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 MERRIMACK RIVER;
The Cromwell House, a trading-post, was erected here previous
to its settlement, by John Cromwell, an Englishman; but, after in dulging for some time in discreditable "tricks of trade," thereby
enormously defrauding the Indians, his irregularities were discovered
by them, and he fled precipitately, thus saving his scalp-lock, and
leaving them to redress their grievances by burning the post.
There is at the present time a flourishing military school in Mer rimack.
Litchfield, on the Merrimack, was formerly called Natticott. It
was set off from the territory of Dunstable, and incorporated by
Massachusetts in 1734, and was chartered by New Hampshire in
1749. This town contains only eight thousand five hundred acres,
much of it being valuable timber land. It formerly belonged to and
was occupied by the Souhegans, Naticook Island, in the Merrimack,
now known as Reed's Island, being their summer residence.
The soil of Hudson being generally good, and it having the advantages of proximity to a good market, the land is in an excellent
state of cultivation, and it is a thrifty farming town. The original
grant of Dunstable included Hudson, which was incorporated in
1746 under the name of Nottingham West, which it retained until
1830, when its name was changed to Hudson.
Dunstable was a great resort of the Merrimack Valley Indians,
and, after the settlement of Hudson, in 1710, they continued to
come for a long time on peaceful trading expeditions from the head,waters of the Connecticut and the Merrimack. The fertile intervals
of Hudson were cultivated by the Indians, who derived from them
liberal supplies of maize, gourds, and beans. Here, as in Pennacook, they grew considerable quantities of corn, observing some regularity in planting, and being obliged to watch it constantly to prevent
the crows - which they called "kawkont," from their peculiar
scream - from destroying it.
They generally erected one or more wigwams in the cornfield, in
which the children and others could remain and watch the field,
keeping away the crows, but not killing them, as they were held as
a kind of sacred bird. he Indians had a tradition that the crow
brought their first corn and beans to them from their "Great Manit,
Kautantonwits" field in the south-west.
The Nashua River, a beautiful tributary of the Merrimack, has
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