66 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



feet, slide the whole length. The tops of the growth of wood were so 

 thick and firm as to bear us currently a considerable distance before we 

 arrived at the utmost boundaries, which were almost as well defined as 

 the water on the shore of a pond. The tops of the wood had the appear- 

 ance of having been shorn off, exhibiting a smooth surface from their 

 upper limits for a great distance down the mountain." " On the upper- 

 most rock" the letters "N. H." were engraved ; and a plate of lead bearing 

 the names of the party was deposited under a stone. 



The route by which Cutler and his party reached the mountain is prob- 

 ably indicated by the stream which bears his name in Bigelow's narrative. 

 "In less than half a mile southward from this fountain," that is, of Ellis 

 river, at the height of land between the Saco and the Androscoggin, in 

 Pinkham woods, "a large stream, which runs down the highest of the 

 White Mountains, falls into Ellis river; and, in about the same distance 

 from this, another falls from the same mountain. The former of these 

 streams is Cutler's river, the latter New river." This name is said to 

 have been applied to the stream at Dr. Cutler's express wish. 



A "Second Scientific Visit" was made in 1804 by Dr. Cutler, who was 

 accompanied by W. D. Peck, afterwards professor of natural history at 

 Cambridge, Mass. Barometrical observations made on this occasion, and 

 computed by Mr. Bowditch, gave to Mt. Washington an elevation of 7,055 

 feet above the sea. A collection of the Alpine plants was made by Dr. 

 Peck, and was afterwards seen by Mr. Pursh, in whose " Flora of North 

 America," printed in 18 14, many of the most interesting species were 

 described. Naturalists soon began to give special attention to the 

 peculiar Arctic flora and fauna of these mountains. A quite complete 

 enumeration and description of the ph?enogamous plants, together with a 

 statement of much concerning their mineralogy and zoology appeared in 

 Dr. Bigelow's "Account of the White Mountains of New Hampshire," 

 published in 18 16, from explorations made during the same season. Dr. 

 Francis Boott, Mr. Francis C. Gray, and the venerable Chief Justice Shaw 

 were members of this party. The barometrical observations which they 

 obtained gave 6,225 f ee t above the sea. This visit was made in June ; and 

 Dr. Boott made a second visit the succeeding month, adding a considera- 

 ble number of species to the botanical collections. The ascent was from 

 the eastern pass, following Cutler's river. In 18 19, Abel Crawford opened 



