6O PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



the north side was such a precipice as they could scarce discern to 

 the bottom. They had neither cloud nor wind on the top, and moderate 

 heat. * * * About a month after he went again, with five or six in 

 his company.&quot;* The appearance of the mountains is thus seen to have 

 been the same two hundred years ago as now ; but besides this descrip 

 tion, Field brought back a glowing account of precious stones, &c., and 

 even of sheets of &quot; Muscovy glass,&quot; or mica, forty feet long ! The enumer 

 ation of these wonders was probably employed to collect the party for his 

 second expedition. 



This inducement, also, says the historian, &quot; caused divers others to 

 travel thither, but they found nothing worth their pains.&quot; Of these are 

 particularly mentioned Thomas Gorges and Mr. Vines, two magistrates 

 of the province of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who went about the end of 

 August of the same year. &quot; They went up Saco River in birch canoes, 

 and that way they found it 90 miles to Pegwaggett, an Indian town; 

 but by land it is but 60. Upon Saco River they found many thousand 

 acres of rich meadow; but there are 10 falls, which hinder boats, &c. 

 From the Indian town they went up hill (for the most part) about 30 

 miles in woody lands. They then went about 7 or 8 miles upon shattered 

 rocks, without tree or grass, very steep all the way. At the top is a 

 plain about 3 or 4 miles over, all shattered stones ; and upon that is 

 another rock or spire, about a mile in height, and about an acre of ground 

 at the top. At the top of the plain arise four great rivers ; each of them 

 so much water at the first issue as would drive a mill : Connecticut 

 River from two heads at the N. W. and S. W., which join in one about 

 60 miles off ; Saco River on the S. E. ; Amascoggin, which runs into 

 Casco Bay, at the N. E. ; and Kennebeck at the N. by E. The moun 

 tain runs E. and W. thirty miles, but the peak is above all the rest. 

 They went and returned in 1 5 days.&quot; f 



The route taken by Field, and probably -by the other explorers also, 

 lay from the Saco up Ellis river nearly to its source, and thence up the 

 great ridge south-east of Mt. Washington, known as Boott s Spur. 

 Tuckerman s ravine and Oakes s gulf, on either hand, are recognized as 

 the &quot;two valleys filled with snow.&quot; The summit of this spur brought 



* Wint^rop, N. E., by Savn S e, ii., p. 67. f Winthrop, ii. p. 89. 



