156 



MAINE. 



lies between 43° 5' and 48° 12' north latitude, and between 66° 50' and 70° 55 west longi- 

 tude,* having a superficial area of about 33,000 square miles. 



2. Mountains. The Highlands that separate the waters which fall into the St. Lawrence 

 from those which empty themselves into the Atlantic Ocean, extend from the northern part of 

 New Hampshire to the northeastern extremity of Maine. After supplying the sources the 

 Kennebec, the Penobscot, and the St. John's they gradually sink down to Cape Rozier on the 

 gulf of St. Lawrence. This range is called the Main Ridge, Height of Land, or Northeast- 

 ern Ridge, and some of its peaks rise to the height of 4,000 feet ; where it is crossed by the 

 new road from Hallowell to Quebec, its elevation is about 2,000 feet. 



The mountains within the State lie scattered over the country in irregular groups, but ex- 

 hibit in some places the form of spurs from the great Alleghany range. The Bald J\Iountain 

 ridge extends about 24 miles between Moose river and the S. W. branch of the Penobscot ; 

 its highest summits are 4,000 feet. The Ebeeme and Spencer mountains bound a portion of 

 the valley of the Penobscot on the S. W. On the opposite side of this valley is Katahdin 

 mountain, a rugged and isolated peak, 5,385 feet high, and famous in the traditions of the abo- 

 rigines, as the residence of superior beings. As very httle of this wild region has been scien- 

 tifically explored, we cannot say much of the geological structure of its mountains. They are 

 chiefly granitic, and are covered with forests. 



3. Valleys. The great valleys of the Kennebec and Penobscot with their various ramifica- 

 tions, traverse nearly the whole State. The Kennebec valley is much diversified, and exhibits 

 a very uneven surface. Li the southern part, the hills are of moderate elevation ; in the north 

 they are higher. Towards the coast, the valley is narrow, and the hills press upon the margin 

 of the river ; further inland, the heights recede from the stream, and leave in many places 

 level, alluvial tracts along the banks, rising into broad, rounded swells at a distance from the 

 river. Near the confluence of Dead River, the valley becomes more irregular and broken, 

 with scattered mountain peaks, some of which approach the border of the stream. At Moose- 

 head Lake, the valley again expands, and continuing northerly, to the extremity of the lake, it 

 becomes lost in the broad and more level valley of the Penobscot. This last does not differ 

 in its general features from the valley of the Kennebec. Near the coast its surface Is elevated 

 and broken. Proceeding northward to nearly the head of tide water, it sinks and expands 

 rather suddenly into a gently undulating country. Further up, It becomes still more level, and 

 in the northern part grows again somewhat undulating. These valleys are in some parts 40 

 miles wide, and in others narrowed down to the shores of the rivers. 



4. Rivers. The Saco rises in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, enters Maine at 

 Fryeburg, and flows in an Irregular course S. E. to the sea ; it is 160 miles long, and has nu- 

 merous falls, which afford excellent mill sites and manufacturing stations. Its chief branches 

 in this State are the Kezer, and the Great and Little Ossipee. The Androscoggin rises among 

 the highlands which form the N. W. boundary of Maine, and, descending through a succession 

 of lakes, enters New Hampshire at Errol ; it re-enters Maine at Gilead, and flows E. and S. 

 till it joins the Kennebec at Merrymeeting Bay. Its length is 140 miles ; the whole course is 

 broken by rapids and falls, which prevent the transportation of anything except timber and logs. 

 The Kennebec rises also in the highlands, near the source of the Androscoggin, and flows near- 

 ly S. to the sea ; falls and rapids render the navigadon difficult above the tide at Augusta, to 

 which place it is navigable for vessels of 100 tons, and to Bath for ships, 12 miles from the 

 sea. It is about 200 miles in length. 



* The boundary between Maine and Lower Canada has 

 been for some years a subject of dispute between the 

 American and British governments. In the treaty of 

 peace (1783) which closed the war of the Revolution, the 

 northern boundary of Maine is described in these words. 

 "From the northwest angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that an- 

 gle whicli is formed by a line drawn due north from the 

 source of St. Croix river to the highlands, along the 

 said highlands which divide those rivers that empty them- 

 selves into the St. Lawrence from those that full into the 

 Atlantic Ocean to the northwesternmost head of the Con- 

 necticut river, &c." This line had been always under- 

 stood as running north of the river St. John, and carrying 

 the northern boundary of Maine to the 48th degree of 

 latitude ; but a few years since, the British set up a claim 

 to one third part of the whole State, by contending that 

 tile boundary line ran to the south of the St. John. 



Agreeably to the treaty of Ghent, the subject was re- 

 ferred to the King of the Netherlands for arbitration, who 

 decided, that " it will be proper to adopt for the boundary 

 of the two States a line drawn due north from the source 

 of the river St. Croix, to the point where it strikes the 

 middle of the channel of the river St. John ; thence the 

 middle of the channel of that river, ascending it to the 

 point where the river St. Francis falls into the St. John ; 

 thence to the middle of the river St. Francis, ascending 

 it to the source of the most southwesterly branch," &c. 

 By this decision, about two sevenths of the territory in 

 dispute was awarded to the British, amounting to about 

 2,000,000 of acres. But this decision was rejected by the 

 United States, on the ground, that the arbiliator was not 

 empowered to propose a new line, sucli as might seeiri to 

 him convenient, but was authorized only to decide which 

 of the conflicting claims was right and just. 



