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Chesterfield, Essex co., on the W. side of Lake
Champlain, and 8 miles E. of Keesville village.
Port Genesee, N. Y. See Charlotte.
Port Neuf River, On. A small stream flowing
W. and emptying into the Lewis Fork of Colum-
bia River, a little below Fort Hall.
Potato River, Midland co., Mn. A small stream
flowing E. into Saginaw Bay.
Poteau River, As., rises in Scott co., flows W.
and then N., mostly in the In. Ter., and falls into
the Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Potomac River forms the S. boundary of Mary-
land through its whole course, dividing it from
Virginia. It rises by two main branches in the
Alleghany Mts., called the N. branch and the S.
branch ; and also receives numerous other streams
from the same elevated regions, which are among
its more distant sources. The course of the two
main branches is N. E. at first, until the N. branch
passes Cumberland, where it is inflected to the S.
E., and breaks through several ridges of elevated
lands into the valley of the S. branch, and forms
a junction with it. The latter, if estimated by its
length, and the extent of the area drained into its
channel, must be regarded as the main branch, al-
though it is to the N. branch that the name of the
Potomac has been distinctively applied. The
river now pursues a N. E. course, breaking through
another mountain chain, until it reaches its most
N. latitude at Hancock's Town, where it is again
inflected to the S. E., which direction it generally
pursues to its entrance into Chesapeake Bay.
About 40 miles below Hancock's Town, the Po-
tomac, after receiving the Shenandoah from the
S., which brings in a volume of water nearly
equal to that of the principal river, breaks through
the Blue Ridge at Harper's Ferry. The Shenan-
doah is the longest branch of the Potomac. Its
remotest sources are in Augusta co., Va., and its
general course is N., and nearly parallel to the
W. base of the Blue Ridge, for a distance of about
130 miles, till it unites with the Potomac, having
found this remarkable passage through the moun-
tains. The bold scenery at this pass has been
justly admired as among the finest natural curi-
osities of the country. The level, at low water,
at the junction of the''two rivers, is 288 feet above
tide water. The upper valley of the Potomac,
between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghany Mts.,
including that of the Shenandoah, is in length
about 160 miles, with a mean breadth of 50 miles,
embracing an area of 8000 square miles. Having
passed the Blue Ridge, the Potomac continues S.
E. about 50 miles to the lower falls, and the head
of tide water, at Georgetown. It soon attains the
dimensions of a large navigable river. It is a
mile and a quarter wide, and 18 feet deep at Al-
exandria, which is nearly 300 miles from the
ocean, and is navigable for ships of the line to
the navy yard at Washington. The circuitous
course of its tide water channel renders the navi-
gation of the Potomac Bay somewhat tedious,
though it is in all parts easy and safe. Its gen-
eral course, for many miles, is nearly the same
with that of the Chesapeake Bay, with which it
finally unites, by a mouth 10 miles wide and 42
feet deep. Combining the two sections of the
Potomac valley, above and below the Blue Ridge,
the whole basin embraces an area of about 13,000
square miles, which is a region of great interest,
both in physical and political geography. Its en-
tire length is about 600 miles. Above tide water
there are three points where are considerable
falls. The principal towns and cities on this river
are Port Tobacco, Alexandria, Washington,
Georgetown, Harper's Ferry, and Cumberland.
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Pottier's Point, Vt. This point is situated on
the W. side of Shelburne, 2 miles 182 rods from
the S. wharf in Burlington. It took its name
from John Pottier, the first settler upon it, but is
often called Shelburne Point.
Poultney River rises in Vt., flows in a W. direc-
tion, forming the boundary between New York and
Vermont for some distance, and falls into the head
of Lake Champlain.
Powder River, On., rises among the Blue Mts.,
and flows N. E. into the Lewis Fork of Columbia
River.
PoweWs Point, Currituck co., N. C. A point
of land projecting into Albemarle Sound, between
Currituck Sound on the E. and North River on
the W.
Powel's River, Va., has its source in Powel's
Mt., and, passing into Te., unites with Clinch
River, 38 miles N. E. of Knoxville. It is boata-
ble nearly 100 miles.
Powow Hill, Salisbury, Ms. Height 328 feet.
Powow River, N. H. and Ms., has its principal
source in Great and Country Ponds, in Kingston,
N. H., and passes over the S. W. part of E. Kings-
ton into South Hampton ; thence into Amesbury,
Ms., where it turns E. into South Hampton again,
and returns into Amesbury, falling into the Mer-
rimack between Salisbury and Amesbury. There
are several falls in this river, those in Amesbury
being the most remarkable, the water falling 100
feet in the distance of 50 rods.
Prairie Creek, Io. A small head stream of the
Macoquetais River, which it enters in Delaware co.
Prairie Creek, Io. A S. branch of the Maco-
quetais River, which it enters in Jackson co.
Prairie River, Mn. This stream rises in a small
lake in the N. E. part of la., flows N. W. across
Branch and St. Joseph's counties, Mn., and emp-
ties into St. Joseph River.
Presque Isle River, Mn. This river rises in
many small lakes on the boundary between Mn.
and Wn., flows N. N. W., and empties into Lake
Superior.
Preston Lake, Ma. Situated near the Sioux
River, and S. W. from Lake Poinsett.
Presumpscut River, Cumberland co., Me., the
outlet of Sebago Lake, falls into Casco Bay at
Falmouth, 6 miles N. of Portland.
Prince's Bay, N. Y., lying on the S. E. side of
Staten Island, is famous for its oysters, which
are very abundant and of a fine quality.
Profile Mountain, N. H. Dr. Jackson, in his
celebrated work on the Geology of New Hamp-
shire, thus describes this curious specimen of the
works of nature: “ The profile is produced by
the irregular jutting out of five blocks of granite,
giving the effect of the stern visage of an old
man looking over the deep valley below, and
having so strong a likeness to a human face as
to be regarded as an object of wonder and ad-
miration, worthy of a visit1 from travellers. It
has been declared to be one of the greatest nat-
ural curiosities of the state. It is said that the
view of the profile is lost when the mountain
is approached, as it is also by a considerable
change in the point of view on the road, the
best spot to see it to advantage being where the
guide-board directs the traveller's attention to it."
Prospect Hill, Waltham, Ms. Height 482 feet.
Prospect Hill, Hingham, Ms. Height 243 feet |
