117 



Meeting near "Ship Rock" in Peabody, 



Wednesday, August 2, 1871. 



the ramble. 



Contiguous to the northwestern boundary of Salem 

 is a considerable territory lying within the townships of 

 Lynn, Peabody, and Lynnfield, sparsely inhabited, diver- 

 sified in surface, and largely covered with a good growth 

 of forest trees, varieties of the pine and of the oak pre- 

 dominating, though specimens of the maples, ashes, wal- 

 nuts, elms, birches, etc., are found. Numerous boulders, 

 varying in size and position, are scattered around, giving 

 evidence of having been brought during the glacial 

 period. A careful examination of them, together with the 

 other rocks in situ, is worthy the consideration of the 

 geologists. 



The southeastern portion of this region, formerly 

 known by the name of ''The Rocks," recently by the 

 more euphonious one of "Rockville," was selected for 

 the ramble this day. A small chapel near by, in part 

 sustained as a mission chapel by the First church in Pea- 

 bod}', was kindly tendered to the Institute as the place of 

 rendezvous and for the afternoon session. 



This region is a favorite resort to the student of nature 

 and the lover of the picturesque. To them the varied 

 surface and diversity of soil furnish specimens to investi- 

 gate and views of great beauty to stud}' and admire. A 

 scramble up some of the hillsides among the lichen cov- 

 ered rocks, the gnarled trunks and the twining vines, is 

 well repaid by an extensive prospect, comprising the sur- 

 rounding country dotted with villages and isolated farm 

 buildings, and the distant ocean whitened with the sails 

 of numerous vessels and occasionally darkened by the 

 cloud of smoke from a passing steamer. 



