TOPOGRAPHY. The surface of the State is in general moflerately hilly, becoming mountainous in the west and north. The elevation rises from the coast northward and from east tee west toward the interior. Along the coast in the southwest corner the surface fail- into low. flat. and even marshy land, and the country maintains its low and generally level character as far as the Ken nebec River. East of the Kennebec the coast region rises to abrupt and bold elevations of 1000 to 1500 feet. The general slope of the State is determined by the main plateau which crosses it in a northeasterly direction and is the continua tion of the Appalachians. This system appears here only in somewhat isolated heights which. while preserving the continuity of the Appala chians, can scarcely be called a mountain range. The height of this divide varies from 2000 feet above sea level on the west, where it enters the State, to 600 feet at its eastern extremity, where it dies away in the Aroostook region on the bor der of New Brunswick. The most prominent peak is Mount Katandin, 5200 feet high. Nearer the western border stand Mount Abraham. 3388 feet. and Mount Bigelow, 3600 feet.
The fringe-like coast, with its tasseled edge of bold promontories and rocky islands. has given rise to the appropriate appellation of 'hundred harbored Maine.' The fiord-like harbors are the result of the drowning of the river valleys seored out by glacial action, and extending seaward far beyond the present shore line. This has provided Maine with excellent natural harbors, perfectly protected by the islands, but suffering from a serious disadvantage in the great rise and fall of the tides and the resulting swift currents. At Portland the tide rises 11 feet. increasing northward. Yet in spite of this disadvantage the coast between Portland and Eastport contains proportionately the greatest number of good har bors to be found anywhere along the coast of the United States.
There are upward of 600 lakes and pond-, aggregating a total area of over 2300 square miles. or one-fourteenth the total area of the State. They lie for the most part in the elevated plateau region. and are of great natural beauty. The most noted are: :Moosehead Lake, )20 square miles in extent, the largest inland body of water in New England. and the source of the Kennebec River: the Rangeley Lakes, with au area of 90 square miles, the headwaters of the Androscoggin River; Chamberlin Lake, supplying the Saint John; and Chesuneook Lake. connected with the Penobscot River.
The largest rivers of Maine are naturally those of the southern slope. The chief of these are the Saco. Androscoggin. Penobseo., and Saint Croix. the last named on the eastern boundary. They are of little value for commerce, tieing navigable only a few miles inland the Kennebec 2n to Augusta: the Penobscot 27 miles to Bangor. They ri-e at high el•va tions, and their precipitous character offers the explanation of their value as sources of water power. The power available for industrial pur poses is enormous. the Adroscoggin alone hav ing developed over 70.000 horse-power. Besides, the lakes in connection with these rivers fur nish reservoirs for the storage of water. and thus make possible a uniform and constant sup ply of power through all the year. It is esti mated that about 2.000.000 horsepower is avail able. This is utilized especially at the fall. which characterize most of the rivers. and which are due to the unyielding granite beds that eross their path. The Saint John River traverses the northwest corner of the State, and forms part of the boundary with New Brunswick.