28 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



Falls between St. John's and Chamble, 



estimated, - - . . 40 



Descent of the water from the bason of 

 Chamble to Quebec, a distance of one 

 hundred and eighty miles, estimated 

 at twelve inches to a mile, - - 180 

 Admitting the waters of the river St. Law- 

 rence at Quebec, to be of the same level as the 

 sea, the altitude of Kellington Peak, by these 

 measures and computations, is 3454 feet above 

 the level of the ocean. The altitude at which 

 a perpetual congelation takes place in this lati- 

 tude (43 degrees 30 minutes) is about 8066 

 feet above the level of the sea. This is proba- 

 bly four fifths of a mile higher than the tops of 

 our highest mountains.* But although they 



* Mount Blanc in Savoy, is the highest mountain in Europe, and 

 probably the highest in the other hemisphere. In 1787 its altitude wa* 

 found by M. de Saussure to be 15,673 English feet above the level of 

 the sea. In the southern parts of America, M. Bougucr found the high- 

 est part of the Cordilleras, to be 20,590 feet in height ; this is the high- 

 est ofany upon the globe. In Virginia, according to Mr. Jefferson, the 

 mountains of the Blue ridge, and of these the Peaks of Otter, arc thought 

 to be of the greatest height, measured from their base. " From data," 

 saith he, " xvhich may found a tolerable conjecture, we suppose the 

 highest peak to be about 4000 feet perpendicular." (Notes on Virginia, 

 Pkila. Edit. p. 18.) The white mountain* in the northeasterly part of 

 Newhampshirc, are generally esteemed to be the highest lands in New- 

 cngland. Their altitude has not been determined by geometrical men- 

 «uration, but there is one circumstance attending their phenomena, 

 Tvhich may serve to denote their altitude, with much probability. From 

 the observations which have been made of their tops, it appears that the 

 altitude of the highest of the white mountains, is below the point of 

 perpetual congelation. On June 19, 1774, on the south side, in one of 

 the gullies, the snow was five feet deep. On September 1,1783, the top» 

 «f the mountain was covered with ice and snow, newly formed. In 1784, 

 snow was seen on the south side of the largest mountain, until July I2th. 

 In 1790, the snow lay until the month of August. In general, the moun- 

 tuin begins to be covered with snow as early as September ; but it goes off 

 again, and seldom becomes fixed until the end of October, or the begin- 

 ning of November : But from that time, it remains until July. (Belknap's 

 Hist. Newhampshire, 3.46,47.) From these observations it is apparent, 

 that the white mountains rise nearly to the lineof perpetual congelation 

 in that latitude, but do not fully come up to it. These mountains are ia 

 tJie latitude of44 degrees 15 minutes north. The line of perpetual conge- 

 latiou in that latitude^ a deduced from the observations which have b€c« 



