130 physical geography. 



Frost-Work. 



The frost-work is the most remarkable phenomenon of our mountain 

 summits. It is difficult to convey, in words, any idea of its wonderful 

 form and beauty. It was not easy, at first, to understand how it could be 

 formed ; but we are able now to give a plausible theory to account for 

 this the most extraordinary of all the handiwork of Nature. It is very 

 rarely formed except when the wind is at some point between north and 

 west, and only when there are clouds on the mountains. It begins with 

 mere points on everything the wind reaches, — on the rocks, on the rail- 

 way, and on every part of the buildings, even on the glass. On the south 

 side of the buildings and the high rocks it is very slight, as the wind 

 reaches there only in eddying gusts. When the surface is rough, the 

 points, as they begin, are an inch or more apart ; when smooth, it almost 

 entirely covers the surface at the very beginning; but soon only a few 

 points elongate, so that on whatever surface it begins to form, it has soon 

 everywhere the same general appearance, presenting the same beautiful, 

 feathery-like forms. 



"Thus Nature works, as if defying art ; 

 And in defiance of her rival powers, 

 Performing such inimitable feats, 

 As she, with all her rules, can never reach." 



In going up Mt. Washington, we do not see the frost-work until we get 

 above the present limit of the trees. It is nearly a mile above before it 

 is seen in its characteristic forms, and it is only immediately about the 

 summit that it presents its most attractive features. On all our moun- 

 tains north of latitude 43° 50', that are more than thirty-five hundred 

 feet in height, it can be seen extending down to a certain line, and this 

 line extends along the whole mountain range. Everywhere it appears to 

 be at the same elevation. We notice that it always forms towards the 

 wind, never from it ; and the rapidity with which it forms, and the great 

 length of the horizontal masses, are truly wonderful. On the piles of 

 stones south of the house, the horizontal masses are sometimes five and 

 six feet in length. On the southern exposures, instead of the frost-work, 

 especially on the telegraph poles by the railway, there are only masses of 



