The lower part has considerable of ornamental farming and gardening, where are the seats of men of opulence, cultivated with niuch taste." The manufactures are numerous. White Plains and Bedford are the half shire towns. "Tarrytown, Sing Sing, and some others, are charming positions on the Hudson, where are small villages and landings, with considerable trade. Tappan Bay, a wide place in the Hudson, is here three miles in width, where crowds of shipping are constantly seen passing in opposite directions, exhibiting a most elegant display of commercial activity.''^

''The County of Westchester is based on primitive rock called hypogcne, or granite gneiss, lons^ ridges of which intersect the county, with here and there small veins of iron ore and quartz. Large numbers of granite boulders are found here, both inland and on the coast; also some fine quarries of white marble and two silver and gold mines at Sing Sing and Peekskill." According to the late geographical survey the principal minerals are, white marble, iron ore, galena, sulphate of barytes,

» See Spafford's Gazetteer of N. Y.

INTRODUCTION. xv

copper, iron and zinc, oxide of manganese, green carbonate of copper, serpentine, calcareous spar, phosphate of lime, hydrate and carbonate of magnesia, quartz, drusy, calcedony, agate, jasper, hyroxene, hornblende, asbestos, actynolite, homolite, hyderous anthophylite, felspar, stilbite, garnet, epidote, chenite, tourmaline, sphene, vanquelemite, magnetic pyrites, chromate of iron, red ochre and red chalk.

The natural growth of wood is very extensive, especially upon the higher lands. Among the principal varieties may be enumerated the White Oak, (duercus Alba,) Red Oak, (Quercus Rubra,) Pin Oak, (duercus Paluster,) and the Black Oak, (Quertetron ;) the White Elm, (ulmus Americana ;) Red or Slippery Elm, (Ulmus Fulva,) and the Witch Elm, (Ulmus Montana ;) the Plane or Buttonwood, (Platanus ;) the Ash, (Traxinus ;) Basswood, Lim.e or Linden, (Zelia ;) Beach, (Tagus ;) Birch, (Betula :) Maple, (Acer ;) Locust, (Robinia ;) Chesnut, (Castanea;) Walnut, (Juglans ;) Hickory, (Carya ;) the Whitewood or Tulip, (Liriodendron :) Dogwood, (Cornus ;) Hemlock or Spruce, and the Red Cedar (Juniperus.)