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 MEPRlILIACR PBIVER;
west, and the same signs indicate the spot long ago settled by the
hardy sons of IHaverhill, the village of Metheun. In the dim dis taDce beyond, enveloped in misty blue, can be traced the outline of
Mount Wachusett. Still farther towards the west, as if it were not
well the eye should roam too far, the Scotland and West Meadow Hills
shut out the more distant view beyond, but not until we have caught
sight of the tall peak of the grand Monadnock. Sweeping towards
the north we have a view of the thrifty farms of the West Parish,
with the granite hills of New Hampshire in the background.
To'the north, the eye rests upon a fine succession of green fields
and wooded slopes, marking a section of the town which suffered the
most severely from the atrocities of the murderous savages. There
the brave and resolute Hannah Bradley was twice taken captive;
there the lion-hearted Hannah Dustin was captured, but not conquered, and there stands her monument; there the heroic Thomas
Dustin defied the murderous tomahawk to harm the humblest of his
little flock. There, too, upon that gentle slope, the brave Captain
Ayer and his little band boldly attacked the retreating foe upon the
memorable 29thl of August, 1708. Froni this summit might have
been heard the warwhoop, and have been seen the gleaming tomahawk, in nearly every attack made upon the inhabitants of IHaverhill
by the savages
The valley of the Little River, or Indian River as it was also
once called, of which the section just mentioned forms a part, is here
*een in all its beauty, as it stretches, with its charming succession of
hill and dale and meadow, from the Merrimack far back among the
granite hills of our sister State. This view alone is well worth a
visit to the broad summit of Silver Hill."
Amesbury and Salisbury are so intimately and naturally connected,
so interwoven in business relations. that it is impossible to obtain exactly and separately the business of each. They were originally one
town, and were settled by Simon Bradstreet, Daniel Dennison, and
others, to whom it was granted as a plantation, under the name of
Merrimack. The followinga, year it was incorporated under the name
of Colchester, and in 1640, by direction of the General Court, it
took the name of Salisbury. In 1668, the town was divided by the
course of the Pow-Wow, the boundary between the towns, and the
* Chase's laverhill.
294