244 On a Rocking Stone in Durham^ N. Hampshire. 



"In the town of Durham" says Dr. Morse, "is a rock 

 computed to weigh sixty or seventy tons. It lies so exact- 

 ly poised on another rock, as to be easily moved with one 

 finger." Curiosities of this kind naturally excite attention, 

 and from their rare occurrence, seem to merit a particular 

 description ; for were they the works of art, we should be 

 surprised at the human ingenuity which could adjust the 

 mighty balance; and as works o{ nature, they do not fail to 

 excite our admiration. The rock at Durham is a detached 

 block of coarse granite, of about fifteen feet in diameter on 

 the top, and nearly round ; and averaging about seven feet 

 in thickness. It is situated on a rise of ground in the south- 

 erly part of the town, and in the neighborhood of a chain of 

 granite ledges, which extend through the town and appear 

 to be of primitive formation. The owner of this rock is a 

 man nearly eighty years of age, who was born and always 

 resided in the vicinity. At the age of twenty^four he came 

 into possession of the farm upon which the rock is situated, 

 and has since lived about fifty rods from it. He states, that 

 formerly the wind would move the rock, and that its vibra- 

 tions thus occasioned could be plainly seen at some distance. 

 It was always easily moved with the hand, until some three 

 or four years since, a party of gentlemen from Portsmouth 

 visited it, and after several hours of labor, succeeded in 

 moving it from its balance with levers. It was a barbarous 

 curiosty, of which it is hoped the persons concerned are now 

 ashamed! The rock cannot now be moved; although, in 

 looking at it on the sides marked 1 and 2 in the following 

 plan, a person would be led to think otherwise. 



The left hand bottom figure (See the plate at the end,) 

 represents the rock at Durham as it now lies, thrown to the 

 right from its equipoise, and resting on two points. It also 

 presents the side marked 3. The figures 1 and 2. present 

 views of the sides thus marked, in the figure first mentioned. 

 The figure 4 represents the surface of the rock, fifteen feet 

 in diameter, nearly round. The weight of this stone prob- 

 ably approaches the estimate of Dr. Morse- 



Besides this, I know of no rocks of a similar description, 

 excepting one, weighing from fifteen to twenty tons, in An- 

 dover in this State, and one of smaller size in Ashburnham, 

 Mass. Both these may be easily moved several inches by 

 the hand; but their appearance is uninteresting, compared 

 with the former situation of the rock at Durham. 



