores, but most of their re-
searches have been fruitless. I was informed by one in-
dividual that he had spent no less than thirty years in
search of gold and silver ores, and he was still firm in the
belief that his labors would be eventually rewarded by
such a discovery. On examining the mines where he had
spent so much time and labor, we found that he had mis-
taken some very small veins of copper and iron pyrites for
ores of the precious metals. His researches had, never-
theless, resulted in the discovery of some very fine speci-
mens of fluor-spar, and tolerably good crystals of quartz.
These minerals are found in a vein which is situated near
the North Village, on a hill-side two miles S. W. from the
meeting-house. The vein consists chiefly of quartz and
fluor-spar, with a few small strings and disseminated crys-
tals of pyrites.
The fluor-spar possesses various colors, such as white,
purple, green and violet ; but the light green variety is
most abundant. It derives its name from the circumstance
of its being used by metallurgists for a flux in reducing
metaliferous ores. It is from this mineral that chemists
obtain that powerfully corrosive acid which has the prop-
WESTMORELAND. 61
erty of dissolving silex, and forming with it a gas, and of
etching upon the surface of glass. Good specimens are
sought for by mineralogists, and chemists occasionally re-
quire it in their analytical operations, but it has only a ve-
ry limited sale.
Fluor-spar is composed of
Fluorine 48.13
Calcium 51.87
or of two equivalents of fluorine to one of calcium, and
yields 27.86 of fluoric acid
72.14 of lime.
It is readily cleaved by the knife into its primary form,
which is the regular octahedron ; also into tetrahedra and
rhomboids. It is harder than calcareous spar, but may be
easily scratched by the knife. One of its most beautiful
characters is its brilliant phosphorescence when thrown on
heated iron.
The purple varieties of fluor-spar are frequently cut and
polished in the forms of vases, and it is also very success-
fully employed by the Italians in mosaic work, to repre-
sent the rich colors of the grape.
In the South part of Westmoreland we examined a vein
of sulphuret of molybdena, which has been opened on the
estate of Mr. Lincoln. This locality is one of great in-
terest to mineralogists, and will be visited by many per-
sons for the sake of the elegant specimens of minerals
which have been brought to light by mining operations.
The locality is situated four miles South of the North Vil-
lage meeting-house, upon the top of an eminence 956 feet
above the sea-level. The vein is included in mica slate
rocks, associated with gneiss. The strata run N. E. and
S. W., and dip to the W. N. W. 60, and the vein runs
nearly in the same direction. The sulphuret of molyb-
dena is associated with a peculiar blue compact felspar and
62 WESTMORELAND.
quartz, in which occur enormous crystals of the phosphate
of lime, a mineral of considerable rarity, and highly prized
by mineralogists.
On the surface of the sulphuret of molybdena ; and in
cavities in the gangue occurs a bright yellow substance,
which is supposed to be a peculiar oxide, or a sub-sulphate
of molybdena. It has not yet been analyzed.
On the side of this hill a drift has been cut into the
rock, with the intention of striking the vein lower down,
in hopes of finding ores of copper or of tin, which
metals an English miner had led Mr. Lincoln to expect at
a lower level. The work was abandoned after excavating
a gallery in the rock to the distance of 33 feet, without
reaching the vein.
It is true that sulphuret of molybdena is commonly as-
sociated with tin and copper ores, but it does by no means
follow that wherever we find that mineral, we shall find
also the others. If, however, a few crystals of oxide of
tin had been found scattered in the molybdena vein, we
should have some reason to expect a larger supply in its
midst.
Various attempts have been made to render the molyb-
dena ore useful in the arts, and it was hoped that its fine
blue oxide might serve as a pigment or for calico printing,
but thus far no valuable result has been attained.
This locality will furnish a most abundant supply of
sulphuret of molybdena, and should be kept in remem-
brance, since the constant and rapid improvements in the
arts may eventually discover some method of rendering it
useful. At present it is destined to furnish an abundance
of fine specimens for the use of mineralogists and chem-
ists, many of whom will visit the locality.
A few rods north of this vein occurs a small deposit of
nodular bog manganese, the nodules being about the
size of walnuts. It occurs at the outlet of a small drain
W ALP OLE. 63
from a little peat-bog, and was evidently deposited in its
present situation by water.
This ore will serve perfectly for the generation of chlorine
gas from muriatic acid for bleaching, but owing to the pres-
ence of apocrenate of iron in it, it does not give out pure ox-
ygen gas when heated to redness, for that vegetable acid be-
ing decomposed by heat and by the oxygen of the mangan-
ese, its carbon combining with the oxygen, carbonic acid is
also produced at the same time. The locality will furnish
a few tons of manganese, and since it will answer for gen-
erating chlorine, it will meet with a ready sale at the pa-
per-mills where manganese is used for bleaching.
Having, through the kind assistance of Mr. Lincoln, ob-
tained specimens of all the minerals which occur on his
estate, we proceeded on our section northwardly.
From Westmoreland to Walpole the, rocks are granite
and gneiss. A few beds and veins of milk quartz also oc-