Mount Washington, 



77 



Monument Mountain, in Stockbridge, and Alum Hill, in Sheffield, 

 Beartown Mountain extends from Stockbridge through Great Barring- 

 ton into Tyringham : Rattlesnake Hill is an insulated mountain in 

 Stockbridge. The mountain separating West Stockbridge from 

 Stockbridge, and Richmond from Lenox, is denominated at its north- 

 ern part, Lenox Mountain : and more southerly, Stockbridge Moun- 

 tain. In Washington, and extending into Pittsfield, is a lofty and 

 rounded spur from the Hoosic range, called Washington Mountain ; 

 a name too much like Mount Washington. In Canaan, Connecticut, 

 a few miles beyond the Massachusetts line, is a noble mountain ridge 

 with a mural front on the southwest, and several miles in extent, 

 called Canaan Mountain. From all these mountains, and others that 

 might be named, magnificent prospects are presented, which, in the 

 midst of a general resemblance, exhibit so much peculiar to each, as 

 amply to repay the traveller for climbing them all. 



The same may be said of numerous distinct summits that crown 

 the broad ranges of the Taconic and Hoosic. It is extremely ex- 

 hilarating to the spirits of the tasteful traveler, as he traverses these 

 regions, especially in summer, to find such a constant variety of land- 

 scape attending every change of place. For every new hill that he 

 climbs, he is rewarded by the discovery of some new grouping of the 

 distant mountains ; some new peak or ridge rising fantastically in the 

 horizon ; some new village crowning the distant hill with its neat 

 white houses and church spire ; or some hitherto unseen valley opens 

 before him, through which tumbles the mountain torrent ; while the 

 vast slopes of the valley present so much diversity, softness, and rich- 

 ness of foliage, as to form a lovely resting place for the eye. 



In such mountainous regions it was natural for the first settlers to 

 select elevated situations for a residence. Hence in many instances 

 the tops of these ridges are crowned with pleasant villages. 

 Among those which are thus situated and afford the most 

 romantic prospects may be named Blanford, Granville, Tol- 

 land, Chester, Middlefield, Peru, Windsor, Chesterfield, Goshen, 

 Cummington, Plainfield, Ashfield, Hawley, Shelburne, Rowe, Heath, 

 and Leyden. To one accustomed to reside in a valley, it is interest- 

 ing to witness in one of these places, the setting, but more particularly 

 the rising of the sun : when very probably he will see a dense fog 

 resting upon the vallies below, and shutting out the sun, while it 

 shines in all its glory upon the hills around the observer. 



In the elevated region east of Connecticut river, a stilllarger number 



