pors, and their formation into clouds, is a cu rious and entertaining object. The vapors are feen rifing in small columns, like fmoke from many chimneys. When rifen to a certain height, they spread, meet, condense, and are attracted by the mountains, where they either diftil in gentle dews, and replenish the fprings, or defcend in fhowers, accompanied with thunder. After short intermiffions, the process is repeated many times, in the course of a fummer day, affording to travellers a lively illuftration of what is observed in the book of Job, 'they are wet with the fhowers of the moun, tains.** The aurora borealis was first noticed in New-Hampshire, in the year 1719. * Job xxiv. 8. The elder The following account of this appearance is taken from the Bofton News Letter, of March 14, 1720. 'The late extraordinary appearance in the heavens, of De'cember 11, is the firft of the kind that is known to have been 'feen in New-England, and was at the fame time obferved. 'throughout the country. Some fay it was feen at three fev'eral times, viz. at eight, twelve, and again toward morning. 'The account of fome, is, of a cloud lying lengthway, toward 'the northwest and northcaft; from the ends of which arofe 'two clouds, afcending toward the middle of the heavens, of 'a deep red colour, and almoft meeting each other, then de'feending toward the place whence they arofe. The air was 'light in the time of it, as a little after fun fet, or before sun'rife; and fome faw lights, fomething like fhooting stars, 'ftreaming upwards from the clouds. It was feen in our 'towns all along; and the great variety of accounts, may in 'part proceed from this, that fome faw only one, others an'other of its appearances.' elder people fay it is much more frequent now than formerly. It fometimes appears in the form of a luminous arch, extending from east to weft ; but more commonly rifes from a dark convexity in the north, and flashes upward, toward the zenith. In a calm night, and in the intervals between gentle flaws of wind, an attentive ear, in a retired fituation, may perceive it to be accompanied with a found.* This luminous appearance has been obferved in all seasons of the year, in the extremes of heat and cold, and in all the intermediate degrees. The colour of the streams is fometimes variegated, white, blue, yellow and red, the luftre of which, reflected from the fnow, is an appearance highly picturesque and entertaining. *If any perfon would have a precife idea of the found, caused by the flashing of the aurora borealis, let him hold a filk handkerchief by the corner, in one hand, and with the thumb and finger of the other hand, make a quick stroke along its edge. CHA P. CHA P. III. Face of the Country. Sea coaft. Mountains. TH HE whole extent of the fea coaft, from the fouthern boundary, to the mouth of Pascataqua harbour, is about eighteen miles, The fhore is mostly a fandy beach, within which are falt marshes, interfected by creeks. There are feveral coves for fishing veffels; but the only harbour for fhips, is the entrance of Pascataqua, where the shore is rocky. Some ledges and points of rocks, are fituate to the fouthward of the harbour, off Rye: but there is no remarkable head land on the coaft. Two bluffs only appear, elevated above the level of the beach, which are called the great and little Boar's heads; these are in the town of Hamp ton. The remarkable mountain, Agamenticus, lies about four leagues north of the entrance of Pafcataqua, and there are three inferior fummits, known by the name of Froft's hills, at a less distance, on the N. W. These are fituate within the County of York, formerly called the Province of Maine; but from the fea, no remarkable high lands appear, which are within the limits of New-Hampshire, nearer than twenty or thirty miles. The first ridge is continued through the towns of Rochester, Barrington and Nottingham, and the several fummits are diftinguished by different names, as Teneriffe, Saddleback, Tuckaway &c. but the general name is the Blue hills. Beyond thefe, are feveral higher ones, as Mount major, Moose mountain, &c. these are not in a continued range, but detached; between them are many smaller elevations, fome of which are, and others are not diftinctly named. Farther back the mountains rife higher, and among the third range, Chocorua, Offapy and Kyar-. farge, claim the preeminence. Beyond these, is the lofty ridge, which is commonly called the height of land, because it feperates the branches of the river Connecticut, from those of Merrimack. In this ridge is the Grand Monadnock, twenty-two miles east of the river Connecticut, and ten miles north of thefouthern boundary line. Thirty miles north of this, lies Sunnapee mountain, and fortyeight miles farther, in the fare direction, is Moofhelock. The ridge then is continued, northeafterly, dividing the waters of the river: Connecticut from thofe of Saco and Amarif coggin. Here the mountains rife much higher, and the moft elevated fummits in this range, are the White mountains. Mountains Mountains appear of different colours, according to the nature of their exterior furface, the feafon of the year, and the distance of the obferver. They are all covered with wood, the smaller ones wholly, the larger have bald fummits, which appear white, as long as the fnow remains; but at other times, vary their colour according to the diftance of the obferver. If he is very nigh, they appear of the grey colour of the rock, and the farther he recedes, their appearance is a paler blue, till it becomes nearly of the colour of the fky. The woody parts of mountains, when viewed at a fmalldistance, are green, at a greater distance, blue. From fome favorable fituations, all thefe varieties may be feen at once; mountains of differ ent fhades, textures and elevations, are prefented to the eye of the curious obferver. The wood on these mountains, is of various kinds; but they have all more or lefs of the evergreens, as pine, fpruce, hemlock and fir, intermixed with fhrubs and vines. It is univerfally obferved that trees of every kind diminish in their fize toward the fummit many of them, though short, appear to be very aged. On fome mountains we find a fhrubbery of hemlock and spruce, whofe branches. are knit together fo as to be impenetrable. The fnow lodges on their tops, and a cavity is formed underneath. Thefe are called by the Indians, Hakmantaks, On |