28 Some Account of an Excursion to 



of the Ammonoosuck, upon the margin of the moun- 

 tain, and the wild Currant upon the ridges. The Cran- 

 berry I found almost beyond every other species of ve- 

 getation. It waa now in blossom. Several plants, whose 

 scientific names I have not been able to learn, and which 

 are not even known by common names to the people in 

 the neighbourhood, I have preserved with a view to for- 

 ward them to you, by the first opportunity. 



In ascending the mountain, after having passed the 

 forest-trees, we approached the second section of the 

 hill which comprises that portion of it which is covered 

 with Spruce and Fir, diminished down to a state of 

 shrubbery. These Shrubs are from one to four feet in 

 height: their limbs are thick and strong, in proportion 

 to their dwarf size. In some places our company 

 walked upon their bushy tops. In passing from the se- 

 cond to the third section, we arrived at a barren ledge 

 of rocks, overrun by a greyish kind of Moss, with occa- 

 sional interspersions of Mica, shining upon their sur- 

 face. To this Moss, and to the Mica in the composi- 

 tion of the rock, must be ascribed the colour of the 

 Hills, during the summer months, when they are viewed 

 by the distant mariner, as he sails along the Coast of 

 Maine. 



These three sections of Mount- Washington have 

 well-defined margins, which render them entirely dis- 

 tinct from each other. I found, however, several inter- 

 spersions of grass and of flowers, upon the southern 

 sides of ridges, beyond the second division of the moun- 

 tain, according to its vegetation. 



