Mount Monadnock, New Hampshire
Usually called the Grand Monadnock, is situated in the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin, in Cheshire county, about 22 miles E. from Connecticut river and 10 N. of the southern boundary of this state.—The direction of the ridge is N.W. and S.W. The mountain is about 5 miles long from N. to S., and 3 miles from E. to W. Its summit is 3,718 feet above the level of the sea. Thirty years since, Monadnock was nearly covered with evergreen wood of considerable growth. By the repeated ravages of fire, it now presents to the distant beholder, nothing but a barren and bald rock. But on ascending, we find plats of earth sufficient to give growth to the blueberry, cranberry, mountain ash, and a variety of shrubs. Some caves are discovered, which excite curiosity. They appear to have been formed by large fissures, and by extensive strata being thrown from their primitive state, and forming different angles with each other and with perpendicular precipices. The mountain is composed of talc, mica, slate, distinctly stratified.—Garnet, schorl, feldspar and quartz occur in various parts. On the E. side, plumbago is found in large quantities. Crucibles and pencils have been manufactured from it, but for the latter, it proves not very good. The summit, when seen at a distance of 4 or 5 miles, appears rounded and destitute of those high cliffs and mural precipices belonging to granitic mountains. The prospect from the pinnacle is very extensive; thirty ponds of fresh water, some of which are so large as to contain islands of 8 or 10 acres, may be seen from it, in the immediate vicinity. Near the base of the mountain, in Jaffrey, is the "Monadnock Mineral Spring."
