The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

THE MERBRlIMA CK R IVER;
the magnificent scenery of Lake Winnipesaukee and its borders,
as well as a short and convenient thoroughifare to the White and
Franconia Mountains.
Smith's Pond, a collection of water some six miles long, is the
source of a stream called Smith's River, which falls into the lake in
Wolfboro'. There is a fine village on this stre'am overlooking the
lake and surrounding mountains, affording, a prospect grand in the
extreme.
Copple Crown Mountain also affords a remarkable view, - the lake
and its gems of islands; about thirty other lakes and ponds in New
Hlampshire and Maine; all the south-eastern part of the State; the
grand hill to the west far up into the Pemigewasset country; and to
the north the collection of hills as far as Mount Washington, whose
grizzled summit towers up and overlooks the heads of all his fillows.
All these combined are not excelled in picturesque and romantic
grandeur.
There is a mineral spring in the town said to be similar and equal
to the celebrated Saratoga, and is becoming a place of considerable
resort. There is an excellent high school, and many other features
important and attractive, and the trip among the beautiful and sublime scenery of New Hampshire has come to be regarded as incomplete, unless it includes Wolfboro'; and the crowning loveliness of this
portion of the tour culminates in a moonlight excursion on the lake.
Tuftonborough, situated at the north-east extremity of the lake, was
ori,ginally granted to John Tufton, grandson of John Mason,
governor, who, in his will, made John and Robert Tufton heirs of
his estates in New Hampshire, in consideration that they should
assume the name of Mason; which requirement they complied with,
and the name of John Tufton Mason is still legible in the old buryingground near Christian Shore, in Portsnmouth.,
In several towns in this section of the State terms are used to
designate many localities, which, though they may not be euphonious,
are considered peculiarly appropriate and descriptive; for instance,
a certain locality is known as " Barvel Whang," others as " Mackerel
Corner,'"Skunk's Misery'," "Potatoborough," " Ossipee Pocket;"
another is " Grasshopper's Grief," where it is said the soil is so destitute of vegetation that a pair of them would starve on a ten-acre
lot without cut feed and meal at least once a day.
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