gree of cultivation.

Chesuncook is a long, narrow, and exceedingly beautiful lake. Its water flows into the west branch of the Penobscot, meeting that from Chamberlain, which we have just left, at the town of Medway or Nicatou. We now had reached the west branch of the Penobscot again and commenced to ascend the river. There are at Chesuncook several settlers, among whom may be mentioned Messrs. Walker, Ansell, Bridges, Smith and Folsom. The land is good, and not very far from a market, being twenty miles from Moosehead carry.

The west branch for four miles above Chesuncook lake, is dead water, and we saw much fine interval land and many islands. We recognized the vegetation we had left at Seboomook meadows; it had now sprung into the full leaf. This is one characteristic of the summer in the Aroostook belt, the ice once out of the river and the frost out of the ground, all vegetation grows with extreme rapidity. The river is quite strong and swift a good deal of the way from the lake to the Carry farm. We reached the Carry farm on the 5th of June, and were drawn across the railroad by the aid of Mr. Young. The land between the west branch and Moosehead lake is rather low and flat, the greatest elevation not exceeding forty or fifty feet, and for most of the way the "height of land" is not so great as this. This ridge divides the waters of the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers.

Moosehead Lake.

Having now reached Moosehead lake, it becomes my duty to describe briefly its physical character and the vegetation of the shores. The latter can be told in a single word or two, pines and other cone-bearing trees. Where the few clearings have been made, there are good farms and quite productive. Moosehead lake is an expansion of Moose river. This stream comes from the west, passing through a chain of many ponds and empties into this lake, having drained a district of twenty-three townships. The lake is very irregular in its shape, being twice as long as it is wide, and having five unequal arms. The river drivers who have warped logs across this water say they have found that a greater length of warping line was required in the vicinity of Kineo, a mountain in the centre of the lake than upon any other lake in Maine. It is the occurrence of such deep places as this which renders Moosehead such an unfailing resort for fishermen. The lake trout and togue of this lake are considered equal to any in New England.

The water of Moosehead finds an outlet through the Kennebec river; thus flowing out in nearly the same direction and at almost the same place as it entered.

The other features of the lake have been already fully described in the able report of last year of Mr. J. C. Houghton, who visited it late in the summer of 1861.

I regret, sir, that the work of describing in a familiar way, the physical geography, botany and agricultural capabilities of this vast district, did not fall into abler hands than mine.

Our journey was finished by our return to Greenville upon Saturday, June 7th, having accomplished in our birch canoes the entire distance of four hundred and twenty-two miles, in twentythree days.

I am, sir, most respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

GEORGE L. GOODALE.

Portland, Oct. 31st, 1862.

GEOLOGY OF THE ROUTE.

The rock on the west branch of the Penobscot, from the head of Chesuncook lake to the north-east carry into Moosehead lake, probably belongs to the Oriskany group. At the north end of Chesuncook, the slates dip from 10° to 15° north-westerly, while the cleavage planes are nearly perpendicular. We suppose that the high dips of the strata over the whole of this lake given last year by Mr. Houghton, are those of cleavage; he was certainly in error respecting the dip at the head of the lake. In these ledges at the head of the lake are a few fossils, which are largely changed into nodular masses of pyrites. The organic structure is very often apparent in them. At Pine Stream falls the dip of the strata seem to be about 25° north-westerly. The rock is a clay slate, with cleavage planes dipping 74° N. 20° W.

A few drift striæ appear at Pine Stream falls, running due south, and cross the river transversely. But near the mouth of Rag Muff stream are true glacier striæ, running down the river N. 15° W., the stoss side being on the south. The cleavage planes (and perhaps the strata also) dip 65° N. W. at Rag Muff. Between Pine stream and Rag Muff, rock exposures are common, all of a clay slate, with about the same position of the cleavage planes. Between Rag Muff and the north-east carry into Moosehead or

Seboomook lake, no ledges are seen, the banks being alluvial, and the meadows extensive and fertile. The excellent character ascribed to the country between Chesuncook lake and the North Branch mountain for agricultural purposes, by Mr. Geo. L. Goodale, we can fully endorse-and wonder that it has for so long a time escaped the notice of settlers.

Between the Carry farm and the mouth of Seboomook Meadow brook in the township of Seboomook, we have not explored the west branch, but know that many ledges occur upon this part of its course, since there are falls in the river. On the east side of Seboomook Meadow pond, are a few ledges of a micaceous appearing schist, like one at the north-west arm of Moosehead lake, and also on the north-west carry. No ledges were seen upon the west branch of the Penobscot till we had proceeded about two and half miles into Plymouth (or Boyd.) This rock is an indurated schist, of a slightly hornblendic appearance. It forms a low ridge running across the valley transversly, and reminds one of the indurated belts of schist frequently found in a talcose region. The dip is 85° N. W. At Gulliver's falls other ledges show themselves, with strata dipping 56° S. 60° W. The rock is a mica schist, passing gradually into the variety just described. These falls are very strong rapids, which it was necessary to carry by, and they are near the mouth of Gulliver brook.

In Pittston the tough variety of schist reappears, running apparently N. 65° E. with vertical strata. In this township the west branch of the Penobscot divides at the "Forks" into the southwest and north branches. About a mile below the Forks the mica schist dips 60° N. W. Upon the ledges are striæ running S. 28° E., or in the direction of the valley. Possibly they are glacial, and are connected with those at the mouth of Rag Muff. More mica schist ledges appear at the Forks. Ledges must be very abundant at the "Canada falls" upon the south-west branch, three or four miles above the Forks, as the river falls many (some say 90) feet perpendicularly, but we had no time to explore them.

In the edge of township No. 3, at the mouth of Lane brook, are many boulders of quartz containing carbonate of iron and other minerals. Boulders of mica schist contain pyrites. These fragments reminded us of an auriferous region, and consequently our long suffering tin pan was brought into requisition to wash for gold. But not finding any of the precious metal after a couple of

trials, we became discouraged, and left all the gold behind for more pains-taking explorers.

About Leadbetter falls the rock is clay slate, with the planes of cleavage and stratification remarkably distinct from each other.

Fig. 48 represents the falls with the adjacent ledges of slate. On the right is an island, very near the north shore, where the strata dip 30° N. 30° W., but the cleavage planes dip 72° S. 30° E. The strata are represented by the coarser and the cleavage planes by the finer lines. Upon the south side of the river the position of the cleavage planes is the same as on the island, but the strata dip 30° S. 30° E., forming thus an anticlinal axis. This is a very instructive example. The fall of water is too great to allow the canoes to ascend the river here, hence it was necessary for us to "carry by." At the further end of the portage is a large horseback, which terminates here in a ledge larger than the ridge itself. We traced this horseback up the river for three miles, and found it was not parallel with the course of the river. Just above Leadbetter falls the strata are much contorted, and appear like an inverted anticlinal. The rock is more micaceous also. Still further on, the dip changes to 20° S. 20° E., making a synclinal in addition to the anticlinal in Fig. 48. This belt of clay slate is very narrow, and is hardly to be considered as belonging to a formation distinct from the mica schist on both sides of it.

In No. 4, R. 18, are two interesting mountains, crowding closely upon the river, one of which is called North Branch mountain, and the other upon the east side of the river has no name. They must be over 1000 feet high. The rock is a little argillaceous, but largely micaceous; being very much like the prevailing rock about Bangor. About 800 feet above the river the dip is 15° N. 30° W., having the same strike with the slates at Leadbetter falls. Near the north base of the mountain is a large excavation in the strata appearing very much like a quarry. The soil was probably re

moved by slides, and by the agency of frosts and gravity very much of the rock has been exposed to view. A very large curve in the strata is thus developed. The strike and dip vary very much at the different portions of this anticlinal curve, but it is needless to state all the particulars. The curve is much larger than the one represented in Fig. 48; and the variation of the strike to a more nearly east and west course seems to have been produced by the crowding of the strata by the plicating agency. The rocks here are abundantly traversed by quartz veins, both large and small, and minerals similar to those found in the quartz boulders at Lane brook abound. These veins may be auriferous. Similar rocks are found above these mountains on the river, and indeed so far as its source in Abacotnetic lake.

North of these mountains, in Nos. 4 and 5, R. 18, the valley spreads out much wider, and often there occur large tracts of low alluvial land, or meadows, which when cultivated will make excellent grass lands, being overflowed annually by freshets. In No. 5, ledges of mica schist appear, showing both cleavage and stratified planes, the former dipping 67° S. E., and the latter dipping 40° S. Here also are more glacial markings. As we walked much of the way in the tote road we did not examine all the ledges cropping out on the shores, but have no reason to suppose them to be different from the common schists.

Names of Rivers and Mountains.

The north branch in Nos. 4 and 5 divides into the middle branch, (sometimes called Dole brook,) the north-west and northeast branches. When near Abacotnetic lake, if we should try to inform the public of our exact location it would require many words, for we were travelling up the north-east branch of the north branch of the west branch of the Penobscot river. Evidently a change in the nomenclature of the different branches of this river would be desirable. Although objection has been made to the almost unpronounceable Indian names of the rivers and lakes of northern Maine, we cannot see how the branch method of giving names is an improvement. Certainly it is not in this case.

As this subject of names has been broached, we desire to say a few words respecting the inappropriateness of many names used to express geographical relations in Maine. Names may be inappropriate either from repetition or uncouthness. No one would wish