A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 625 pages of information about A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents.

A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 625 pages of information about A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents.

In addition to the surveys upon the boundary line claimed by the United States, an exploring line was run under the direction of Professor Renwick, as is more particularly described in Appendix No. 1.  This line extended to an eminence on the eastern side of Lake Matapediac, elevated 1,743 feet above the level of the sea.  The views obtained from this eminence established the fact that a chain of highlands extended thence to the north shore of the Bay des Chaleurs.  They are believed to terminate in an eminence, which from its imposing appearance has been called by the Scotch settlers at its foot Ben Lomond.  This was measured during the operations of the summer of 1840, and found to rise from the tide of the bay to the height of 1,024 feet.  This exploring line, coupled with the more accurate surveys, appears to establish the fact of the existence of a continuous chain of eminences entitled to the epithet of highlands from the north shore of the Bay des Chaleurs at its western extremity to the sources of the Connecticut River.  Returning from the latter point, they exhibit the aspect of well-marked ranges of mountains as far as the sources of the Metjarmette.  Thence to the sources of the Etchemin extends an undulating country whose mean height is 1,300 or 1,500 feet above the level of the sea.  The boundary line is thence prolonged to the Temiscouata portage over well-defined ridges to the eastern side of Lake Temiscouata.  At the sources of two of the streams which run into this lake the minimum heights of 651 feet and 676 feet have been observed.

With these exceptions, the sources of the streams which rise to the north of the Temiscouata portage and between the lake of that name and Lake Matapediac average more than 900 feet above the level of the sea.  For the purpose of describing this portion of the line claimed by the United States, we may take this height of 900 feet as the elevation of a horizontal plane or base.  On this are raised knolls, eminences, and short ridges whose heights above this assumed base vary from 300 to 1,300 feet.  The more elevated of these are universally designated by the hunters who occasionally visit the country and the lumberers who search it for timber as mountains clothed to the summit with wood, which, in consequence of the rigor of the climate, attains but a feeble growth.  They have an aspect of much greater altitude than they in reality possess, but their character as highlands is indisputable.  This term, which the first English visitors ascribed without hesitation to the hills of New Jersey,[36] whose altitude is about 300 feet above the level of the sea, is much better merited by a group of eminences rising from 300 to 1,300 feet above a base itself 900 feet in height, and which exceed in elevation the well-known highlands of the Hudson River.

[Footnote 36:  The highlands of Neversink.]

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.