SCENOGRAPHICAL GEOLOGY. 587 



in motion ; fourth, forests and vegetation in all stages of being, whether 

 the trees clothed in verdure, or painted brilliantly as the leaf is about to 

 die, or the diversely colored vegetation of swamps and alpine regions; 

 fifth, the effect of the sky, whether clear, or variously decked with clouds ; 

 sixth, the position of the sun and moon, perhaps producing shadows or 

 showy prisms of color to brighten the scene. To consider all these ele 

 ments would be inappropriate for this volume ; and I shall chiefly confine 

 myself to the first one mentioned, and point out several of the ways by 

 which the shapes of our mountains and hills have been modified by geo 

 logical agencies. I have given a large number of views of landscapes in 

 the volume, and will describe such as are specially pertinent. At the 

 end of the chapter is appended a list of the sketches given in this report, 

 which illustrate the various phases of the subject. Descriptions of the 

 charms of sunset, cloud effects, light and shade, the myriad tints of veg 

 etation, the varied colors of the hills, and the brilliant hues of autumn, 

 need not be looked for. Fortunately, those who desire to read such 

 sketches will find in Starr King s WJiite Hills ample treasures of this 

 kind of word-painting. 



The only other important work upon the scenery of the White Mountains was pre 

 pared by William Oakes, of Ipswich, Mass., in 1848, with sixteen folio lithographs, 

 after drawings by Isaac Sprague. Only a few copies were published, and very few 

 persons have seen the book. Mr. Oakes was an eminent botanist, and enthusiasti 

 cally interested in everything pertaining to the White Mountains. Except for the 

 accident which closed his career, he would have done much more for our scenery. 

 First, are four pages of text devoted to a general notice of the scenery ; and then 

 each plate has about a page of explanation inserted before it. Later writers have 

 drawn freely upon Oakes s material. There are heliotypes in this report correspond 

 ing to nearly every one of these drawings of Mr. Sprague. They miss, however, the 

 unusually careful copying of the trees and plants in which Oakes was so well versed. 

 Many of our alpine plants were first discovered, and now bear the scientific names 

 imposed by him. 



The following are the subjects of Oakes s volume : 



Plate i. The White Mountains, from the Gianfs grave, in front of the present 

 Fabyan house. Essentially this view appears in Fig. 25, and in the heliotype taken 

 from the Fabyan turnpike. The ravines on Mt. Pleasant and towards Washington are 

 delineated with great truthfulness. 



Plate 2, Mt. Crawford, with the Mt. Crawford house, kept by Abel Crawford, in the 

 foreground. This is the same with our view having Dr. Bemis s new residence in the 

 foreground . 



