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."* 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 " Muscovy glass," 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, " caused divers others to 

 travel thither, but they found nothing worth their pains." 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. " 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, Sec. 

 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." 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 "two valleys filled with snow." The summit of this spur brought 



* Winthrop, N. E., by Savage, ii., p. 67. f Winthrop, ii. p. 89. 



