of New Hampshire. 3/ 



the Ellis for one of its principal branches called Cutler's river, 

 leading directly towards the principal summit. After climbing 

 by the side of this stream for a considerable distance, the trees 

 of the forest around us began to diminish in height, and we found 

 ourselves at the second zone or region of the mountain. This 

 region is entirely covered with a thick low growth of evergreens, 

 principally the black spruce and silver fir, which rise to about 

 the height of a man's head, and put out numerous, strong, ho- 

 rizontal branches, which are closely interwoven >vith each other, 

 and surround the mountain witii a formidable hedge, a quarter 

 of a mile in thickness. This zone of evergreens has always con- 

 stituted one of the most serious difficulties in the ascent of the 

 White Hills. The passage through t!icm is now much facilitated 

 by a path cut by the direction of Colonel Gibbsj who ascended 

 the mountain some years since. 



On emerging from this thicket, the barometer stood at 25,93, 

 giving our elevation al)ove the sea at -4,443 feet. We were now 

 above all woods, and at the foot of what is called the bald part 

 of the mountain. It rose before us wiih a steepness surpassing 

 that of any ground we had passed, and presented to view a huge, 

 dreary, irregular pile of dark naked roiks. 



We crossed a plain or gentle slope, of a ([uarter of a mile, and 

 began to climb upon the side. There was here a continued and 

 laborious ascent of half a mile, which must be performed by cau- 

 tiously stepping from one rock to another, as they present them- 

 selves like irregnhir stairs, winding on the broken surface of the 

 mountain. In the interstices of these rocks were occasional 

 patches of dwarfish fir and spruce, and beautiful tufts of small 

 alpine shrubs, then in full flower. 



Having surmounted this height, wc found ourselves on a se- 

 cond plain. This, like the first, was covered with withered grass 

 and a few tufts of flowers. Its continuity is interrupted by se- 

 veral declivities, one of which we descended to our left, to reach 

 a brook that crosses it liere from the rocks above. There re- 

 mained now to jje ascended oidy the principal peak; the one 

 designated in Winthro|)'s Journal l)y tlie name of tiie sufrar-lonf, 

 and in Belknap's New Hampshire by the name of Mount Wash- 

 ington. This we accomplished in half an hour, by climbing 

 the ridge to the north of it, and walking on this ridge to the 

 summit. 



If the traveller could h<i transported at once to the lop of this 

 mountain, from the country below, he would no doubt be asto- 

 nished and delighted at the magnitutie of his elevation, at the 

 extent and variety of the surrounding scenery, and above all, by 

 the huge and desolate pile of rocks, extending to a great distance 

 C3 ia 



