From this elevated tract, the Merrimack flows about 20 miles to the south-west, and thence curving to a general course a little east of south, which it maintains, by comparative distances, 85 miles, to the influx of Nashua river from the south-westward. Inclining below the mouth of Nashua to the south east and east 12 miles, the Merrimack receives the Concord river from the south, and below Chelmsford falls, and, bending to the north-eastward 25 miles, is lost in the Atlantic Ocean, at Newburyport, after an entire comparative course of between 140 and 150 miles.

The basin of Merrimack, and the quantity of water it discharges, are extensive when compared with the area. The relative position of this basin, and the course of its two southern confluents, Nashua and Concord, give it a peculiar form. Concord river rises within 12 miles from tide water, at Providence, and flowing thence northwardly, nearly in direct opposition to the course of the Merrimack, above their junction. From the latter circumstance the extreme length of the basin is 145 miles extending from south to north, not far from parallel to the opposing Atlantic coast, and almost exactly at right angles to the outlet of its own water. It was taking advantage of its singular structure, and of the elevation and course of the Concord branch, that enabled the people of Massachusetts to connect Boston harbour, by a navigable canal, with Merrimack river at Chelmsford.

Another circumstance, also, gives great interest to the Merrimack basin. With it commences, on the Atlantic coast, the lake section, of not only the United States, but of the continent of North America. It is a remark, applicable to the land protuberances of the earth, that the southern sections are devoid or deficient in lakes, whilst those mediterranean seas, on a small scale, abound in proportion to polar approach. The two vast peninsulas of Af rica and South America fully sustain this contrast. Southern Europe, southern Asia, and New Holland, as far as the latter has been explored, are also striking examples. But of this geographical feature in the land area of our planet, no other section affords stronger exemplification than does North America. The lakes along the coast of Louisiana, and other places near the oceans, are mere ponds enclosed by recent alluvion, and not lakes, in the proper meaning of the term. The small lakes on the table land of Mexico, and Lake Chipala, also in Mexico, with a few very small lakes along the Chippewayan system of mountains, are the only depositions of water deserving the name of lakes, known to exist on North America below North Lat. 35°. East of the Chippewayan chains, over the whole basin of the Gulf of Mexico, drained by the Rio Grande, Colo. rado, Brassos, Mississippi, Mobile, and Appalachicola, and smaller rivers; and over the Atlantic slope of the United States to the basin of Merrimack, no real lakes exist of any adequate extent to merit notice. With the immense basin of St. Lawrence, and the much less, though remarkable basin of Merrimack, the change is abrupt and striking. Winnipisseogee and Squam lakes discharge their water into the left side of Merrimack, and contri

bute to give to the discharge of that stream a uniformity of quantity in the different seasons of the year, which is unknown in rivers of equal length, but without those natural reservoirs: a remark that may be extended to all rivers, and fully illustrated in the next basin beyond the Merrimack.

Piscataqua basin is semi-circled on the south, south-west, west, and north-west by that of Merrimack, and north and north-east by that of Saco. It is formed by a series of short, but bold streams, which are discharged into a real lake, called Great Bay, the discharge of which into the Atlantic Ocean, at Portsmouth, is the real Piscataqua. The basin, only 40 by 25 miles, gains immense importance from the fine harbour of Portsmouth.

Saco river, the principal drain of the White Mountains, with the small river Kennebunk, forms a basin to the north-eastward from those of Piscataqua and Merrimack; south, from the Upper Androscoggin; and south-west, from the basin of Casco or Presumpscut. Saco is formed by two unequal branches, Saco Proper and Ossipee rivers.

Saco, fed by the almost perennial snows of the White Mountains, derives its higher sources from an elevation of from 3000 to perhaps 6000 feet, and pours its rapid current, by a very tortuous channel, to the south-eastward, 60 miles, by comparative distances, to its union with the Ossipee from the westward. Cssipee, the product of innumerable ponds, lakes, and small creeks, heading with the confluents of Squam and Winnipisseogee lakes, joins Saco, after a comparative course of 30 miles to the eastward. Below the junction of its two main branches, Saco flows, by comparative courses, 30 miles south-eastward, to its final discharge into the Atlantic Ocean, at North Lat. 43° 36'. The basin of Saco approaches the form of a parallelogram of 70 miles by 25, area 1750 square miles. The surface is a rapidly ascending inclined plane, since though the ocean tides are 18 or 20 feet at the outlet, they are arrested at Biddeford, only seven miles up the channel.

Casco Bay, a noble sheet of water, extending twenty miles from south-west to north-east, and from Portland harbour to within five miles from the Androscoggin at Brunswick, receives into the northern side of Portland harbour Presumpscut river from the north-westward. Presumpscut is the outlet of Sabago, and countless other smaller lakes, spreading between the basins of the Androscoggin and Saco. The basin approaches a triangle of fifty miles base; mean breadth 12, and area 600 square miles.

The four basins of Merrimack, Piscataqua, Saco, and Presumpscut occupy a physical section extending from 42° 2' to 44° 18′ North, and lying between Lon. 4° 56′ and 6° 50′ East from W.C. Greatest length 150 miles, extending very nearly due north from the higher sources of Concord river to the extreme northern fountains of Saco; mean width 55 miles, and area 8350 square miles. This tract is remarkable for a wide rear towards Connecticut river, and a narrow front on the ocean; and from a much more important circumstance, the rapid rise of the ocean border, and, of course, the very short distance inland penetrated by the tides. The ports

are all either directly on the ocean, or within from one to seven miles within the mouths of the bays or the rivers. If a general name was given to this physical section, taken from the the political subdivisions, it ought to be designated the basin of New Hampshire. It is, however, advancing on the course of our previous survey, followed by another natural section, which may be, with great propriety, called the basin of Maine. The latter, physically speaking, commences with Casco Bay. With an elliptic curve to the westward, the general course of the coast, in a distance of 140 miles, is very nearly from south to north, from Barnstable isthmus to Portland harbour. With Portland harbour, or what is the same, Casco Bay, the range and character of coast changes. From the Alatamaha to Casco, the indentings of the coast, with great variety, yet preserve some uniformity of structure; but with the latter begins a new order of bays and islands. The islands hitherto, in most instances, extend in length with that of the coast; along the basin of Maine, their position is directly the reverse. With salient points towards the ocean, the islands and peninsuÎas, with their intervening bays, spread a most intricate border from Portland to Quoddy Point: the two extremes bearing from each other N. 65° E., and the reverse, 181 statute miles. It may be also remarked, that if the preceding course is continued it will follow the Bay of Fundy to its extreme head, nearly two hundred miles still farther beyond the mouth of St. Croix and the north-eastern limit of the United States. Were it not for what has been already noticed, the excessive tides, the access to the Maine basin from the ocean would be impeded to almost exclusion for three or four months of each year.

The United States section of this coast receives, beside many smaller streams, the large volumes formed by the union of Androscoggin and Kennebec, the Penobscot and St. Croix. On its northern part rise the numerous sources of the St. John's, the most considerable stream of the basin, but which has something more than one half of its entire course and its outlet in New Brunswick. As laid down on Tanner's United States, the mouth of Kennebec is at North Lat. 43° 44', and the extreme source of Mattawasca at 48°, almost exactly. This gives an extent of 44 degrees of latitude.

The most extraordinary feature of this basin is, that along the higher sources of St. John's, in a distance of 140 statute miles, it is no place 35 miles distant from, and in one or two places approaches to within ten miles to the channel of St. Lawrence. The mean distance between the higher rim of the basin and the great river of Canada is about twenty miles, whilst the inclined plane towards the Atlantic has a width of 220 miles.

The particular basin of Kennebec has that of Presumpscut S.W.; Connecticut and St. Thomas. W.; Chaudiere and the higher Penobscot N.; and the main extent of Penobscot to the N. and E.: extending in Lat. from 43° 44′ to 46° 15′ North, and in Lon. from 5° 40′ to 7° 50' East from W. C.

The Androscoggin, or western branch of Kennebec, has its source in an intricacy of small rivers

and lakes along the same chains, but on the opposite side from the sources of Connecticut. Flowing thence, a little S. of W. 70 miles, nearly parallel to, and 20 miles distant from the Connecticut, the Androscoggin abruptly bends to a little N. of E., and maintains the latter course 50 miles, where, reaching to within 25 miles from Kennebec, it inflects, and, by a sweeping curve to S. W., but a general course of S. E. 50 miles, joins the main stream 30 miles above its mouth into the ocean.

Kennebec has its extreme northern and principal source in Moose Head Lake, but that comparatively large sheet of water is only one of perhaps hundreds of smaller lakes which spread between the sources of Androscoggin and Penobscot, and opposite to those of Chaudiere. With many intermediate inflections, and receiving numerous confluents from both sides, the general course of Penobscot is from north to south, comparative length 140 miles above the influx of Androscoggin, and 30, thence to the ocean. The entire basin is in length 170, with a mean width of 60; area 10,200 square miles. Though there is one channel called the Kennebec, it is very difficult to determine the real mouth of that stream. Estimating the distance from the outer capes, the tide ascends 35 miles up the Androscoggin to Durham, and 40 miles into the main Kennebec to Augusta. Above tide water, though from the great and rapid descent of their plane, both branches are incumbered with shoals and rapids, and are navigated downwards from near their respective sources.

Penobscot basin has that of Kennebec to the W., Chaudiere N. W., St. John's N. and N. E., and St. Croix E. The extreme higher sources of the Penobscot rise between those of St. John's and Kennebec, and opposite to those of Chaudiere. Flowing thence eastwardly 40 miles, it opens into a large lake, called Chesuncook, one of a congeries of lakes and creeks. With a greatly augmented current, the Penobscot issues from Chesuncook lake, and, inflecting to a course something east of south-east, and in some places swelling into lakes, and again contracting to a rapid river, maintains the latter direction, by comparative distances, 45 miles, to the entrance of Wattawamkeag river, from the north-east. The latter drains the space between the great bend of St. John's river, the head of St. Croix, and the Penobscot, where the latter makes its final inflexion to the southward. Immediately below the influx of Mattawamkeag, the course of the Penobscot is, however, for 25 miles to the S.S.W., to the entrance of the Piscataquis from the westward. The Piscataquis, usually regarded as the principal confluent of Penobscot, drains the space between Kennebec river, Moose Head Lake, Chesuncook Lake, and Penobscot river.

Below the mouth of Piscataquis the residue of the course of Penobscot is a little west of south, 90 miles to its ultimate entrance into the Atlantic Ocean, between the Fox Islands and St. George's Point, at N. Lat. 44°, and Lon. 8° E. from W.C.

The tide rises in the Penobscot 60 miles to Bangor, and thus far the stream is rather a bay than river. Above tide water the Penobscot, contrary

to the general character of the Atlantic rivers of the United States, remains unimpeded by shoals or rapids, and though the basin is less extensive than that formed by the united streams of Androscoggin and Kennebec, it is much more navigable. The entire comparative length of Penobscot, from the source of the river to the outlet of the bay, is 215 miles.

Greatest length of the basin, in a very nearly north and south direction, 170 miles; mean breadth 50, and area 8500 square miles.

From the outlet of Penobscot bay to that of Passamaquoddy, in a N.E. by E. direction and 120 miles distance, though the coast remains very broken by salient points and deep intervening bays, no river enters, having its source 70 miles inland. Advancing from Penobscot, the principal bays are Blue Hill bay, Union river and bay, Frenchman's bay, Goldsboro bay, Pigeon Hill bay, Narraguagus river and bay, Pleasant river and bay, English bay, and Machias river and bay.

Machias bay is followed at a distance of 25 miles, by the deep indenting of Passamaquoddy bay; the entrance of St. Croix river and termination of the United States part of the Atlantic slope of North America. This remarkable political point is rendered easy of recollection geographically, as N. Lat. 45, and Lon. 10° E. from W.C. intersect in the mouth of the Passamaquoddy.

St. Croix river gains most of its importance as a river, from being the boundary between the United States and New Brunswick. The entire length of the basin is about 80 miles; and the mean breadth of that part included in the United States, not more than 20 miles. The whole surface may be considered as a congeries of lakes and interlocking water

courses.

east 20 miles, the St. John's receives the Alaguash from the south, and four or five miles lower down, the St. François from the north.

Alaguash river has interlocking sources with the confluents of Chesuncook lake, and flowing thence a little E. of N. 70 miles, joins the St. John's, which it nearly equals in volume, at N. Lat. 47° 03', and Lon. 8° E. from W.C. The extreme northern sources of St. François rise within 10 miles from the channel of St. Lawrence; but flowing southward fall into St. John's, which latter, after the reception of those confluents, assumes a course of N.E. by E. 35 miles, to the influx of the important Mattawaska. The higher and most northern fountains of Mattawaska are also the extreme northern sources of the St. John's, and the most northern water which finds a recipient in the Atlantic slope, south-west from the peninsula of Nova Scotia. Similar to almost every other stream of the natural section to which it belongs, the Mattawaska is the drain of numerous lakes, the principal of which is the Temiscouata. The general course of Matta. waska is to the S. E., and comparative length, 65 miles.

Having received the Mattawaska, the St. John's inflects to a south-eastern course, which it maintains by comparative distances, 55 miles; at the end of 40 miles of which latter course this now large river quits the state of Maine and enters New Brunswick. The future course of St. John's is irrelevant to this article, except to notice the valley of Aroostook, a river having most of its confluents in Maine, but joining the St. John's in New Brunswick. Nearly on N. Lat. 47°, the St. John's bends to a course very little E. of S., slowly receding from the line between Maine and New Brunswick, in a comparative distance of 70 miles; bringing the volume of St.John's back to the latitude of the sources of Alaguash, and at a distance asunder of 90 miles. From the preceding description it is shown, that the Alaguash and St. John's, from the source of the former to the bottom of the great southern course of the latter, form an immense elliptical curve of 230 miles outline, and with a mean width of 70 miles. From the southern chord flow the northern fountains of Penobscot, and the interior part is chiefly drained by the Aroostook, which, flowing generally to the south-eastward, quits Maine and unites with St. John's in the western part of New Brunswick.

We have been the more particular with this superior part of the basin of St. John's, from its constituting the surface in issue between the United States and Great Britain. The British Commissioners contend that the High Lands mentioned in the Treaty of 1783, was the inflected line of separation between the higher sources of Penobscot and St. John's. On the contrary, the United States contend that after leaving the extreme northern source of the St. Croix, the line of demarcation between Maine and New Brunswick ought to extend due north until it reaches the dividing ridge between the confluents of St. Lawrence, and those entering the Atlantic Ocean. To enable the reader, without further reference, to compare the words of the