their own eyes, and not other men's spectacles, to read the Bible with. I am informed that Paddy is in tribulation: his wife and children have come to Boston, and put themselves upon him, under a notion that he was to have been successor to the late silver-tongued Doctor.* The two poles cannot be more distant and opposite. He will get no settlement in these parts. 'I believe the man has some merit. I wish he had more modesty and more prudence. What is the issue of the affairs of Longchamps? Is he to be considered as a French or an American subject? Will not the question afford curious arguments on both sides? I hope by this time you will have recovered your health; at least, so far as to make an excursion into the# country. Will not bathing do you good? It seems to me it would quicken the circulation, and remove that debility and languor of which you complain. I have a high opinion of the efficacy of cold loater, internally and externally used; and have been frequently benefited by it. I do not wish you to undergo the operation of such a shower-bath as we had in the woods on the north side of the White Mountains. Mrs. B. sends a cordial and sympathetic remembrance to Mrs. Hazard, as does your affectionate and obliged friend, Jere. Belknap. The day you mention as a violent storm with you, viz., Monday, 22d ult., was here cloudy and rainy, but no wind; the next day, cloudy and some rain; the next, cloudy and misty; p. M., fair. * "The late silver-tongued Doctor" must refer to the Rev. Dr. Cooper, of Brattle Street Church, who died Dec. 29, 1783. He was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Thacher, of Maiden, Jan. 12, 1785. — Eds. HAZARD TO BELKNAP. Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1784. Dear Sir, — If my memory does not deceive me, I have seen a preface to Pope's " Essay on Man/' in which some readers are represented as being much pleased with it, and at the conclusion exclaiming,— "Alas, alas! pray end what you began, This is precisely my situation upon reading your letters, and was peculiarly so on finishing the account of your tour to the White Mountains. I could not write to you by last post, or I would have acknowledged the receipt of yours of 19th August, containing the sequel of that story. Yours of 26th has since come to hand. I will communicate to Josey such parts as you desire. Should you procure a good map of New Hampshire, it can be both engraved and printed here, and I think will be an acceptable addendum to your 2d volume. The Memoir to the Society shall be presented at their next meeting, with a copy of your book. Should they talk of publishing it, I will assign your reason for wishing that it may not be done. Mr. Cutler shall be proposed. This paper is called foolscap (and by some pro patria), but the name determines only the size; the quality of such as you want must be fixed by your own choice. Since I wrote the above, the eastern post has arrived, and brought me your favour of 30th ult. I am sorry I occasioned you so much perplexity about the insurance, but hope a second letter informing you it was made has long since removed it. I had it done immediately for fear of accidents, and am happy to find the vessel has arrived safe. We expected to print 1080 copies, which I suppose teas the number; but I will enquire particularly of Mr. A.? and inform you by a future post, but have not time now, as the rider stays but 2 hours (from his arrival) in this city. Vol. i. 25 [Part of the letter gone.] TOUR TO THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.* Tuesday, July 20, 1784. Set out from home on a tour to the White Mountains, &c, in company with Rev. Mr. Little, of Wells, Mr. Cutler, of Ipswich, Dr. Fisher, of Beverly, Mr. Heard, of Ipswich, and two young gentlemen, Hubbard and Bartlet, from College. Got to Rochester. Wind, W. Wednesday, July 21. At a quarter after 7, set out from Rochester. Dined at Copps's, in Wakefield. The upper part of Wakefield well settled. About 4 miles above Copps's descended a steep hill, and came to a large brook, which vents into Pine River, a branch of great Ossapy. Crossed an old beaver dam on another branch of said brook. Passed over a mountain in New Garden, Seagel's hill, from whence we had a very grand opening to the N., presenting to view distant ridges of very high mountains, rising behind each other, the farthest supposed to be the White Mountains; but, the air being hazy, could not certainly determine. Wind, S.E. * Dr. Belknap's letters to Mr. Hazard, giving an account of his tour to the White Mountains, are not preserved among the Hazard letters; but the want of them is supplied by the original notes of Dr. Belknap, kept in the form of a Diary, in the Cabinet of this Society. Of three of the gentlemen who accompanied Dr. Belknap, it may be added that the Rev. Daniel Little was minister of the church in Kennebunk, Me., then included in the township of Wells; the Rev, Manasseh Cutler, of Ipswich, Mass., was an early member of the Historical Society, and one of the projectors of the Ohio Company; Dr. Joshua Fisher, of Beverly, was a distinguished physician and naturalist, and President of the Massachusetts Medical Society. The narrative was written on the right-hand pages of the MS.; occasional remarks on the left. These latter, as here printed at the foot of the text, are not distinguished by any name, and will be recognized as Dr. Belknap's. In the third volume of the " History of New Hampshire," published in 1792, Dr. Belknap gives a brief description of the White Mountains, and refers to the visit made to them by a party of gentlemen in 1784, but with no intimation that he was one of the company. A few additional particulars of the visit are there given.— Eos. Distance, 32 miles frotn Rochester Old Hill to Brown's, at N. Garden, where we stopt. Joined company at Rochester-; Mr. Enoch Wingate and Mr. George Place. Thursday, July 22. Set out from Brown's. Seven and one-half miles from thence to Great Ossapy Pond, 5 miles in length, and nearly round. Pine River comes into the south part of it. The Ossapy River runs out of the pond, first northerly, then turns easterly, under a large mountain in Effingham, formerly called Seven Mountain; now Green Mountain.* Lovel's fort at the north side of this great Pond, near a small stream. Rode through pitch pine 7 miles, to Eaton. Dined at Dr. Jackson's. Corua f and White-face Mountains on the left. Crossed Little Pigwacket River (stopped at Abbot's), then Saco Swift River, then Saco Main River, and got to McMillan's at sunset. \ 25 miles distance to-day. Found Mr. Whipple § and Mr. Evans ready to go with us. || * Crossed Pine River, current N.W., about 4 miles before we came to Ossapy bridge. t Chocorua. — Eds. % At Conway.—Eds. On Esq. Merrill's farm the remains of 2 Indian stockade forts. Esq. McMillan assured me there was snow remaining on the White Mountains, S. side, within 10 days past; the like was told me by Mr. Abbot; both of Conway. We had, at McMillan's, full-grown cucumbers. At Brown's, last night, new potatoes, about one-half grown. § Col. Joseph Whipple, of Dartmouth, now Jefferson. — Eds. || Our pilot, Captain Evans, assured me that when he was on the Mountain, June 19, 1774, the snow was 5 feet deep in one spot near the summit of the Mountain; and that a fortnight before that, some of the people who were then at work with him on Shelburne road, found it 13 feet deep in the same spot. Friday, July 23. At quarter past eight, A.m., set off for the White Mountains. When advanced about 7 or 8 miles, had a full front view of the great Mountain,* which appeared like a naked rock, of its proper grey color, inclining to brown, the channels where water descends plainly discernible, being whiter than the rest. Crossed the E. branch of Saco River, *and the E. branch of Ellis River. Rode up the Mountains, by Ellis's River, which runs down a long descent, and is almost one continued fall. About 10 got to Copps's, the last house; t took some refreshment, and proceeded along the old Shelburne road, full of windfalls and mires, and overgrown with bushes. About 4 o'clock got to the New River, which broke forth in 1775; it forms a cascade of upwards of 100 feet, visible at its descent into Ellis River, and has borne down rocks, trees, before it. I ascended above 100 feet, and some of the company higher; the cascade is varied and winding, in some places confined within 2 feet, in others forming a wide sheet, and on some flat rocks a bason. Three-fourths of a mile further brought us to our proposed encamping ground, which is near a meadow, in which Ellis's River and a branch of Amariscogin have their heads; consequently, we are on the height of land between Saco and Amariscogin waters. Here we turned our horses into the meadow, and built a hut % of poles and bark, with an hemlock bed; and, having made a good fire before it, retired to rest. This day fair and cool. Saturday, July 24. A fine morning. After breakfast, * Subsequently called Mount Washington. — Eds. t In Jackson. — Eds. X While the hut was building, I walked into the meadow with Mr. Little, and took a view of the Mountain, which appeared in two very high peaks and several ridges, one of which was bare. Mr. Whipple, desiring to set the Mountain with the compass, I went again with him, and fell into a deep hole full of water up to my hips; returned and shifted as well as I could, but received so much damage from this accident that I was ill all night; feverish and weak. |