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ei peaks above the Connecticut at Lancaster, are
as follows;
Mount' Adams, ... - 5,383 feet.
“ Jefferson, .... 5,281
“ Madison, - 5,039
“ Monroe, - 4,932
“ Franklin,- ... 4,470
“ Pleasant, .... 4,339
Mount Adams is known bv its sharp termina-
ting peak, and being the sgcond N. of Washing-
ton. Jefferson is situated between these two.
Madison is the eastern peak of the range. Won-
rods the first to the S. of Washington trank-
lin is the second S. and is known by its level sur-
face. Pheasant is known by its conical shape,
and being the third S. of Washington. In pas-
sing from the Notch to the highest summit, the
traveller crosses the summits of Mounts Pleasant,
Franklin and Monroe. In accomplishing this, he
must pass through a forest, and cross several ra-
vines. These are neither wide nor deep, nor are
they discovered at a great distance ; for the trees
fill them up exactly even with the mountain on
each side, and their branches interlock with each
other in such a manner, that it is very difficult to
pass through them, and they are so stiff and thick
as almost to support a man’s weight. Mount
Pleasant is easily ascended. Its top, to the ex-
tent of 5 or 6 acres, is smooth, and gradually
slopes away in every direction from its centre.
It even has a verdant appearance, as it is every
where covered with short grass, which grows in
little tufts to the height of four or five inches.
Among these tufts, mountain flowers are thinly
scattered, which add life and beauty to the scene.
The prospect from this summit is beautiful: to
the N. the eye is dazzled with the splendour of
Mount Washington ; N. W7. are seen the settle-
ments in Jefferson; W. the courses of the
Amonoosuck, as though delineated on a map; S.
W. the Mooslielock and Haystack are discovered ;
S. Chocorua peak,; S. E. the settlement and
mountains in Bartlett; E. only dark mountains
and forests.
On descending this mountain, a small patch of
water is found at it.s base : from which the as-
cent is gradual to the summit of Mount Franklin.
After crossing this mountain, you pass over tbe
E. pinnacle of Mount Monroe, and soon find
yourself on aqflain of some extent, at the foot of
Mount Washington. Here is a fine resting-place,
on the margin of a beautiful sheet of water, of
an oval form, covering about 3-4 of an acre.
The waters are pleasant to the taste, and deep.
Not a living creature is to be seen in the waters,
at this height on the hills ; nor do vegetables of
any kind grow in or around them, to obscure the
clear rocky or gravelly bottom on which they
rest. A small spring discharges itself into this
pond at its south-east angle. Another pond, of
about 2-3 its size, liesN. W. of this. Directly
before you, the pinnacle of Mount Washington
rises with majestic grandeur, like an immense pyr-
amid, or some vast Kremlin in this magnificent
city of mountains. The pinnacle is elevated
about 1,500 feet above the plain, and is composed
principally of huge rocks of granite and gneiss
piled together, presenting a variety of colors and
forms. In ascending, you must pass enormous
masses of loose stones; but a walk of half an
hour will generally carry you to the summit.
The view from this point is wonderfully grand
and picturesque. Innumerable mountains, lakes,
ponds rivers towns and villages meet the delight-
ed eye, and the dim Atlantic stretches its waters |
along the eastern horizon. To the N. is seen the
lofty summits of Adams and Jefferson ; and to
the east a little detached from the range stands
Mount Madison. Mount Washington is support-
ed on the N. by a high ridge, which extends to
Mount Jefferson ; on the N. E. by a large grassy
plain, terminating in a vast spur extending far
away in that direction ; E. by a promontory,
which breaks off abruptly at St. Anthony’s Nose :
S. and S. E. by a grassy plain, in summer, of
more than 40 acres.
At the southeastern extremity of this plain, a
ridge commences, which slopes gracefully away
towards the vale of the Saco ; upon which at short
distances from each other, arise rocks, resembling,
in some places, towers ; in others representing
the various orders of architecture. It would be
vain in us to attempt a description of the varied
wonders which here astonish and delight the be
holder. To those who have visited these moun-
tains, our descriptions would be tame and unin-
teresting ; and he who has never ascended their
hoary summits, cannot realize the extent and mag-
nificence of the scene. These mountains are
decidedly of primitive formation. Nothing of
volcanic origin has ever yet been discovered on
the most diligent research. They have for ages,
probably, exhibited the same unvarying aspect.
No minerals are here found of much rarity or
value. The rock which most abounds, is schistus,
intermixed with greenstone, mica, granite and
gneiss. The three highest peaks are. composed
entirely of fragments of rocks heaped together in
confusion, but pretty firmly fixed in their situa-
tions.
During nine or ten months of the year, the
summits of the mountains are covered with snow
and ice, giving them a bright and dazzling ap-
pearance. On every side are long and winding
gullies, deepening in their descent to the plains
below. Here some of the finest rivers of New
England originate. The Saco flows from the E
side of the mountains ; tiie brandies of the Arae-
riseoggin from the N. ; the Amonoosuck and
other tributaries of the Connecticut from the W.;
and the Pemigewasset from the S., i% fountain
being near that of the Saco. The sides of the
hills are in many parts covered with soil; but
this is very superficial in all cases, and every
spot, that can be reached by running water, is
left destitute of every thing but rocks and pebbles,
of which likewise the river-bottoms are exclu-
sively composed. In these cold and elevated re-
gions, the period for the growth of vegetables is
extremely brief; the mountains must be forevei
sterile. Moss and lichens may be found near the
summits, but of meagre and scanty growtlixe2x80x94look
ing as if they had wandered from their proper
'zone below, into these realms of barren desola
tion.
The Notch of the White Mountains, is a name
appropriated to a very narrow defile extending
two miles in length between two huge cliffs ap-
parently rent asunder by some vast convulsion
of nature, probably that of the deluge. The en-
trance of the chasm is formed by two rocks stand-
ing perpendicular art the distance of 22 feet from
each other; one about 20 feet in height, the oth-
er about 12. The road from Lancaster to Port-
land passes through this notch, following the
course of the head stream of the Saco. The
scenery at this place is exceedingly beautiful and
grand. The mountain otherwise a continued |
