F. GEOGRAPHY. 151 



ASCENT OF MOUNT SEWARD. 



The report of an ascent of Mount Seward, one of the Adi- 

 rondack chain, and the barometric determination of its height, 

 has recently been published by Mr. Verplanck Colvin, in the 

 twenty-fourth annual report of the New York State Museum 

 of Natural History. The report of Professor Emmons, of the 

 geological survey of the state, made many years ago, esti- 

 mates its height at 5100 feet above the tide ; but as this was 

 entirely conjectural, it was considered desirable to have the 

 question decided by careful observations. The peak in ques- 

 tion is on the most southern boundary of Franklin County, 

 about latitude 44 10' and longitude 74. It is in the nei^h- 

 borhood of Mount Marcy, the height of which has been de- 

 termined at 5467 feet, and which is the crowning peak of the 

 Adirondack series. 



The ascent took place in October, 18*70, and, after various 

 adventures, the top was reached. The observations made 

 with the barometer were carefully discussed by Professor 

 Hough, of the Dudley Observatory, who found the height 

 above the tide-water to be 4462 feet, this being considerably 

 less than the original estimate. Mr. Colvin closes his report 

 by some timely remarks upon the importance of preventing 

 the farther destruction of the forests of the Adirondack wil- 

 derness. He calls to mind the fact that, year by year, the 

 water supply of the principal rivers of New York, and her 

 canals, experience notable diminution, and sees in this the re- 

 sult of the clearing of the slopes of the high mountains of 

 Central New York, and looks forward to the time when, if 

 this action is not checked, the Hudson will cease to be navi- 

 gable more than half way to Albany, and other streams will 

 suffer in proportion. 



To any one who has been in the Adirondack wilderness 

 the reasoning of Mr. Colvin is perfectly intelligible, as its 

 whole hill-surface is seen to be an enormous sponge, the moss 

 being in some places several feet in depth, which, protected 

 by the forest vegetation above it, holds the water as it falls 

 in the wet season, and gives it out gradually and equally in 

 the dry. With the removal of the trees this moss dries up 

 and disappears, leaving nothing but the bare rock which lies 

 immediately subjacent; and in this case the falling rains 



