ALTITUDES. 29 1 



multitude of points which seem to be exactly 500 feet above mean tide, 

 we may connect them together by lines, and thus indicate the level of 

 500 feet wherever it may extend throughout the state. If it were possi- 

 ble to lay down a red cord from town to town, wherever this contour line 

 extended, the means would be afforded for determining the exact height 

 of much territory. The next best thing is to draw the course of the line 

 upon a map. By drawing a series of them and coloring the areas between, 

 one can get at a glance the relative elevations of all parts of the state. 

 If skilfully prepared, such a map is invaluable. 



We have endeavored to prepare such a chart, and present it in the 

 atlas. The final sketch is not drawn at the moment of penning this 

 description, but a general idea of its appearance will lead those interested 

 to examine it in detail for themselves. We desire, also, to incorporate 

 other facts which may still be within our reach before the final comple- 

 tion of our work. Such a sketch may be elaborated indefinitely. Our 

 aim is to make use of a well engraved map of the state on copper, on 

 the scale of eight miles to the inch, and draw upon it the contour lines 

 for every successive five hundred feet of altitude. Twelve of them, 

 therefore, can be represented within the state limits. 



The ^oo-feet Line. This commences at Lake Newichwannock, between 

 Wakefield, and Newfield and Acton, Me., the sources of Salmon river, 

 and the south end of the straight east boundary. The line runs south- 

 westerly into Milton, curving around parallel to the Portsmouth, Great 

 Falls & Conway Railroad to Union Village, on the east side of the Fel- 

 lows Branch river valley. It then follows the west border of the same 

 valley into Farmington, returning northerly along the Dover & Win- 

 nipiseogee Railroad into New Durham. The Hne apparently follows 

 back the other side of the Cochecho valley into Rochester, and turns up 

 the Isinglass river and its branches, to within half a mile of Bow lake 

 in Strafford. The line next passes more westerly from Harrington into 

 Nottingham, Deerfield, and Candia, almost connecting with its course up 

 the Suncook valley through Deerfield. From the west part of Candia it 

 passes along the ridge east of Manchester, within two miles of Massa- 

 besic lake. Thence it doubles back in sight of the city of Manchester, 

 and passes up the valley of Suncook river to Pittsfield, extending nearly 

 to Suncook pond, or the tributary from Northwood. Thus nearly all of 



