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.

ITS SOURCE AVD ITS TP.IBUTARIES.
These two gigantic enclosures follow the river, at a somewhat irregular distance therefrom; and, as tlie stream starts on a due west
course, it maintains a regular trend to the southward, so, also, do
these mountains, until the Franconia range is met, which continues
in the same direction until the foot of the Franconia Notch is reached.
Thus, it will be seen that, throughout its wildest course, it is guarded(
on either side by a huge wall of mountain ranges.
Passing down the stream some six miles from the confluence of
the waters of the two ponds, a large brook flows in from the right,
and is remarkable for its coldness, purity, and transparency, and
also for the immense number of trout which crowd its waters and
seem to regard it as a sort of fishy paradise. Leaving this broolrlwhich is something of a sacrifice,- and reaching a point some ten
miles farther down, we arrive at the Grand Falls, beside which the
Amoskeag and the Pawtucket, except in volume of water, dwindle
into insignificance. Just below is another considerable tributary,
and still farther down the Hancock River adds its quota to the swelling flood. All of these streams, large and small, abound in trout
and no other kind of fish. Previous to the erection of the Lawrence
dam, when every variety of migratory fish came up the Merrimack,
the salmon alone, of all the tribes of the sea, sought the cool, pure
waters, and the shaded and silent retreat at the head-waters of
this river. While on this subject, it may not be uninteresting to
observe the nature and habits of the salmon and the salmon trout.
These two noble fish appear to be of the same genus, hlaving
substantiaily the same habits and the same general characteristics.
Both are migratory; both present the same general external appearance, being beautifully spotted; and,'like the lily of the valley,
"Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed likle one of these." Both
are the richest, finest, most delicate-flavored, and the most athletic,
size considered, of all fish.
After the spawning season the salmon goes out to sea, while the
trout remain in the rivers and other deep fresh waters during the
winter; but there is one remarkable fact concerning the habits of
thesefish.which is established beyond controversy,- each fish invariably follows up the same stream to spawn where itself was incubated,
unless some insurmountable difficulty is placed across its way, such,
for instance, as the Lawrence dam.
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