FORMER COURSES OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER 235 



Comparison of the middle and upper provinces shows that in the 

 former the valley is younger and deeper, suggesting a great change 

 in the history of the river. These facts, together with the peculiar 

 behavior of the river at the great bend near Gorham, where the 

 river turns abruptly from less resistant rocks into high mountains 

 of more resistant rocks, lead to the belief that the upper part of 

 the valley has been occupied much longer by the river and that 

 it formerly had another route to the sea. 



The lower province, extending from Bethel to tidewater at 

 Brunswick, is marked by broad valleys, low passes, and low, rounded 

 mountains. As the sea is approached the mountains disappear and 

 the hills are very low, with the exception of a few monadnocks. 

 The preglacial topography of the region near the mountains was in 

 late maturity and near the coast it was in old age. 



In the lower province the course of the river differs greatly from 

 its course in the other provinces in being very irregular, with many 

 sharp turns, as can be seen on the drainage map (Fig. i) or on the 

 topographic sheets. In this province the river descends 635 feet 

 in 98 miles or 6.5 feet per mile; but this descent consists of a number 

 of falls with quiet stretches between. The numerous sharp turns, 

 narrows and falls indicate that the present course of the river is 

 not normal, and lead one to look for a more direct route. 



The coastal province extends from the head of tidewater to 

 the open ocean and is characterized by drowned valleys and by 

 islands. In this province, about 8 miles below Brunswick, the 

 Androscoggin joins the Kennebec, with a retrograde course, that 

 is, the direction of the tributary is reversed in relation to the main 

 stream, the apex of the acute angle between the two streams point- 

 ing up the main stream. This abnormal junction of the two rivers 

 is good evidence that the Androscoggin is not here flowing in a 

 normal course. 



The higher ranges of the White Mountain system have a north- 

 east-southwest trend; but seaward from these ranges the ridges 

 have a north-south or northwest-southeast direction. This general 

 trend of the topography seaward from the mountains is well shown 

 by the numerous north-south elongated lakes, valleys, and ridges, 

 and the absence of similar features with an east- west trend. There- 



