Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-12-15

river, and is surrounded by q Substantial look
ing high wall At each corner we saw the
guards with their muskets, pstroling the wall.
These are kept on duty all the time, relieving
each other every six hours.
The scenery from Hartford to Mlddletown Is
not remarkable; the mountains on either side
OF the valley gradually approach the river till
We pass Rocky HILL There the western range
recedes, but the eastern crowds to the river,
till at Middletown it crosses, and the scenery
beautiful-gem-like. 1t has no sublimity-
everything is on minute scale, even to the
| small extinct volcano Of Meodus, which we
passed on our left. We imagined it in action
As We saw its calm silent form in the distance,
| and heard the terrible thunderings Of the
Moodus noises."
Before arriving at the city of Middletown,
We passed the famous red sand stone Portland
quarries. This quarry has been open for a
long time, and being situated directly on the
bank Of the river, furnishes great facilities for
| getting stone. We were informed that the
quarries had been sunk several hundred feet
below the surface Of the river. 1t is in this
| red sand stone that such valuable additions
have been made to geological researches A
| few years since a bird track was discovered
imprinted in the solid stone, so perfect that
wrinkles Of the skin were preserved. This
discovery was soon followed by that of another,
and finally the tracks were found on the pave
| ments Of the city Of Middietown, and on the
outside Of many buildings, especially on the
buildings of the Wesleyan University-thcy
being made of this red sand stone. One of
| the paving stones was taken up and sold as a
valuable specimen to Amherst College. Sew
| eral years since, while in the place, l found
| one near the river, which succeeded in de-
| taching from the rock. In the vicinity also,
are found fossil fish, with scales so perfect that
the genus and species may be easily deter
| mined.
II hr nf L.. IL -
| locality perhaps rs thoroughly as my other
i person, and has fine collection, worthy the
| attention Of the scientific world. The Doctor
is somewhat eccentric, and the Am. Ass n
Adv. Sci. occasionally, as at Newport, snub
/ him rather severely; yet he has some valuable
ideas on the age of this formation, as exhibit
/ ed by the 'foot-marks" as he calls them. In
| conversation with him, he informed me that
| he could accurately tell the kind Of seasons
| that were actually had during the formation
| Of this sandstone. Indeed" )" says the Doc
tor, Z" / can tell the way the wind blew whom
it rained;" and he exhibited to me some prints
| made by the rain drops in the plastic material
before il become stone; showing very conclu.
sively by the jar which way they came down
The city of Middletown has q very beau
tiful situation. 1t is on rising ground, and ID
| crowned with the "University Buildings" II
has been the summer resort Of many of the
naval officers for several years. High street i.
Il
| Charles Dickens, resided the Handsomes
Girl in America" Dickens came down the
river while on his tour in this country, and
| seeing the lady above mentioned, gave the
| fact to the world. Directly in front Of thi
city, which faces east, the river turns q righ
angle and flows to the east about two miles
| when il cuts the mountain. think I nevel
saw a more beautiful sight than this scenery
presents to person On the nights of the city
IL is beautiful in the morning, in the evening
| or by moonlight, when a fog settles on tn,
| river, or when it rises and caps the distan
hills. The channel Of the river through tn,
mountains is narrow, and the scenery some
what mild. As you pass below the cultivated
| yallies crossing the river, the small islands
some rocky, some fertile and cultivated, ant
| others wooded, all taken together, make tn
Connecticut valley noted for its gem-lik
| scenery.
At Ssybrook the river widens, the channe
| is lost, and q movesble sand-bar cuts off al
most all navigation. The frat settlers lait
| lege was located here; but this sand-bar barret
everything, and the College was removed
! leaving nothing but an old well to mark it
: early site. It was at this place that the famou
D | Saybrook platform was made, which has sinc
been the creed Of the Presbyteria Church.
As we sailed around the point, a fine look
l ing field of pasture-laud, we noticed the Ion
. monument to Lady Fenwick It Is a singl
: square red sandstone monument, about tw
feet high, and has been sadly mutilated b,
/ visitors, or rather vandals, who have chippe'
of piece by piece, till 1t is nearly gone. Their
is no railing around 1t, or any appearance O
| any other tomb or grave In the vicinity. Tn
| place is known as Lady Fenwick's Tomb.
: After entering the Sound a company of Yam
kee singers were gathered from the list of pas
| sengers, and under the lead of chorister fror
Hartford. gave a specimen Of their ability
. | make music. Some fine performers were found
I aud with the accompaniment OF a piano an
! fute, tho company in the saloon were enter
| tanned till a late hour. In the cabin belo'
= was quite different scene Some 1870 consid
= ing themselves very fortunate in securin
= berths, had ensconced themselves each in b
v own bed, and were enjoying fine sleep. Blu
r unfortunately for them, there were about 20
4 more that he'd not where to lay their hoad
3 and after putting their heads together, weI
= in for jolly time, and concluded that ther
a should be no sleep on board that night. In
= msdiately the process Of waking up begal
and in less than ten minutes not a man was
| his berth. This done, producing some nnis
"a | some soolding, and great amount OF ful
4 convulsing the whole company with laughte
"a the leaders OF the police went to the saloo
" and made such music, suoh speeches, and sue
!, ! general hurrah, as Is seldom heard. 1t VI
= truly q rich scene, apd was enjoyed by near
n all till the rising sun quieted the revelers.
n New York is in sight, and now We 90 ashor
a | v l..
~ MIGRATION OF rHE BUFYALo.-There ia
u feature in the migrative character of tho bu