Every foot of land in these Highlands has its memories of the Revolutionary War, and this town contains the culminating features of native grandeur not only, but also the vital strategic point on the famous river which figured so conspicuously in the war for independence, and will continue to fill so many important pages of our national history for all time to come. These great hills of grandeur and beauty extend along the entire river front from Stony Point on the south to old Storm King on the north. Scientists tell us that these vast mountains of primitive rock are composed of granite, gneiss and syenite, with veins of trap. But regarding the formation of these towering masses of rock both geologists and laymen have only speculated and guessed for more than a century, as their descendants and successors will continue to do for ages to come, and leave the maze of mystery as dark and deep as ever. We can only wonder and admire, while scientists wrestle with the mighty problem of creation here presented. Just now, as the writer is gathering these data for this connected record, he finds that the great mystery concerning the formation of this particular region has become even more obscure than ever through the developments of the vast engineering project now under way off Storm King Mountain. In the effort to find a solid rock bottom beneath the Hudson at this gate of the Highlands, through which to construct the great aqueduct which is to convey the Catskill Mountain water to New York City, the engineers have bored the river bottom to a depth of 700 feet, and are still baffled. Geologists predicted that this rock would be found at least at 500 feet. But now they are all at sea and frankly admit that their supposed knowledge as to the bed of the Hudson at this point was totally wrong. Some expected that rock would be reached even at 100 feet. But now the engineers say they may have to go down 4,000 feet before they can find proper rock through which to build their aqueduct which is to carry 800,000,000 gallons of water daily at a pressure of 200 feet per square inch. {_sic_} The old bed of the river is evidently covered with the drift and silt of ages. And who will say when and how this vast body of water broke through these adamantine hills, or by what Cyclopean process of upheaval they were formed? There are several small streams that flow into the Hudson at different points in this town; one just south of Cro' Nest, others at Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery. The pretty cataract, called "Buttermilk Falls," from its characteristic resemblance to that acidulous fluid, as it tumbles over the rocky shelves in fantastic glee in its haste to reach the river, is admired by every tourist. There are also other streams which become tributaries of Popolopen's Creek, which finds the Hudson at Fort Montgomery.