MOtJNTAINS 



33 



Connecticut river. The latitude of this place is 44 

 deg. 12 min. north. 



The rivulet which gives rise to Saco, descends 

 towards the south ; and at a little distance from the 

 defile, its waters are augmented by two streams 

 from the left, one of which descends in a trench of 

 two feet wide, and is called the Flume, from the 

 near resemblance which it bears to an artificial flume. 

 Over these are thrown stone-bridges ; and the whole 

 construction of this road is firm and durable ; much 

 labour has been expended upon it, and the nett pro- 

 ceeds of a confiscated estate were applied to defray 

 the expense. In the descent, the pass widens, and 

 the stream increases ; but for eight or ten miles 

 from the Notch, the mountains on each side are so 

 near, as to leave room only for the river and its in- 

 tervals ; which are not more than half a mile wide. 

 Iti the course of this descent several curious objects 

 present themselves to view. On the side of one 

 mountain is a projection, resembling a shelf, on 

 which stand four large square rocks, in form resem- 

 bling as many huge folio volumes. In two or three 

 places, at immense heights, and perfectly inaccessi- 

 ble, appear rocks of a white and red hue, the surface 

 of which is polished like a mirror, by the constant 

 trickling of water over them. These being expos- 

 ed to the west and south, are capable, in the night, of 

 reflecting the moon and star beams to the wandering 

 traveller in the deep, dark valley below, and by the 

 help of imagination, are sufficient to give rise to the 

 fiction of carbuncles. * ^ 



* Belknap's Hist. New Hampshire, vol. ly. 



