82 Dr. Dawson on the Flora 



age, the opposite White Mountain group. The Appalachian 

 range is thus in this part of its course, supported on either side by 

 outliers higher than itself. 



My present purpose is not to give a general geographical or 

 geological sketch of the White Mountains, but to direct attention 

 to the vegetation which clothes their summits, and its relation to 

 the history of the mountains themselves. For this purpose I may 

 first shortly describe the appearances presented in ascending the 

 highest of them, Mount Washington, and then turn to the special 

 points to which these notes relate. 



In approaching Mount Washington by the Grand Trunk Rail- 

 way, the traveller has ascended from the valley of the St. Law- 

 rence to a height of 802 feet at the Alpine House at Gorham. 

 Thence in a distance of about 8 miles along the bank of the Pea- 

 body River, to the Glen House, he ascends to the elevation of 

 1632 feet above the sea ; and it is here or immediately opposite 

 the Glen House, that the actual ascent begins. The distance 

 from the Peabody River, opposite the hotel, to the summit is 

 nine miles, and in this distance we ascend 4656 feet, the total 

 height being 6288 feet above the sea.* Formerly only a bridle 

 path led up this ascent ; but last year a regularly| graded and ad- 

 mirably finished carriage road was opened, by which visitors can 

 drive comfortably to the top and back without any of the fatigue 

 formerly experienced. This enterprise, almost |Worthy of com- 

 parison with the great roads over the passes of fthe^Alps, was un- 

 dertaken several years ago by a joint-stock company, and has at 

 length been finished, at a cost, T believe, of $40,000, the interest 

 on which it is hoped will be paid by the tolls levied on travellers, 

 whose annual numbers are estimated at about 5000 for this road* 

 This royal road to the summit is however by|far too democratic 

 for the taste of some visitors, who mourn the olden days^of po- 

 nies, guides, and adventures ; and though it gives an excellent 

 view of the geological structure of the mountain, it does^not afford 

 a good opportunity for the study of the alpine flora, which is one 

 of the chief attractions of Mount Washington. For this reason^ 

 though I availed myself of the new road for gaining a general 

 idea of the features of the group, I determined to ascend by 

 Tuckerman's ravine, a great chasm in the mountain side, named 

 in honour of the indefatigable botanist of the North American 



* According to Guyot, but some recent surveys make it^a^little higher j 



