innumerable charms which constantly beset one on every hand 

 in passing through it, tempting the tireless feet hither and thither 

 through an ever changing succession of delightful scenes, until 

 hours seem as moments, and the rambler wanders on heedless 

 of time, now climbing some rugged hill to gaze afar on the ex- 

 pansive landscape, now basking in the quiet enjoyment of some 

 pleasant nook, or following out the devious windings of some 

 charming flower strewn wood path, that lures him on, and ever 

 on through swamp, and dell, and scented ways, until lost to 

 every reminder of the great busy world without, as completely 

 as if hundreds of miles afar off in the most impenetrable wilder- 

 ness of Maine. 



And, so while rock and swamp are pleasureless words to some, 

 not understood, to those who are akin with Nature, and have 

 studied her luminous pages with understanding they convey a 

 wealth of meaning that leads to rich mines of enjoyment. 



For here we have a succession of well clad rocky hills, rising 

 and falling like the billows of a great sea, within whose hollow 

 troughs lie hidden pleasant vales, ponds, cascades, ferny brooks, 

 sylvan retreats, wild swamps and fragrant groves. 



In the early colonial time, the whole region was covered with 

 ■a dense forest inhabited by wild beasts. Wolfs, bears and wild- 

 cats were the terror of the early settlers, who had more real 

 reason to fear them than they had the Indians who were never 

 troublesome when treated justly. 



The geological formation of the Fells is peculiar and interest- 

 ing. The rocks are almost entirely composed of feldsparpor- 

 phyry and sienitic granite, with occasional seams of quartz. 



The soil on the hills, is for the most part, thin but rich from 

 long' accumulations of vegetable mould and sustains an exten- 

 sively varied flora. In the intervales it is deeper, often rich and 

 strong, sustaining trees of great size. 



One rambling carelessly through the Fells, will frequently 

 come across evidences to show that many of the early settlers 

 took up their abodes well in among the hills, cultivating the up- 

 land pastures and intervales. 



Old orchards, ruins of old cellars; clumps of old familiar gar- 

 den flowers lingering lovingly around old mossy crumbling walls, 

 and other tokens of places once occupied, now deserted, are to 

 be met with. 



