174 Notice of the White Mountains. 
The mountain vallies are heavily timbered, with trees of 
annual verdure, mostly hard maple, beech, and birch. The 
soil is rich, well irrigated, and adapted for grazing, but is 
too stoney and cold for advantageous tillage. Only one 
occupied dwelling meets the eye in twenty miles. Many 
of the summits, adjacent to the ravine, are divested of trees, 
but a few towering peaks raise their evergreen banners toe 
the skies. 
As we approached the notch or narrowest pass, the lofty 
ridge to the right exhibited but little verdure; its steep or 
precipitous surface is covered with bare loose rocks, and 
elevated mural ledges, over which torrents in spring form 
beautiful cascades. The road in the vicinity of the notch 
is steep, and the river boisterous. We crossed a small 
stream, auxiliary to the Saco, which descends from a great 
elevation by a succession of falls. 
The pass at the notch was originally occupied by the 
river, and practicable only for footmen. The present road 
was,constructed by breaking down the adjacent clifis—leav- 
ing walls of rock at the mountain’s base of considerable al- 
titude. The road, a short distance from the notch, attains 
its greatest height, which is probably about five hundred 
feet above thevale of Fryburgh. 
The Saco and a branch of the Amonoosuc have their 
source in a swamp adjacent. We left the ravine at this 
place on the 21st of June, and ascended the most elevated 
part of the White Mountains. The base and lower region 
was clothed with large timber, principally birch, maple, 
beech, hemlock, spruce, balsam’ fir, and wild cherry ; moun- 
tain ash and the moose bush were observed. 
The ascent, though in some places steep, was seldom 
difficult. We were much annoyed by musquitoes and 
black flies. ‘These insects are said to disappear from this 
region in August. Black flies are numerous and very 
troublesome to ) cattle during the day, but are quiet at night. 
As we ascend, the trees diminish in size, and the ground 
shaded by groves of perennial verdure, is carpeted with 
beautiful green moss. 
About four thousand feet above the level of the sea, 
birch, spruce, and balsam fir, though mature in years, and 
with bodies half a foot in diameter, were only three feet in 
height. Firm branches, spreading horizontally, form gn 
