RIVER LIFE, 227 



CHAPTER V. 



Length of Kennebcck. — Moose-head Lake — Its peculiar Shape — Its Islands. 

 — Burned Jacket. — Interesting Deposit. — Mount Kineo. — The Prospect 

 from its Summit. — Moose River. — Old Indian. — The Banks of the Kenne- 

 beck. — Beauties of the Country, &c. — Lumber on Dead River. — Falls at 

 Waterville. — Skowhegan Falls. — Arnold's Encampment. — Nau-lau-chu- 

 wak. — Caritunk Falls. — Lumber. — Statistics. — Author's Acknowledg- 

 ments. — Androscoggin — Course and other Peculiarities. — A question of 

 Rivalry. — Water Power. — Original Indications. — Interesting Sketch of 

 Rumford Falls. — Estimated Water Power. — Lumber Statistics. — Droughts 

 and Freshets. — Umbagog Lake. — The serpentine Megalloway. — Granite 

 Mountains. — Beautiful Foliage. — Romantic Falls. — Character of Country. 

 — Manner of Life in Log-cutting, &c. — Statistics, &c. — Presumpscot Riv- 

 er, great Water-powers of. — Warmth of Water. — Statistical Remarks. — 

 Saco River. 



The beautiful Kennebeck lies about sixty miles west of the 

 PeiTobscot River, running from north to south, nearly parallel 

 with the latter, constituting one of those great marks of designa- 

 tion which divide the state longitudinally into three sections 

 south of the 4Gth degree of north latitude to the sea-coast inclu- 

 sive. 



The Kennebeck takes its rise in the southwest section of Moose- 

 head Lake (according to Mitchel's Atlas), so called, probably, 

 from the near resemblance it has, with its numerous coves, arms, 

 and bays, to the branchy horns of the moose. As laid dowTi on 

 some maps, particularly on the map of the Eastern States in 

 Smith's Atlas, published by J. Paine, of Hartford, it requires but 

 a small exercise of the imagination to see in its outlines the form 

 of an immense animal, making the portage from the mouth of the 

 St. Lawrence to the Atlantic Ocean with fearful strides of fifteen 

 miles each. The figure of the lake, as laid down on Mitchel's 



