face. Connecticut valley extends from Saybrook to the Canada line, and is not far from 300 miles in length. Its breadth varies from half a mile to twenty miles, and is charmingly diversified by the intrusion of numerous spurs from the two great ranges of mountains, which form its eastern and western boundaries.

The mountains in New England are either long ranges or separate eminences. The westernmost range begins in the county of Fairfield, and, passing through the counties of Litchfield and Berkshire, may be said to unite with the Green Mountains at Williamstown, in the north west corner of Massachusetts: being there separated only by the narrow valley of Hoosac river. The highest part of this range is Toghkonnuck mountain in Egremont, the south western corner of the same state. Over this mountain, which is prob ably elevated more than 3000 feet above the ocean, runs the boundary between Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. This range, hitherto known by no appropriate name, may with propri. ety be called Togbkonnuck Range.

The second range is that of the Green Mountains. The eastern front of this range begins at New Haven, in a noble bluff, called West Rock, and extends thence, to the Canada line; sloping, however, with a very gradual declension, in the northern parts of Vermont; and in Canada becoming merely a collection of small hills.

Ff

The

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:

Mountains.

two highest summits of this range are the Camel's Rump, (so called from its strong resemblance to the back of that animal) and the mountain of Mansfield, both in Vermont, in the county of Chittenden these are very lofty, several thousand feet above the ocean. The third range begins also at New Haven in another very delightful eminence, called the East Rock; and, passing through the counties of New Haven, Hartford, and Hampshire, extends into Canada, through the whole length of the state of New Hampshire. The Blue Hills, in Southington, Mount Tom, Mount Holyoke, in the vicinity of Northampton and Hadley, and Mount Toby, in Sunderland, are the principal summits of this range south of New Hampshire. This range although less lofty than the highest parts of the two former, is yet more precipitous and romantic than either. It crosses Connecticut river just below Northampton and Hadley, in Massachusetts. No mountains in New England present, from their summits, so delightful views as are furnished by various cminences of this range. This may be advantageously termed The range of Mount Tom, which is the principal eminence.

The south or castern range is less distinctly marked; it begins at Lyme, in Connecticut, and forms the eastern boundary of the Connecticut valley, until it unites with the last mentioned range

Mountains.

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in the county of Hampshire. markable eminences.

It has no very re

Of single mountains, the highest, in Massachusetts, is Saddle Mountain, in the towns of Adams, and Williamstown, so called from its striking resemblance to that piece of furniture. This mountain is computed to be little less than 4000 feet above the surface of the ocean. Its southern point is the highest land in Massachusetts. Watchusett is a lofty hill in Princeton, in the county of Worcester. Aschutney is a noble single hill in Windsor, in the state of Vermont. Monadnock

is a very lofty conical mountain in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The White Mountains in New Hampshire are a round clump with numerous summits, of which Mount Washington, is far the highest; being probably between ten and eleven thousand feet above the surface of the ocean; and much the highest land in the United States. Nothing can be more majestic than the appearance of this mountain; it is covered a great part of the year, with snow, and in this state is seen ninety miles at sea, in fair weather, and one hundeed and sixty from its base. The mountains called Moosehillock, or Moosheelock, and Ossipee, are short ranges in New Hampshire, of very considerable height, and very respectable appearance; as are those called Pondicherry, (vulgarly Cherry) a lofty range of the White Mountains, on the northwest; though these last may be consid

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Cataracts, Precipices.

ered as a continuation of the range of Mount Tom.

New England abounds in cataracts and cascades, alternately of great beauty and grandeur ; of the first of these, the Connecticut, Housatonic, or Hooestonnuc, Onion, Saco, Kennebec, and Penobscot furnish a great number, as do also sev eral smaller rivers. The cascades of the White Mountains are perhaps unrivalled in their romantic beauty.

Precipices of great wildness and grandeur, are presented by many of these mountains. The south western side of the summit of Mount Washington, particularly, which is a perpendicular descent of vast extent, and is superlatively majestic and awful. Of softer or more elegant scenery, few countries furnish so many or so exquisite varieties as New England. The fine intervals which border its numerous streams, particularly the noble ones on the Connecticut, are among the most finished beauties of the landscape. To complete the picture, the native and universal verdure. which clothes the lean and dry, as well as the rich and moist part, gives an unrivalled cheerfulness to the whole country.

New England has a very healthful climate, as is evinced by the longevity of the inhabitants. It is estimated, that about one in seven of the inhabitants live to the age of seventy years; and about

one in thirteen or fourteen to eighty years and upwards.

North west, west, and south west winds are the most prevalent. East and north east winds, which are unelastic and disagreeable, are frequent at certain seasons of the year, particularly in April and May, on the sea coasts. The weather is less variable than in the middle, and especially the southern states, and more so than in Canada. The extremes of heat and cold, according to Farenheit's thermometer, are from 20 degrees below to 100 degrees above 0. The medium is from 48 to 50 degrees. The inhabitants of New England, on account of the dryness of their atmosphere, can endure, without inconvenience, a greater degree of heat, than the inhabitants of a moister climate. It is supposed, by some philosophers, that the difference of moisture in the atmosphere in Pennsylvania and New England is such, as that a person might bear at least ten degrees of heat more in the latter, than in the former.

The quantity of water which annually falls in England is computed at twenty four inches; in New England, from forty two to forty eight; and yet in the latter they suffer more from drought, than in the former. These facts evince the remarkable dryness of the atmosphere, in this eastern division of the United States, and in part account for its singular healthfulness. Winter commonly commences, in its severity, about the middle of De