THE GEOGRAPHY OF VERMONT.

CHAPTER I.

Position. Boundaries. Extent.

ERMONT is in the northwest corner of New

England; it is in the northeastern part of the United States; it is near the eastern coast of North America, about midway north and south; it lies between forty-two degrees forty-four minutes and forty-five degrees forty-three seconds of north latitude, and between seventy-one degrees thirty-three minutes and seventy-three degrees twenty-five minutes of west longitude.

Vermont is bounded north by the Dominion of Canada, east by New Hampshire, south by Massachusetts, west by New York. The northern boundary of Vermont is near the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude, crossing it several times; its eastern boundary is the west bank of the Connecticut River; its southern boundary is very nearly the parallel' of forty-two degrees forty-four minutes north latitude; the larger part of the western boundary is the deepest channel of Poultney River and of Lake Champlain.

The width of Vermont at the south end is about forty miles; its width at the north end is about two and one-fourth times as great; its length is nearly four times its width at the south end.

The area of Vermont is 10,200 square miles.

CHAPTER II.

Mountains. Water-Shed. Valleys.

The Green Mountain range extends quite through Vermont in a direction nearly north and south, and it is nearer the western than the eastern side of the State.

In the southern part this is a broad-backed continuous range; from about the middle of the State northward the ridge is narrower and higher and is accompanied by important parallel ranges. At about two-thirds the distance from the south towards the north end of the State this range is cut through by the Winooski River; further north it is cut by the Lamoille River; and just beyond Canada line it is cut again by the Missisquoi River.

The highest peaks of this range are Jay Peak, Mansfield Mountain, Camel's Hump, Lincoln Mountain, Pico Peak, Killington Peak.

The most important parallel ranges of the Green Mountains are east of the main range.

The longest of these begins at the White River and extends to the Winooski. On the west side of this range, not quite half way down, is a plateau extending nearly the whole length of the range and wide enough for two or three farms.

Another parallel range is found between the Winooski and the Lamoille rivers. The Hogback and Elmore mountains are the highest peaks in this range.

There is a third parallel range between the Lamoille and the Missisquoi rivers. The Lowell Mountains are the highest in this range.

The main water-shed of Vermont coincides with the Green Mountain range from the Massachusetts line nearly to Lincoln Mountain; thence across north and south valleys and across and along north and south ridges it extends in an irregular course to the northeastern part of the State, and at the Canada line is quite near the Connecticut River. The mountains around Groton Pond and Willoughby Lake are among the most important on that part of the water-shed which is separate from the Green Mountain range.

Near the western border in the southern half of Vermont are the Taconic Mountains. They do not form a continuous ridge as the Green Mountain range does. Bird Mountain, Eolus Mountain, Equinox Mountain, and Mount Anthony, are the chief of these mountains.

Near Lake Champlain in the northern half of Vermont are the Red Sandrock mountains. These mountains stand apart from each other in a low country and so are conspicuous in their own neighborhoods

and furnish very fine views. The highest of these is Grandview Mountain, nearly due west from Lincoln Mountain.

Here and there in the eastern part of the State are the Granitic Mountains. Mounts Hor and Pisgah, Knox, Ascutney, and Black mountains are some of the most important of these.

Vermont lies within and between two valleys - that of the Connecticut River on the east and the Champlain-Hudson valley on the west. The two portions of the latter are joined by the Champlain canal.

Between the Green and Taconic mountains is what may be called the Southwest Valley of Vermont. On the east of this valley the Green Mountains form an unbroken wall, while there are gaps to the westward through the Taconic Mountains.

The Central Valley of Vermont lies east of the main range of the Green Mountains, and extends from the Missisquoi River to the Black River southeast from Killington Peak. Near the middle of its northern portion this valley is almost filled by Norris Mountain The portion between the Lamoille and the Winooski rivers is the widest. The portion between the Winooski and the White rivers is crossed about midway by the main water-shed of Vermont.

southern portion, in which are branches of the White, Quechee, and Black rivers, is quite irregular in its direction.

CHAPTER III.

The Boundary Waters of Vermont.

The Connecticut River, after a short course to the southwest, forms, by its west bank, the entire eastern boundary of the State, and then passes through Massachusetts and Connecticut and empties into Long Island Sound. Its chief commercial use is to float logs from the upper portion of its valley to the manufacturing towns below. It furnishes abundant water power, which is made use of in Vermont, particularly at Canaan, Guildhall, McIndoes, Olcott, Bellows Falls.

Lake Memphremagog is about midway between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain. It is about thirty miles long and two to three miles wide. It extends from north to south and lies about one-fourth in Vermont and three-fourths in Canada. Near its southern extremity are the villages of Newport and West Derby. The outlet of this lake is the St. Francis River, which empties into the St. Lawrence River.

Lake Champlain is partly in Vermont and partly in New York and in Canada. This lake is one hundred twenty-six miles long, and about one-fifth of this length is in Canada. Its greatest width in clear water is thirteen miles, and its average width is about four and one-half miles. Its outlet is the Richelieu River, which empties into the St. Lawrence River. There are many islands in this lake, the chief of which are South Hero, North Hero, and Isle La Motte, all in Vermont. The most important port on the lake in Vermont is the city of Burlington.