USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 3 > Part 3
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* Josselyn's voyage to New-England, p. 135.
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HISTORY OF
tempted to give an account of thefe mountains, have afcribed the whitenefs of them, to fhining rocks, or a kind of white mofs ; and the higheft fummit has been deemed inacceffible, on account of the ex- treme cold, which threatens to freeze the traveller, in the midft of fummer.
Nature has, indeed, in that region, formed her works on a large fcale, and prefented to view, many objects which do not ordinarily occur. A perfon who is unacquainted with a mountainous country, cannot, upon his firft coming into it, make an ade- quate judgment of heights and diftances ; he will imagine every thing to be nearer and lefs than it really is, until, by experience, he learns to correct his apprehenfions, and accommodate his eye to the magnitude and fituation of the objects around him. When amazement is excited by the grandeur and fublimity of the fcenes prefented to view, it is necef- fary to curb the imagination, and exercife judgment with mathematical precifion ; or the temptation to romance will be invincible.
The White mountains are the moft elevated part of a ridge, which extends N. F. and S. W. to an im- menfe diftance. The area of their bafe, is an irreg- ular figure, the whole circuit of which, is not lefs than fixty miles. The number of fummits within this area, cannot at prefent be afcertained, the coun- try round them being a thick wildernefs. The greateft number which can be feen at once, is at Dartmouth, on the N. W. fide, where feven fummits appear at one view, of which four are bald. Of thefe, the three higheft are the moft diftant, being on the eaftern fide of the clufter ; one of thefe is the mountain which makes fo majeftic an appearance all along the fhore of the caftern counties of Maffa- chufetts : It has lately been diftinguifhed by the name of Mount WASHINGTON.
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To arrive at the foot of this mountain, there is a continual afcent of twelve miles, from the plain of Pigwacket, which brings the traveller to the height of land, between Saco and Amarifcoggin rivers. At this height there is a level of about a mile fquare, part of which is a meadow, formerly a beaver pond, with a dam at each end. Here, though elevated more than three thoufand feet above the level of the fea, the traveller finds himfelf in a deep valley. On the eaft is a fteep mountain, out of which iffue feve- ral fprings, one of which is the fountain of Ellis river, a branch of Saco, which runs fouth ; another of Peabody river, a branch of Amarifcoggin, which runs north. From this meadow, toward The weft, there is an uninterrupted afcent, on a ridge, between two deep gullies, to the fummit of Mount Wafhing- ton.
The lower part of the mountain is fhaded by a thick growth of fpruce and fir. The furface is com- pofed of rocks, covered with very long green mofs, which extends from one rock to another, and is, in many places, fo thick and ftrong, as to bear a man's weight. This immenfe bed of mofs, ferves as a fponge, to retain the moifture brought by the clouds and vapours, which are frequently rifing and gath- ering round the mountains ; the thick growth of wood, prevents the rays of the fun from penetrat- ing to exhale it ; fo that there is a conftant fupply of water depofited in the crevices of the rocks, and iffuing in the form of fprings, from every part of the mountain.
The rocks which compofe the furface of the moun- tain, are, in fome parts, flate, in others, flint ; fome fpecimens of rock chryftal have been found, but of no great value. No lime ftone has yet been difcov- ered, though the most likely rocks have been tried with aquafortis. There is one precipice, on the E
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HISTORY OF
eaftern fide, not only completely perpendicular, but compofed of fquare ftones, as regular as a piece of mafonry ; it is about five feet high, and from fif- teen to twenty in length. The uppermoft rocks of the mountain, are the common quartz, of a dark grey colour ; when broken, they thew very fmall fhining fpecks, but there is no fuch appearance on the exterior part. The eaftern fide of the mountain, rifes in an angle of 45 degrees, and requires fix or feven hours of hard labour to afcend it. Many of the precipices are fo fteep, as to oblige the traveller to ufe his hands, as well as feet, and to hold by the trees, which diminifh in fize, till they degenerate to fhrubs and bufhes ; above thefe, are low vines, forne bearing red, and others blue berries, and the upper- moft vegetation is a fpecies of grafs, called winter- grafs, mixed with the mofs of the rocks. *
Having furmounted the upper and freepeft preci- pice, there is a large area, called the plain. It is a dry heath, compofed of rocks covered with mof's,
* " At the base of the summit of Mount Washington, the limits of vegetation may with propriety be fixed. There are indeed, on some of the rocks, even to their apices scattered specks of a mossy appearance; but I conceive them to be extraneous substan- ces, accidentally adhering to the rocks, for I could not discover, with thy botanical ni- croscope, any part of that plant regularly formed. The limits of vegetation at the base of this summit, are as well defined as that between the woods and the bald or mossy part. So striking is the appearance, that at a considerable distance, the mind is impress- ed with an idea, that vegetation extends no farther than a line, as well defined as the penumbra and shadow, in a lunar eclipse. The stones I have by me, from the summit, have not the smallest appearance of moss upon them.
" There is evidently theappearance of three zones-1, the woods-2, the bald mossy part-3. the part above vegetation. The same appearance has been observed on the Alps, and all other high mountains.
" I recollect no grass on the plain. The spaces between the rocks in the second zone, and on the plain, are filled with spruce and fir, which, perhaps, have been growing ever since the creation, and yet many of them have not attained a greater height than three or four inches, but their spreading tops are so thick and strong, as to support the weight of a man, without yielding in the smallest degree. The snows and winds keeping the surface even with the general surface of the rocks. In many places, on the siles, we could get glades of this growth, some rods in extent, when we could, by sitting down on our feet, slide the whole length. The tops of the growth of wood were so thick and firm, as to bcar us currently, a considerable distance, before we arrived at the utmost boundaries, which were almost as well defined as the water on the shore of a pond. The tops of the wood, had the appearance of having been shorn off, exhibiting a smooth sur- face, from their upper limits, to a great distance down the mountain."
MS. of Dr. Cutler
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and bearing the appearance of a pafture, in the be- ginning of the winter fcafon. In fome openings, between the rocks, there are fprings of water, in others dry gravel. Here the grous or heath bird reforts, and is generally out of danger ; feveral of them were fhot by fome travellers in October, 1774. The extent of this plain is uncertain ; from the eaftern fide, to the foot of the pinnacle, or fugar- loaf, it is nearly level, and it may be walked over in lefs than an hour. The fugar loaf, is a pyrami- dal heap of grey rocks, which, in fome places, are formed like winding fteps. This pinnacle has been afcended in one hour and a half. The traveller having gained the fummit, is recompenfed for his toil, if the fky be ferene, with a moft noble and ex- tenfive profpect. On the S. E. fide, there is a view of the Atlantic ocean, the neareft part of which, is fixty-five miles, in a direct line. On the W. and N. the profpect is bounded by the high lands, which feparate the waters of Connecticut and Amarifcog- gin rivers, from thofe of Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence. On the fouth, it extends to the fouthern- moft mountains of New-Hampfhire, comprehend- ing a view of the Lake Winipifeogee. On every fide of thefe mountains, are long winding gullies, beginning at the precipice below the plain ; and
deepening in the defcent. In winter, the fnow lodges in thefe gullies ; and being driven, by the N. W. and N. E. wind, from the top, is deepeft in thofe which are fituated on the foutherly fide. It is obferved to lie longer in the fpring on the fouth, than on the N. W. fide, which is the cafe with many other hills in New-Hampfhire.
A ranging company, who afcended the higheft mountain, on the N. W. part, April 29th, 1725, found the fnow four feet deep on that fide ; the fum- mit was alınoft bare of fnow, though covered with
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HISTORY OF
white froft and ice, and a fmall pond of water, near the top, was hard frozen.
In 1774, fome men, who were making a road through the eaftern pafs of the mountain, afcended the mountain to the fummit, on the 6th of June, and on the fouth fide, in one of the deep gullies, found a body of fnow thirteen feet deep, and fo haid, as to bear them. On the 19th of the fame month, fome of the fame party afcended again, and in the fame fpot, the fnow was five feet deep. In the firft week of September, 1783, two men, who attempted to af- cend the mountain, found the bald top fo covered with fnow and ice, then newly formed, that they could not reach the fummit ; but this does not hap . pen every year fo foon ; for the mountain has been afcended as late as the firft week in October, when no fhow was upon it ; and though the mountains be- gin to be covered, at times, with fnow, as early as September, yet it goes off again, and feldom gets fix- ed till the end of October, or the beginning of No- vember ; but from that time it remains till July .* In the year !784, fnow was feen on the fouth fide of the largeft mountain, till the 12th of July ; in 1790, it lay till the month of Auguft.
* The following is a journal of the appearances of the mountain, in the autumnal months of 1784, observed by the Rev. Nr. Haven, of Rochester, whose house is in plais view of the south side of the mountain, distant about sixty miles.
Sept. 17 and 18, a N. E. storm of rain. - 20, Mountain appeared white. 22, Of a pale blue.
Oct. 3 and 4. Kain, succeeded by frost.
5, Mountain white.
8, Of a pale blue.
9, White at the west end,
10, White in the morning, most part blue P. M.
22 and 24, Blue.
28, White at the west end, the rest blue.
Nov. 2, A spot of white at the west end.
4, Uniformly white.
5, Very white.
From this time, to the 23d, when the weather was clear enough to see so far, the lower part of the mountain appeared very white ; the summit involved in squally clouds.
N. B. the west end is the highest part,
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During this period, of nine or ten months, the mountains exhibit more or lefs of that bright ap- pearance, from which they are denominated white. In the fpring, when the fnow is partly diffolved, they appear of a pale blue, ftreaked with white ; and after it is wholly gone, at the diftance of fixty miles, they are altogether of the fame pale blue, nearly approaching a fky colour ; while at the fame time, viewed at the diftance of eight miles or lefs, they appear of the proper colour of the rock. Thefe changes are obferved by the people who live within conftant view of them ; and from thefe facts and obfervations, it may with certainty be concluded, that the whitenefs of them is wholly caufed by the fnow, and not by any other white fubftance, for in fact, there is none. There are indeed in the fum- mer months, fome ftreaks, which appear brighter than other parts ; but thefe, when viewed attentive- ly with a telefcope, are plainly difcerned to be the edges or the fides of the long deep gullies, enlight- ened by the fun, and the dark parts are the fhaded. fides of the fame; in the courfe of a day, thefe fpots may be feen to vary, according to the pofition of the fun.
A company of gentlemen vifited thefe mountains in July, 1784, with a view to make particular ob- fervations on the feveral phenomena which might occur. It happened, unfortunately, that thick clouds covered the mountains almoft the whole time, fo that fome of the inftruments, which, with much labour, they had carried up, were rendered ufelefs. Thefe were a fextant, a telefcope, an inftru- ment for afcertaining the bearings of diftant objects, a barometer, a thermometer and feveral others for different purpofes. In the barometer, the mercury ranged at 22,6, and the thermometer flood at 44 degrees. It was their intention to have placed one
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HISTORY OF
of each at the foot of the mountain, at the fame time that the others were carried to the top, for the purpofe of making correfponding obfervations ; but they were unhappily broken in the courfe of the journey, through the rugged roads and thick woods ; and the barometer, which was carried to the fum- mit, had fuffered fo much agitation, that an allow- ance was neceffary to be made, in calculating the height of the mountain, which was computed in round numbers, at five thoufand and five hundred feet above the meadow, in the valley below, and · nearly ten thoufand feet above the level of the fea." They intended to have made a geometrical menfur- ation of the altitude ; but in the meadow, they could not obtain a bafe of fufficient length, nor fee the fummit of the fugar loaf ; and in another place, where thefe inconveniences were removed, they were prevented by the almoft continual obfcuration of the mountains, by clouds.
Their exercife, in afcending the mountain, was fo violent, that when Doctor Cutler, who carried the thermometer, took it out of his bofom, the mer- cury ftood at fever heat, but it foon fell to 44º, and by the time that he had adjufted his barometer and thermometer, the cold had nearly deprived him of the ufe of his fingers. On the uppermoft rock, the Rev. Mr. Little began to engrave the letters N. H. but was fo chilled with the cold, that he gave the inftruments to Col. Whipple, who finifhed the let- ters. Under a ftone, they left a plate of lead, on which their names were engraven. The fun fhone clear while they were paffing over the plain, but immediately after their arrival at the higheft fum-
* This computation was made by the Rev. Dr. Cutler. Subsequent observations and calculations have induced the author to believe the computation of his ingenious friend too moderate, and he is persuaded, that whenever the mountain can be measured . with the requisite precision, it will be found to exceed ten thousand feet, of perpendicu- lar altitude, above the level of the ocean.
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mit, they had the mortification to be inveloped in a denfe cloud, which came up the oppofite fide of the mountain. This unfortunate circumftance, pre- vonted their making any farther ufe of their inftru-
ments. Being thus involved, as they were defcend- ing from the plain, in one of the long, deep gullies, not being able to fee to the bottom, on a fudden, their pilot flipped, and was gone out of fight, though happily, without any other damage, than tearing his clothes. This accident obliged them to ftop. When they turned their eyes upward, they were aftonifhed at the immenfe depth and fteep- nefs of the place, which they had defcended by fixing their heels on the prominent parts of the rock, and found it impracticable to reafcend the fame way ; but having difcovered a winding gully, of a more gradual afcent, in this they got up to the plain, and then came down on the eaftern fide ; this deep gully, was on the S. E. From thefe circum- ftances, it may be inferred, that it is more practica- ble and fafe, to afcend or defcend on the ridges, than in the gullies of the mountain.
Thefe vaft and irregular heights, being copioufly replenifhed with water, exhibit a great variety of beautiful cafcades ; fome of which fall in a perpen- dicular fheet or fpout, others are winding and flop- ing, others fpread, and form a bafon in the rock, and then gufh in a cataract over its edge. A poet- ic fancy may find full gratification amidft thefe wild and rugged fcenes, if its ardor be not checked by the fatigue of the approach. Almoft every thing in na- ture, which can be fuppofed capable of infpiring ideas of the fublime and beautiful, is here realized, Aged mountains, ftupendous elevations, rolling clouds, impending rocks, verdant woods, chryftal ftreams, the gentle rill, and the roaring torrent, all confpire to amaze, to foothe and to enrapture.
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HISTORY OF
On the weftern part of thefe mountains is a pafs commonly called the notch, which, in the narroweff part, meafures but twenty-two feet, between two perpendicular rocks. From the height above it, a brook defcends, and meanders through a meadow. formerly a beaver pond. It is furrounded by rocks, which, on one fide, are perpendicular, and on the others, rife in an angle of forty-five degrees-a ftrik- ingly picturefque fcene ! This defile was known to the Indians, who formerly led their captives through it to Canada; but it had been forgotten or neglect- ed, till the year 1771, when two hunters paffed through it, and from their report, the proprietors of lands, on the northern parts of Connecticut river, formed the plan of a road through it, to the upper Cohos, from which it is diftant twenty-five miles. Along the caftern fide of the meadow, under the per- pendicular rock, is a caufeway, of large logs, funk into the mud by rocks, blown with gunpowder, from the mountain. On this foundation, is con- ftructed a road, which paffes through the narrow defile, at the fouth end of the meadow, leaving a paffage for the rivulet, which glides along the weft- ern fide. This rivulet, is the head of the river Saco ; and on the north fide of the meadow, at a little dif- tance, is another brook, which is the head of Amo- noofuck, a large branch of Connecticut river. The latitude of this place, is 44º 12', N.
The rivulet, which gives rife to Saco, defcends towards the fouth ; and at a little diftance from the defile, its waters are augmented by two ftreams from the left, one of which defcends in a trench of two feet wide, and is called the flume, from the near re- femblance which it bears to an artificial flume. O- ver thefe are thrown ftrong bridges ; and the whole conftruction of this road, is firm and durable ; much labour has been expended upon it, and the net pro-
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NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
ceeds of a confifcated eftate, were applied, to defray the expenfe. In the defsent, the pafs widens, and the ftream increafes ; but for eight or ten miles from the notch, the mountains on each fide are fo near, as to leave room only for the river and its intervales ; which are not more than half a mile wide. In the courfe of this defcent, feveral curious objects prefent themfelves to view. On the fide of one mountain, is a projection, refembling a thelf, on which fland four large fquare rocks, in a form refembling as many huge folio volumes. In two or three places, at immenfe heights, and perfectly inacceffible, ap- pear rocks, of a white and red hue, the furface of which is polifhed, like a mirror, by the conftant trickling of water over them. Thefe being expofed to the weft and fouth, are capable, in the night, of reflecting the moon and ftar beams to the wonder- ing traveller in the deep, dark valley below, and by the help of imagination, are fufficient to give rif. to the fiction of carbuncles.
To encompaf's thefe mountains as the roads are laid out, through the eaftern and weftern paffes, and round the northern fide of the whole clufter, it is neceffary to travel more than feventy miles, and to ford eight confiderable rivers, befide many fmaller ftreams. The diftance between the heads of rivers, which purfue fuch different courfes, from this im- menfe elevation, and which fall into the fea, fo ma- ny hundered miles afunder, is fo finall, that a trav- eller may, in the courfe of one day, drink the wa- ters of Saco, Amarifcoggin and Connecticut rivers. Thefe waters are all perfectly limpid and fweet, ex- cepting one brook, on the eaftern fide of Mount Wafhington, which has a faponaceous tafte, and is covered with a very thick and ftrong froth. It is faid, that there is a part of the mountain where the magenetic needle refufes to traverfe ; this is proba-
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HISTORY OF
bly caufed by a body of iron ore. It is alfo faid, that a mineral, fuppofed to be lead, has been dif- covered, near the eaftern pafs ; but that the fpot cannot now be found. What ftores the bowels of the mountains contain, time muft unfold ; all fearch- es for fubterraneous treafures, having hitherto prov- ed fruitlefs. The moft certain riches which they yield, are the frefhets, which bring down the foil, to the intervales below, and form a fine mould, pro- ducing, by the aid of cultivation, corn and herbage, in the mofl luxuriant plenty.
NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
CHA P. V.
Rivers and other Waters.
NATURE has formed fuch a connection between mountains and rivers, that in defcribing one, we are unavoidably led to fpeak of the other.
New-Hampshire is fo fituated, that five of the largeft rivers in New-England, either take their rife within its limits, or receive much of their water from its mountains. Thefe are the Connecticut, Amarifcoggin, Saco, Merrimack and Pafcataqua.
Connecticut river rifes in a ridge of mountains, which extend northeafterly, to the gulph of St. Law- rence. It has been furveyed, about twenty-five miles beyond the forty-fifth degree of latitude, to the fpring head of its northweftern branch. This river extends, on the weftern border of New-Hamp- fhire, about one hundred and feventy miles. Its general courfe, for the firft thirty miles, is fouth ; for the next thirty, fouthweft; for the next fifty, fouth-fouthweft; and for the remainder of its courfe, it inclines more to the fouth ; but there are numer- ous ferpentine curves, of almoft every direction, in the extent of thefe general lines. Befides many ftreams of lefs note, it receives, on its eaftern fide, feven very confiderable rivers ; upper Amonoofuck, Ifrael and John's rivers, lower Amonoofuck, Sugar river, Cold river and Afhuelot, all which originate within the limits of New-Hampfhire, on the weftern part of the height of land.
Amarifcoggin river, rifes near the end of the di- viding line, between New-Hampfhire and the old Province of Maine. The lake Umbagog, and fever-
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HISTORY OF
al fmaller ponds, flow into it. From that lake, the river runs in a fouthern direction, nearly parallel to Connecticut river, and diftant from it, about twen- ty-five miles ; but it is deeper, wider, and more rap- id. In croffing the country, from Canada, travellers have paffed Connecticut river, thinking it only a brook, and then ftriking on Amarifcoggin, have miftaken it for Connecticut, and followed its courfe, The miftake, however, may be difcovered, by ob- ferving, that after thefe rivers have run parallel about twenty miles, the inclination of Amarifcoggin, is to the eatt, and of Connecticut, to the welt. After Amarifcoggin begins to take an eafterly direction, it foon croffes the line, into the Province of Maine, and having watered a great extent of country, in which many new townthips are now fettling, it forms a junction with Kenebeck, and flows into the fea at Sagadahock. 1 :
The head of Saco river, is in the White moun- tains, at the weftern pafs, commonly called the notch ; near which, alfo, rifes the lower Amonoo- fuck, which runs wefterly, into Connecticut river. Saco takes a foutherly direction, down the moun- tain. A large branch of it, called Ellis river, rifes at the eaftern pais of the mountains, where alfo originates Peabody river, a branch of Amarifcoggin. The fountain heads of thefe two rivers are fo near, that a man may fet his foot in one, and reach, with his hand, to the other. In lefs than half a mile, fouth- ward from this fountain, a large ftream, which runs down the higheft of the White mountains, falls into Ellis river, and in about the fame diftance from this, another falls from the fame mountain ; the former of thofe ftreams is Cutler's river, the latter New river. - The New river firft made its appear- ance during a long rain, in October, 1775. It bore down many rocks and trees, forming a fcene of ru-
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in for a long courfe. It has ever fince been a con- ftant ftream, and where it falls into Ellis river, pre- fents to view a noble cafcade, of about one hundred feet, above which, it is divided into three ftreams, which iffue out of the bowels of the mountain. Sev- eral other branches of Saco river, fall from different parts of this immenfe clufter of mountains, and unite about twelve or fifteen miles from their fource, at the plain of Pigwacket. Thefe ftreams have a fteep defcent, and a rapid current, and the river Sa- co is obferved to rife and overflow very fuddenly, in a time of rain, and to fubfide as fuddenly, after the rain has ceafed. It paffes, in a very ferpentine courfe, through the townfhip of Conway, then croffes the line, into Brownfield and Friburg, and its courfe from thence to the fea, is about forty-five miles, foutheaft. It receives, on its weftern fide, two riv- ers, called the great and little Offapy ; the former of which, comes from a large pond, under a high mountain, both of which bear the fame name ; the latter flows out of a fmaller pond, on the divifion line, and falls into Saco river, about nine miles be- low the mouth of the other. In fome maps, the leffer Offapy is laid down as a branch of the great- er, but they are two diftinct branches of Saco river.
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