■ivi t> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A & 1.0 I.I 1.25 !S IM IIM '- '^ IIIIIJl 1^ 12.0 Mi ImUiI 11 = U III 1.6 V] <^ /a 7 'c^l ■c?;y jJ^^ ^<^ ? Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 V m^.. § % id. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHJVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. m Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best onginal copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D □ D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ I 1 Couverture endon □ Cov Cou dommag6e Covers restored and/or laminated/ verture restaur^e et/ou pellicul6e Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6td filmdes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/oi Pages restaur^es et/ou pellicul^es Pages discoloured, stained or foxei Pages d^color^es, tachet^es ou piqu^es Pages detached/ Pages detachees Showthroughy Transparence Quality of prir Qualit^ in^gale de I'impression includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel supplementaire I I Pages damaged/ I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ [~T| Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ r~~1 Showthrough/ □ Quality of print varies/ Qua □ includes supplementary material/ Comi Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont dt6 filmdes d nouveau de fapon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. The to tl The POS! of tl film Orig begi the sion othe first sion or ill The shal TIN! whii Map diffc entii begi righ reqi met This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X re details es du modifier er une filmage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy an^i in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. §es L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6X6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim^e sont filmds en commengant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ♦- (meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END "), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole •-► signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbole V signifie "FIN". re Maps, platets, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre film^s d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. y errata !d to nt le pelure, pon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 / / i! y A T U K / J^io i '\ TO THK %fm- RIVER SAGUENAY, M IN L W E 11 CAN A D A . BY CHARLES LANMAN, AUTHOR OF "a SUMMER m THE WILDKUNESS.' I PIMLADELPHIA: CAREY AND HART. 1848. Entered according to tlio Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by CAREY AND HAPxT, in the Clerk"s OlTice of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. riiiLADELPiriA: T. K. Ai\D P. G. COLLINS, rKIiVTERS. TO SOLOMON T. NICOLL, ESQ., OF XEw ToiiK ( rrv. My Dear Sir, To you, in testimony of my friendship, T inscribe this little volume. On a pleasant morning in May last, I a\voke from a piscatorial dream, haunted by the idea that I ?m(sf spend a portion of the approaching summer in the indulgence of my passion for angling. Relinquishing my editorial labors for a time, I performed a pilgrimage wliich has resulted in the production of this volume, and I hope it may entertain those of my friends and the public who have heretofore received my literary efforts with favor. The work will be found to contain a record of adventures in the valleys of tlie Hudson, St. Lawrence and St. Johns, and along some of the rivers of New England. Truly, your friend, ^ CHARLES LANAL^N. New Y(»nK, Autumn of 1S47. J I! CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Catskill IMountains— South Peak Mountain— A thunder storm— lAIichiight on the mountains — Sunrise — Plautcrkill Clove — Peter Hummel— Trout fi.-hin- in tlio Boreas River— A night in the Av(.. His— Moose Lnke-Lake Delia— The Nowconib Farm— INIom.t TaliaM-us- The Lnliau Pa.--.-Lalces fSanfonl an.l Henderson — TJie IMcIntyru iron works . . . . nQ CHAPTER Vn. John Cheney, the Adirondac hunter— Some of his exploits CHAPTER VHI. Burlington— Lake Chamijlain— Distinguished men - 93 i 4 CHAPTER IX. Stage eoach-The Winooski-The Green lAIountains-The ruined dwell- ing—The White Mountains-The Flume-A deep pool-The Old Mim of the Mountains-The ]^Kisin-Franeonia Notch- View of the mountains— Mount Washington— The Notch Valley - 103 CHAPTER X. IMontrcal 115 I* CHAPTER XL Quebec 120 CHAPTER XIL A sail down the St. Lawrence— Sword-fish chasing a whale 125 CHAPTER XIIL The Saguonay River— Storm picture—The Hudson's Bay Company- Eminent merchant— The IMountauieer Lidians— Tadousac— Ruin of a Jesuit establishment - - . . . ■. oi CONTENTS. vii CHAT Ti: II XIV. The salmon— Several adventures MU CHAl'TER XV Seal hunting on the St. Luwrence—Tli.; wl lite porpoi.se 151 CHAPTER XVI. The Esquimaux Indians of Labrador 156 CHAPTER XVII. The Habitans of Canada IGO chapti:r XVIII. The Grand Portage into Nevv Brunswick -Lake Tuniscouta- Madawaska River CHAPTER XIX. The Acadians ■The 1G5 170 CHAPTER XX. Sail down the Madawa^ka— The Falls of the St. John CHAPTER XXL The Hermit of Aroostook 174 173 CHAPTER XXIL The River St. John 193 CHAPTER XXIIL The Penobscot River 197 VIU CONTENTS. CHAPTKR XXIV. Moosehea.l Lake and the Kenncbeck River - 201 A fishing party on CHAPTER XXV. the Thames— Watch Hill-Night adventures 210 CHAPTER XXVI. A week in a fishinf? smack-Fishermen-A beautiful morning at scji- A day at Nantuckct-Wreck of a ship-Night on the ^ound-Satc arrival A TOUR TO' THE KIVER SAGUE^AY. C H A P T I : R I . ri.>r.,.killMnnn,ain._S„n,l. P.ak Mo„ntnin-A ,lun.,i.M- <,onn_ ^I'lnmht on tl... .nun„mi„s-S,uni..-I>h,,t.rkiIl ("l„v,.- ['.r.-r lI.nnMi.l-rr„Mt lishi>.;.-N,ony Cl-.v. - Tl,. Kaut.T.kili Fall-Tlu- Mnuntaiu IIuu.r did l)etrav the heart that loved her," we awaited tlu^ thunder- storm's r(>plv to our ohstinate refusal to descfMid. The cloud was yet helow us, hut its unseen herald, a stroni^ east wind, told ns that the conflict had commenc(>d. Pres(>ntly, a peal of thunder resounded throuiih the vast profound, whi(di caused the mountain to tremhh^ to its deep foundation. And then foUowed another, and another, as the storm increased ; and the rain and hail poured down in floods. Thinkinir it more safe to expose ourselves to the storm than remain under the pine, we retreated without (hday, when we were suddenlv enveloped in the heart of the cloud, oidy a i'cw rods distant. Tiien a stroke of lijrhtnini!; hlinded us, and the towerinir fo- rest monarch was smitten to tlu^ earth. \\v were in the midst of an unwritten epic poem ahout that time, hut we coidd not appreciate its heauties, for anotluu" j)eal of thunder, and another stroke of lifrhtninir, attracted our whole attention. 8oon as these had passed, a terrilile irale followcnl in their wake, tumhlinir down piles of loose ro(dvs, and hemlint; to the dust, as thouiih in jiassion, th(> resist inn- forms of an army of trees; and afterwards, a «,dorious rainhow spanned \hv. moun- tain, appearinfr like; those distiiiiruishinir circles around the temples of the Miirhty and Holy, as portrayed hy the painters of old. The commotion lasted for an hour, when the rcLnon of the liear Ha.nk h(>came as serene as the slumherof a hahc. A spirit of silent prayer was hroodiiii'' upon the earth and in the air, and with a shadow of thouuhtfulness at our hearts, we resumed our upward march. Our next halting place was upon a sort of peninsula called 22 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAGTIENAY. the Eajrlo's Nest, where, it is said, an Indian chiki was former- ly carried hy one of those birds, and cruelly destroyed, and whence the frantic mother, willi the mangled body of her babe, leaped into the terribk) abyss below. From this point we discovered a host of clouds assembled in council above High Peak, as if discussing the parched condition of the earth, anil the speediest mode of all'ording relief to a still greater extent than they had done; and far away to the west, was anotlier assembly of clouds, vying, like sporting chil- dren, to outrun and overleap each other in their aerial am- phitheatre. Aflc this we surmounted another point called Rattlesnake Ledge. Here the rocks were literally covered with the white bones of those reptiles, slaughtered by the hunter in by-gone years, and we happened to see a pair of them that were alive. One was about four feet long, and the other, which was only half as large, seemeil to be the offspring of tlie old one, for, when discovered, they were playing together like an affectionate mother with her tender child. Soon as we appeared in their presence, the serpents immediately ceased their sport, and in the twinkling of an eye coiled tbemselves in the attitude of battle. The conflict was of short duration, and to know the result you need onlv look into mv cabinet of curiosities. Higher yet was it our lot to climb. We went a little out of our course to obtain a bird's-eye view of a mountain lake. In its tranijuil bosom the glowing evening sky and mountaiu sides were vividly reflected, and the silence surrounding it was so profound that we could almost hear the ripples made by a solitary duck, as it swam from one shore to the othef^ in its utter loneliness. Very beautiful, indeed, was this pic- ture, and as I reflected upon it, I thought that as tiie Infant of Bethlehem was tenderly protected by the j)arents who MIDNIGHT ON THE MOUNTAINS. 23 watrhod over its sliunhers, so was tliis exquisite lake cra- dled and proteeted in the lap of the mountains. One siirht more did we behold l)erore reachinir the summit of South l*eak. It was the sunset hour, aiul on a jutting clitl" whieh commanded an immense view, our eyes were de- liirhted by the siirht of a di-cr, standinir ■''till, and lookini^r down u|)on the silent void below, which was then covered with a deep purple atmosphere, causiiiir the prospect to re- semble the boundless ocean. It was the last of its raci' we could not but fancy, biddinir the liuman world ^ood nii^ht, previous to taking to its heathery couch in a nanudess ravine. One eflbrt more and the lonix-desired eminence was at- tained, and we were a little nearer the eveninir star than we had ever been before. It was now the hour of twiliuhl, and as we were about done over with fatiirue, it was not long before we had pitched our leafy tent, eaten some su()p(M-, and yielded ourselves to tiie embrace of sleep, " dear mother of fresh thouirjits and joyous health !" At midniixht, a cooling breath of air having passed across my face, 1 was awakened from a fearful dream, which left. me in a nervous and excited state of mind. A straiiLi(,' and solemn gloom had taken possession of my spirit, which was greatly enhanced bv the doleful song of a iieighl)orin Hudson, with its cities, towns, villages, woods, hills and plains, whose crowded highway was diminished to a narrow girdle of deep bhie. 'I'owards llie south, hill beyond hill, field beyond Held r(!ceded to the sky, occasionally enlivened by a peaceful lake. On our right a multitudinous array of rugged mountains h\y piled up, apparently as imi)assable as the bottomless gulf. In the north, okl llii^h J'eak, King of the Catskills, bared his bosom 10 the mooidight, as if demanding and expecting the homage of tlie world. Strange and magnillcent, indeed, was the pros- j)ect from that mountain watch-tower, and it was with reluc- tance that we turned away, as in duty bound, to sluml)er until the dawn. TIh; dawn! and now for a sunrise picture among the mountains, with all the illusive performances of the mists and (douds ! He comes ! he comes! " the kinff of the briiiht days !" Now the crimson and golden elouds arc parting, and he bursts on the bewildered sight! One mo- ment more, and the whole earth rejoices in his beams, falling alike as they do upon the prince and the peasant of every land. And now, on either side and beneath the sun an array of new-born clouds are gathering — like a band of cavaliers, preparing to accompany their leader on a journey. Out of the Atlantic have they just arisen ; at noon, they will have pitched their tents on the cerulean plains of heaven ; and when the hours of day are numbered, the far-off waters of the Pacific will again receive them in its cool embrace. (\«% t- PLAUTERKTLL CLOVE. 25 ■I "M Tiistcn ! was not that the roar of waves ■ Naiiirht hut the report of tiiiinik'r in tlie valley helow. Are not the two oeeans eoniiiiii tofrcther ? See ! we are on a rock in the midst of an illiinita- hle sea, and the tide is surelv risiiiij — risinir rapidlv ! Slranije! it is still as death, and yet the oceans arc covered with hil- lows ! fiO ! the naked masts of a sjiip, stranded on a lee shore ! — and yonder, as if a reef were hidden there to impede their course, the waves are strnirglin of the stream into which 1 accidentally peered, I discovered a large trout, lying near the bottom, just above a little bed of sand, whence rose the bubbles of a spring. For some thirty minutes I watched the fellow with a " yearning tenderness," but as ho aj)pcared to be so very ha ppy » <^' ind I was in a kindred mood, 1 thoutrht that T would let him live. l*rcsentlv, however, a b(>autilul fly lighted on the water, which the greedy hermit swallowed in a minute, and returned to his cool bed, with his conscience, as I fancied, not one whit troubled by what he had done. Involuntarily I bejjan to unwind my line, and havinak, " them's tlie W'ujU i'cak and thi? Houml Top, uliich lay l)ac'k, like a lather and mother anionir their chililrcn, seeinir tlirv arc far ahove all the other hills." IJiit to i)rocecd. Coarse! v^ and cornicallv dressed as we were, we made a very uni^jue appearance as we paraded into the olFice of the hotel. I met ;i few aeqiiainlanees there to whom I introdueed my eomrades, and in a short time each one was spinninjr a mountain legend to a erowd of deliiihted listeners. In due time I ushered them into the dinini(-hall, where was cnaeted a scene which can be better imagined than described; the fellows were completely out of their ele- ment, and it was huighable in the extreme, to see them stare and hear them talk, as the servants bountifully ielj)ed them to the turtle soup, ice-cream, charlotte russe and other fasiiion- ablc dainties. About the middle of the afternoon we commenced desccnd- in; hut, a-^ to its df'pth, I could casuy laiicy it to ho hottoinlcss, lor the water is i-cinavkahly dark. To tlic uumhcr of trout in this hdvo there seems to be no end. It is sui)posed thcv reach it, wh(Mi small, tlironirh Sweetwater IJrook, when they increase in size, and multij)ly. It also al)Ounds in ixvccn and scarlet lizards, which are a serious drawback to the pleasures of the fastidious anirler. I asked ]*eter many questions con- cerniuix his adventures about the lake, and he told nu; that l!ie number of "harmless murders"' he had committed here was about three hundred. In one day ho shot thr(>e deer; at another time a dozen turkeys; at another twenty ducks; one niirjit an old bear; aiul airain hall-a-dozen eooiis ; and on one occasion annihilated a den of thirty-seven rattle- snakes. At nine o'clock we lighted a torch, and went to examine our lines; and it v/as mv rood fortune t(^ haul out not less than forty-one trout, weiLrhinu" from oiu' to two pounds a-pieee. These w(! put into a sprint- of v(M-y coUl water, which bubbled from the earth a few paces from our campini^ place, and then retired to repose. Hranclies of hendock (•onstituted our eou(di, and my station was between Peter and White Yankee. Little did i dream, when I first saw these two bipeds, that I should ever have them for my bed- fellows; but who can tell what shall be on the morrow '. My tViends were in the land of Nod in less than a dozen minutes after we had retired; but it M-as dillicult for me to i>o to sleep in the midst of the wild secne which surrounded me. There I lay, (lat on my back, a stone imd my cap for a pillow, and wrapped in a blanket, with my nose exposed to the chilly niirht air. And what pictures did my fancy conjure up, as I looked upon the army of trunks around me, irlist- 3 u A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAOUENAY. eninj)(:st crimson. AV^ivward and co(iucltisli creatnrt\s were these (doudsl their chief ambition seemed to be to disj)lay their charms to the best advantafrc, as if conscious of their loveliness; and, at sunset, when the li^ht lay ])illowed on the mountains, it was a joyous sire the ministers of the sun, and he would not tarry for them; and while lie beckoned them to ibllow on, the eveniiiir star took bis sta- tion in the sky, and bade them depart; and when 1 looked aL^'ain, they were jLTone. Never more, thouirhl J, will those clouds 1)0 a sonrce of joy to a human heart. And in this respect, also, they seemed to me to be the end)lems of those beautiful but thouiihtless maidens, who spend the llower of vouth triflinrr Avith the afl'ections of all whom thev have the power to fascinate. The mountains! in honor of the season which has just clothed them in the ricdiest irreen, they have, this day, dis- played every one of th(>ir varied and interostinfr charms. At noon, as I lay under the shadow of a tree, watchinir them " with a look made of all sweet accord," my face was fresh- ened by a breeze. It appeared to come from the summit of South Peak, and to be the voice of the Catskills. I listened, and these were the words wiiicli echoed throuLdi my ear. " Of all the seasons, oh 8j)rinL,'' ! thou art the nn)st be- loved, and, to us, idways the most welcome. Joy and glad- ness ever attend thy coming, for we know that the ' winter is 38 A TOI'R TO THE RIVER SAOFENAV. past, tlie rains are over and {,fone, ifio time of llie singing ol" birds is come, and llie voice of the turtle is heard in our land.' And we know, too, that from thy hands (low unnum- bered blessings. Thou soflenest the earth, that the husband- man may sow his seed, which shall yield him a thousand Ibid at the harvest. 'IMiou releascst the rivers from their icy fetters, that the wings of commerce may be unfurled once more. 'J'hou givest food to the cattle upon a thousand hills, that they, in their turn, may furnish man with necessary food, and also assist him in his domestic labors. Thou coverest the earth with a garniture of freshest loveliness, that the senses of man may be gratified, and his thoughts directed to II im who hath created all things, and pronounced them good. And, finally, thou art the iiope of the year, and thine admo- nitions, which are of the future, liave a tendency to emanci- pate the thoughts of man from this world, and the troubles which may surrouiul him here, and tix them upon that clime where an everlasting s])ring abides." " The voice in my dreaming ear melted away," and I heard the roaring of the streams, as they fretted their way down the rocky steeps. The streams! such "trumpets" as they have blown to- day would, I am afraid, have caused Mr. Wordsworth to exclaim: '' The cataracts — make a dcvUish nohc up yonder, '^^ The fact is, as " all the earth is gay," and all the springs among the mountains are " giving themselves up to jollity," the streams are lull to overflowinir, and rush along with a " vindictive looseness," because of the burden they have to bear. The falls and cascades, which nudvc such exquisite pictures in the summer months, arc now fearful to behold, for, in their anger, every now and then they toss some giant tree into an abyss of foam, which makes one tremble with fear. But after the streams have left the mountains, and are AN EMRLEM. 39 runninjT throuL'^h tlio !)ott()in liiiids, thcv still appear to he dis- pleased with sometllillL^ and at cvcrii funi tli(\v take, (h/rc into the " bowels of the Iwrmless earth,'" makiiiiX it daiiLrer- ous for the anirler to approach too near, hut reiulerinir the hauTitofthe trout niort^ spacious and commodious tlian hel'ore. 'I'he streams are about the onlv thiui^s I cannot ])raise lo-day, and I hope it will no! rain tor a month to come, if this is the way they intend to act whenever wi; have a number of dcliLditful showers. 'I'lie woods! A iroodly portion of the day have 1 spent in one of their most secret recesses. I went with Shakspeare under my arm ; but 1 could not read anv more than tly, so I stretched mvself at full leuL'th on a huire IolS and kept a sharp look-out lor anvthinir that miiiht seiul me a wakinjr dream, 'i'he brotherhood of trees (dustered around me. laden with leaves just bursting- into I'ull maturity, and possessiuL'" that delicate and jieculiar oreen which lasts but a sinole day, and never returns. A tilful bree/e swept ihrouLdi them, so that ever and anon T fancied a iiushinu" fountain to be near, or that a company of ladies iair was come to visit me. and that I heard the rustle of their silken kirtles. And now mv eyes rested on a tree that was (Mitirtdy lealless, and almost without a limb. Instead of grass at its foot, was a hea[) of dry leaves, aiul not a bush or a vine trrew anywhere lu'ar it; but arourul its neiirhbors thev orow in irreat abuntlance. It s(>enied branded with a curse; ah)iu', forsaken of iis own. and despised by all. Can this, tbouirbt [, be an emblem of any human beini: ? Stranr on. The west( rn slope of this jTcntle hill is equally divided, and of two dill'erent shades of green ; one is planted with rye and the other with wheat. The eastern slope of the hill has lat(dy been loosened by the plough, and is of a sombre color, but to my eyes not less pleasing than the green. And this view is enlivened with ligures besides — for a farmer and two boys are planting corn, the latter opening the beds with their hoes and the former droj)i)iii<,!- in the seeil (which lu; carries in a bag slung at his side), and covering it with his foot. And now, lluttering over their heads is a roguish bobolink, scoiilini^ about something in tluMr fVdkc : at a rcsjjec/fiil distance, and hoppiuir along the ground, are a number of robins, and on the nearest fence a meadow-lark and bluebird are 'Mioldinsr on for a bite."' !:■ > ; i i i( 42 A TOrU TO THE RIVER SAGUENAY. Hut thorn is no end to thesn rural picturos, so I will just take my reader into this neii^hhoriuir iuoack)W-pasture, thenee into the pouhry-yard ;it lionic, aiiti eouclude my present rhap- .sody. li ero wo are tl ion, in the mu dst of various domestic ani- mals. Yoiuh^r a couple of l)hiclv oolts are oliasinir each other in play, while their venerahlc mother (for they are l)rothers, thoui^Hi not twins) is standinjr a little way oil", watohini: their antics, and twisting about her ears, as she remomhers the happy days of her own colt-hood. Hero arc some half dozen hearty cows, lyinir down and iit oxen, eatini^ away as fast as they can, while one who seems to be a sentinel, occasionally rolls up his eye to see if the farmer is coniinuf to renew his sonfj of " haw ! o-oe ! i,\[ thy -mil -hall ii:i\i' Ikt rar ly I JglH. And cil^tuiii lie \\[)i>\\ tlirc \v itli a N\ •■■ lit Heavy a.- I'atr, aial (Ici'p alin<>.-t as lit^'. 4:i '' ( ) j(i t'lijitivc." '•'1\) iiic the iiii'aiii'.-t lliiurr thai lilndins, can '/ivc 'I'hoiiLrhts that do (jl'ti'ii lie Um (K'r[i llir trars. " Slraniro that a man, after dwellitiir upon such poetry, sliould 1)0 williiiu; to iro into a poullrij yard. Hiil why not? I woidd rath(M- do this /ril/inu'/i/ tlian be I'onipcllcd, as I liavo been, and may 1)0 ai>ain, to lioar a man say, after readinir to him Wordsworth's (jWAi Ode, " Wliy! of what f/.sr is such >iff'J/.'* what (h)es \i prorr/ will it furnish a man with /tread and huft( r .'^ will it make the po/ boil .^''' The people of the poultry-yard have heen in sutdi i^lee to-day, and contributed so much to the irladncss of the day, that I must pay them a passiufr tribute. In the llrst place, our old gobbler, with his retinue of turkey wives, has been at the point of burstinir with pride ever since sunrise. If the (Jrand Sultan of Tur- key, (who must be the father of all turkeys,) cuts the same kind of capers in the presence of his hundred ladies, Turkey must be a med to say, by lier ])omj")Ous air, to her daughterless friends — " Ar'n't they beautiful .' don't vou wish you had a IViw ?" It was also very funny to sec with what looks of astonish- ment the youthful cocks surveyed these " infant phenome- nons." As to our ducks, and geese, and guinea-hens, they have minded their business very well — the two former paddling about the creek and mud-puddles, and the latter, "between meals," roaming at large through the orchard and garden, altogether the most beautiful and rational of the lea- thered tribes. A mountaineer, who is to take this queer record to the post-ollice, is waiting for me below, and 1 must close, — hop- ing that the country pictures I have endeavored to sketch, may have a tendency to make you feel a portion of that joy which has characterized this delightful Spring Day. % CHAPTER I IT Tlu." Cora IMaiiting Bee, Pliiuterkill Clove, May. The people who inhabit that section ol' romitry lyiiij^ be- tween the Catskill Mountains and tlie Hudson Kiver, are un(loul)te(lly the let^itiniate descendants ot" the lar-fanicd Kip Van Winkle. Dutch blood llowclh in their veins, and their names, appearance, manners, are all Dutch, and J)ut('li only. The majority of them are eiiiraijed in tillinir the soil, and as they seem to be satislied with a bare competency, the peace- lulness of their lives is only equalled by their ignorance of l)Ooks and the world at larf^e. Tlie heiirht of their ambition is to enjoy a frolic, and what civilized people understand by that term, they designate a Bee. Not only have they their wedding and funeral bees, but they commemorate their agricultural labors with a i)ee, and of lliese the corn planting bee, which I am about to describe, is a specimen. A certain old Dutchman of my acquaintance had so long neglected die field where he intended to plant his corn, that he found it necessary to retrieve his reputation by getting up a bee. He therefore immediately issued his invitations, and at two o'clock on the appointed day, about seventy of his neighbors, including men and women, made their appear- ance at liis dwelling, each one of them furnished with a hoe 40 A TOUU TO TIFF. RIVKR SAGTKNAV. and a small i)a!v friend (^ave tlicj .sio:nal, and sli()idderini( a iarj^e hoe, started ofV for th ' lield of action, closely I'ollowed hy his neiiihhors, wlio fell to work (jiiite Instily. 'J'he field was larire, but as the laborers were nuinerons, it was entirely |)lanted at least two honrs before sunset, when the party was disbanded, with the express nnderstandinir reslinii" npon their ininds that they shoidd invite their children to the dance, which was to take j)lace in the eveninr, the faces of the dancers bccanu! ([uile red with the rare excitement, and iht; hall was filled with a kind of heated foir, in which the lirsl "break- down" of tlu! evenintr concluded. Then followed the refreshment scene. Tln^ men drank wliisky and smoked cijrars, while the women feasted on mince pics, drank small beer, and smdvcd molassi^s candy. Some of the smaller men or boys, who were; too lazy to dance, sneaked oil" into an out-of-the-way room, for the pur- pose of pittdiinir pennies, while a few couples, who were victims to the tender passion, retired to some cozy nook to bask unobserved in each other's smiles. JJut now- the screechinir fiddle is aited, but distinguished for its dens of rattle- snakes ; and the latter is somewhat cultivated, but memorable lor having been the camping-ground of the French during the Kevolutionary War. The whole eastern border is yet a com})arative wilderness; but .along the western shore are some respectable farms, and a good coach road from Cald- well to Ticonderoga, which allbrds many admirable views of the sky-blue lake. There are three public houses here which I can recommend : the Lake House, for tlu)se who are fond of company — Lyman's Tavern lor the hunter of scenery and lover of quiet — and CiartleUl's House for the fisherman. A nice little steamboat, commanded by a gentle- man, passes through every morning and evening, (excepting Sundays,) and though a convenient afiair to the travciUer, it is an evesore to the admirer of the wilderness. Identilied with this boat is an eccentric man named Old Dick, who amuses the tourist, and collects an occasional shilling by ex- hibiting a number of rattlesnakes. When, in addition to all these things, it is remembered that Horicon is the centre of a region made classic by the exploits of civilized and savage warfare, it can safely be pronounced one of the most into- 52 A TOl K TO THE RIVER SAGUENAV. rcslinir portions of our ooimtry for the summer tourist to visit. 1 have looked upon it from many a peak whenee mii^lit be seen almost every rood of its shore. I liavc; sailed into cverv one of its hays, and, lik(? ihe pearl-diver, hav(> re- pealcdly descended into its ('old hluc ehamhers, so tliat 1 have learned to love it as a faithful and well-tried friend. Since the day of my arrival liere, I have kept a journal oi my adventures, and, as a memorial of Iloricon, I will extract ihertdVom, and cmhody in this chapter the followinii ])as- vSages. Six pencil sketches have I executed upon tlie lake to-day. Oiu' of them was a view of the distant mountains, whose various outlines were concentrated at one point, and whose color was of that delicate, dreamy hlue, created by a sun- lif^ht atmosph(>re, M'ith tiie sun directly in front. In the mid- dle distance was a Hock of islands, with a sail-boat in their midst, and in the forej^round a cluster of rocks, surmounted by a single cedar, which appeared like the sentinel of a for- tress. Another was of the ruins of Fort George, with a background of dark-irreen mountains, made quite desolate by a llork of sheep sleeping in ono of its shady moats. An- other was of a rowing-race between two rival fishermen, at i\u) lime thev were onlv a dozen rods from the goal, and when every nerve of their aged frames was strained to the utmost. Another was of a neat log-cabin, on a quitst lawn near the water, at whose threshold a couple of ragged, but beautiful children were playing with a large dog, while from the (diimney of the house ascended the blue smoke with a thousand fantastic evolutions. Another was of a huire pine tree, which towered conspicuously above its. kiiulred on the mountain side, and seemed to me an appropriate symbol of Webster in the midst of a vast concourse of liis fellow men. And the last was of a thunder-storm, driven away from the I I TROIT FISHIXG. 53 nioiiiitnin lop i)y llio mild radiance of a rainbow, vvhirli partly ('Mrir(d(Hl lloricoii in a lovini^ cinbrace. I iiavc hoA'w fisliinir to-day, and, while endurinir some poor sport, indited in my mind the followini:' information, for the hen(>fit of my piscatorial friends. 'I'ln; days of trout-fishinj^ in Lake Iloricon are nearly al an end. A few years a^o, it abounded in salmon-trout, whicii were frcNjuently eauiiiit weiuhiuL'" twentv })ounds. liut their avcMMii^e weiulit, at the present time, is not more than one pound and a half, and they are scarce even at that. In taking" them, you llrst have to obtain a sudicient ([uanlity of sapliiiLT bark to reach the bottom in sixtv feel ol' water, to one end of whitdi must be fasteiu'd a stone, and to the otiier a stiidv of wood, which desiLjnates your lishinsr-iiround, and is called a !)nov. A. va- riety ol mor(! common tish ;ire then caught, such as smdiers, perch, and ee!-;, which are cut up and deposited, some hall" a peck at a time, in the vicinity of the buoy. In a few days the trout will beuin to assemble, and so lonir as yon ke-ep them well led, a brace of them may be ca{)turc:d at any time duriu'j" the summer. I>ut the fact is, tliis is only another way for "• piiyinu- too dear lor the whistle." TIk; best an- ,re he was so sadly deA^ited. I look upon it as one of the most enchanting places in the world ; but the pageant with which it is associated was not only enchanting and ix'autiful, but masinificent. Only look upon the picture. It is the sunset hour, and before us, far up in the upper air, and companion of the evening star, and a host of glowing clouds, rises the majestic form of Plack Moun- tain, enveloped in a mantle of rosy atmosphere. 'I'he bosom of the lake is without a ripple, and every cliO", ravine and island has its counterpart in the pure waters. A blast of mar- tial music from drums, fifes, bagpipes and bugle horns now I FORTS GEORGE AND WILLIAM HENRY 55 falls upon the car. and the immense procession comes in siflcht ; one tliousnnd and thirty-five iiatteaux, containiiiij an army of seventeen lliousand sonls, headed i)y the hrave Al)er- cromhie and the red cross of Knujland, — the scarlet uniforms and glisteniniT bayonets forminsr a line of li<,dit airainst the darker hackuroiind of the mountain. And behind a ioi^ in the fores ovcrlookiiiir Iloricoii is nhonl liv(; miles from the outlet, ami knouii as lioirers' Slide. It is some four liiimlred feet hiifli, ami at one })oiiit not a jissiire or sj)ri}r can he discovered to mar tin; polished surface of the rock till it reaches the water. Once on a time in the winter, the said l^»lrers was pursued hy a hand of Indians to this spot, Mlien, after throwinir down his knapsack he carelullv retraced the steps of liis snow-shoes for a short (hstance, and descendiii!^ the hill l)y a circuitous route, con- tinu(,'d his course across the frozen lake. The Indians, on cominjr to the jumpinu-olf jdace, discovered their enemy on tlie icy j)lain ; hut when they saw the netrlected kna])sack below, and no siLnis of returning; iootsteps where they stood, tliey thought the devil was in the man, and gave up the pursuit. The most famous, aiul one of the most beautiful islands in this lake, is J)iamond Island, so called from the fact that it abounds in crystalized (}uartz. it is jialf a mile in length, but the last j)lace which would be thought of as the scene; of a battle. It is memorable for the attack made by the Ameri- cans on die IJritirii, who had a garrison there, durinir the Kevolution. TJie American detachment was coinmaiuled by Col. IJrown, and being (dated with his recent triumphs on Lake Chami)lain, he resolved to attack Diamond Island. The batde was bloody, a. id tlie British fouirht like brave men "long and well ;" the Americans were defeated, and this misfortune was Ibllowed by the sullerings of a most painl'ul retreat over the almost impassable mountains between the liake and what is now Whitehall. AVhile wandering about the island it was a dillicidl matt(>r for me to realize that it liad ever resounded with the roar of cannon, the dismal wail of war, and the shout of victory. That spot is now covered with woods, whose shadowy groves are Uic abode of a thou- FRFXCII MOUNTAIN. sniul birds, forovor siiiLniiLf :i soiiij of ponce or lovr, ;ts *' tc rondriiiii llir anii)ilioii and crucltv of man. In tlic vicinity of Frrnfli Mountain is an island crl«'l)r.it«pd as tlic hurial-plact! of a rattlesnake hunter, named IJeldeti. From all that I can learn, he must have heen a strauire mortal indeed. His birth-place and early liistory were alike un- known. When he first made his apj)ear;»nce at this lake, liis only companions w(^re a bi-otherhood of rattlesnakes, by exhibitinj^ which he professed to have obtained his livinff; and it is said that, durin- excursion, in a hoat accompanied hy a couj)le of " jrreen-iiorns,'" we discovert (1 on Ilie water, near '1 OtlLHie M ountam, an immense rattkisnake with liis liead turned towards us. As the oars- man in the how of tiie hoat struck at him witli Jiis oar, the snake coihui round it, and the fool was in the very act of (h'op- pinii' the (h'vilisli thinjj- in my lap. 1 had heard the creature rattle, and not knowini,^ what 1 did, as he hunix suspended over me, overhoard I went, and did not look l)eliind until I liad reached the land. The consecpience was, that for one while 1 was perfectly disirusted even with liak(> lloricon, and resolved to leav(! it without delay. 'J'he snake was killed without doiiio- any harm, liowever, hut such a hlowiiii!' up as 1 gave the grei'n-h(H'n actually made his hair stand straiiiht with fear. One more snake story, and I will conclude : On the north side of \M.u-k Mountain is a cluster of some half dozen jiouses, in a vale, which spot is called the IJosom, hut from what cause I do not know. 'J'he presidinfT -, hut whose principal (tinuscmcut is rattlesnake huntinir. 'I'heir favorite play-ij;round is the; notorious cliif on Toniiue Mountain, where they no with na.ked feet (rowinjr their own l)oats across the lake), and j)ull out by their tails from the rocks the j)retty playthinus, and, snappinn- them to death, they lay them away In a basket as trophies of their skill. I was told that in one day last year they killed the incredible number of elevcMi fiiindred. What delicious wives would tlu>se lloricon ladies MrniTATlONS. 61 mak". Sinrc llic I'lorida Indians hav(^ boon drivoii tVom thoir couiilrv 1)V 1)l()()d-lu)nii(ls, would il not \)r a cood idea lor Coniircss to nocun* tlir services of [\\vsc amazons for tlu» jMirpMsc of ('Xt(n'miiialin<,»- tlio rattlesnakes upon our moun- tains. This latter nioveiuent would he the most ridiculous, hut ihe inhumanity of the former is without a j)arallel. ^1 A clear and traiKjuil summer ninht, and ] am alone on the pehhly heacdi of this parairon of lakes. The countless hosts of lieaxcn are hiMUiinir upon mc with a silent jov, and more impressive and holy than a poet's dream are the surroundini^ niouniains, as they stand redectcMl in the unrulUed waters. Listen! what sound is that so like the wail of a spirit .' Only a loon, the loncdy nia'ht-watcher of lloricon, whose midan- clioly moan, as it breaks th<^ profound stillness, carries my fancy back to the olden Indian times, ere the white man had crossed the ocean. All these mountains and this heaii- tilul lake were then the heritaire of a brave and noble-hearted peopl(% who made war only upon the denizens of the forest, whose lives were j)eaceful as a dream, and whose manly forms, decorated with the j)lumes of the eas»le, the feathers of the s( arlet bird, and lln; rolx^ of {\\c boundinir slag, tended but to make the scenery of the wilderness beautiful as an earthly J'lden. Here was the (piicH wiirwam villaire, and there the; secluded abodt^ of the thouubtful (diief. Here, uni!iolcsted, the Indian (diild j)layed with {\\o. spotted fawn, and the "Indian lover wooed his dusky mate;" here the Indian hunter, in the " sunset of his life," watidu'd with holy aw(! the sunset in the west, and here the ancient Indian prophetess sunii' her un(!Outh but relinious (diant. (ione — all, all u'one — and the desolate creature of the waves, now |)ealing forth another wail, seems the only memorial that they have left Ixdiind. There — my recent aspirations are all (pielled, I can walk no further to-night; — there is a sadness in my 'I J 'i 62 A TOrR TO THE RIVER SAGIENAV. •soul, and T must seek my home. It is such a hlessed iiicrht It seems almost sinful tliat a blight should rest on the spiriJ ot man; yet on mine a gloom will sometimes fall, nor can I tell whence the cloud that makes me wretched. 1 CHAPTER V. Tlie Sr.'inion r(jmitry — Scaroon Liiko I'ko llshini; l)y torchlight — Tnjiit h^llillL^ — Lyndsay's Tavorii — I'arailux Lake. Ijj}iiUaijs Tai'cni, Jum\ Emi'tyinc; iiUothc Hudson River, about fiftecii miles north of Cileu's Falls, is quite a lartro stream, sometimes called the East Hrancliorthe Hudson, hut generally known as Searooii River. Its extreme lenirtli is not far iVom tifty miles. It is a elear, eold, and rapid stream, winds through a moun- Minous country, and has rather a ileep channel. The valley throutrh whicii it runs is somewhat cultivated, but the moun- tains which frown upon it on either side, are covered with dense forests. The valley of the Scaroon abounds in beau- tiful lakes ami brooks ; ami as I have explored them pretty thorougidy during the past week, I will now record the result of my observations. Tlu! most })rominent pictorial feature of this region is Scaroon liake, through which the river of that name forms a channel. It is [vn miles in leniidi and average's about oiu' in width, lilxcepting a little hamlet at its head, and two or three farms at the southern extremity, it is yet surrounded * The \\(ii-il Schrooii is Ijail F.iiL^h-h liir th" huhaii wnrd Stiaroon, the meaning of whii'h is — -^ ihilil of lln mountains." Thi' rivrr was lirigiiially nunietl by an Algonquin chief after u favorite daughter. 04 A TOUR TO TIIF RIVKR SAOI EXAY. II I will) ;i wilderness of iiioiintaitis. 'V\\<\ \vat(M's tlicrcof arc (1('('|) aiiil clear, and well supplied wilh lisli, ol" which the salmon trout and |)ike arc the most valuahle. The trout are more abundant lieri; than in Lake (Jeorjre, hut owinir to the prevailini,^ custom of sj)earini: tiiem in the autumn, they are rapidly hecomintr extinct. I made a d(>sp(>rate ell'ort to capture one as a specimen, hut without success, thounli I was told that they varied in weiij^hl from ten to lirteen j)ounils. My ellorts, however, in takinjr pike were more encourafrinj^. liut, hel'ore givinir my experience, I must mention an inte- resting jact in natural history. Previous to the year 1810, Scaroon Lake was not known to contain a single pike, but during tbat year, some hall" dozen males and females were broui(Thbor- 0- some his lish many >n ^vere it, and 1 lu'ce Hat |rh iiiilht, •vc made [\^ taking business, in their hoat. I I would I'roni nine iimue the out in the il, four of thi< iiumhcr were capUircd l)y inyscH". in spile of my poor spear. I (lid not take tlie larizcsl tisli. uhirli weiiihed eiiiliteen pounds, hn: the lireatcst luiinher, with wiiich success 1 was I'ullv sati>lied. — The cllect ol" my i^noil \\\rk was iiiiex peeled to m\' companions, hut nralilV iiiif to nu', for there was after- wards a strife hetween them as to who shouKl show me the most attention in the wav of pilotiiiLT I'le about the country. This htth' adveiitiu'(> tauiiht me the importance of understand- iiiL^ e\('n the vaL''ahon(l art of speariiii!", 'J'hi' e\cnl of that niiihl, how(>ver, wliich ailorchal me the purest enjovmeiit. was the witm'ssinsi" of a mooidiii'ht sciuu;, immeihatelv after leaxiiiir the lai;e shore for the iuu, where 1 was tarr\ iuiT. I'eiore me, in wihl ami sohunu heauty, hiy the southern po'Mion ctl' the Scaroon, on whose l)o>om were glifUnii tl,i,e spearnu'ii, hohhnu' hijrh above their heads their hni^e torches, which thicw a spectral i^hirc, not otdy npon the water, hut n|!on the swarthy I'orins watchiun- for their .lust at this moment, an immense cloud of foii broke )rev o away, ami ilirectly ai)Ove the siinnnit ol the opposite nH)un- tain, the (dear, full moon made its appearance, and a lliou- sand fantastic liu:nres, born of the foLi", were pictured in the sky. and appeared extremely brilliant under the (diulirence f the ridiu!! planet; while the zenith of sky vas of a deej) l)hie, (doudless, hut completely spantiled witli stars. And ^v]lat lireatly added to the maiiic of tlu; scene, w^as tin; dis- mal scream of a loon, which canu; to my ear from a remote portion of tli(> lake, yet covered with a heavy I'on;. vi.^'ini' from the western marain of Scaroon Lake, is (luile 1 a lofiy iiKumtain. which was oiu'c paintetl by 'JMiomas Cole, ami l»y liiin named Scaroon Mountain, 'i'lunx! is nothinht of this mountain, it struck ine as an ohl acquaintaiiee, and I reined in my liorsc for the purpose of 66 A TOTR TO THE RIVER SAGUENAY. I invrsli trout, it" I li.id to rcniain \\\o\'c :ill tii'ilit. 1 lii(Mi riiivMc'kcd til.! niouiitaiii sidf lor a li\iiiLi- bait, and, with thf aid of iiiv '*oiii[)aiiioii, siiccccdcd in captiiriuiX ^i small moiHc, and just as the t\vilii:ht was ('(Miiin'i nii, I tied the little jellow to luv hook, and threw hitii on the water. He swam across in line st\ le, hut w hen he reafdied the cen- tre of the pool, a lanje trout Icajieil eoinpletid v out of his clement, and in deseendinLT, seized the m(Mise, and tlu' res'alt was, that 1 hroke mv rod, hut eaUL'hi the trout, and though the in!Mi>e was seriouslv injured, I had the pleasure ot' a^aiii L^iviuii' him his liherty. 'I'he largest trout that I killeil weij^hed nearly a pound, and thouLrh he was the eause ol' mv reeeiviuL'' :i duekini:-, he af- forded me .some sport, and L^i've m^ a new ide;i. \\ !ien I. lirsi hooked him, 1 stood on tln^ \'er\' mari^in of the ^'rean1. knee deep in a hoo-, and just a-; 1 was a!)out to basket him, he ijave a sudden, leap, (deared himsfdf, and fell into the wa- ter, (iuitdv as thouLdit I made an t'llbrt to rescue him, huf ill doiiiir so, lost mv balance, and wa.s plavino- the part of i turtle in a tub of water. 1 then becanu' j)oetii-ad, aiul thouifht It w ould ne\'er do to aive it U[) so. am 1 aft er waitinii' some fifteen m.nutes, I returned ami tried for the lost trout airiiin. I threw my lly some tw(>nty feet above the place where j had tumlthnl in, and reca[)tured the identical ilsh whudi I had lost. I r(M'oo-|iiz(id hiin l)v b.is havimi :i torn and bleed- itiir mouth. 'JM lis circumstance convinced iiu that trou It, lik \e many of the sons of men, have short memories, and also that the individual in ([uertion was a [lerfecl Jiicdudieu or General Tavlor in his wav, for he seemed to know no su(di wo rd as fail. As to the trout that I did not capturi', 1 \erily believe that ho must have weiiihed two pounds ; but as he was, probably, a superstitious irentlemaii, he tliouuht it the better part of valor, somewhat like ISaiita Anna, to treat the steel of his enemy with contempt. 68 A TOUR TO THE RIVKR SAGT'ENAY. The brook of wliicli I li:iv(; hocii spoakiiiiT, is onlv twenty- live miles iVom Lake llorieoii. :ui(i iiiii|iiL'Stion;ibly one of the best streams Ibr ihe aiiirler in ibe Searoon valh^y. 'i'hc Trout JJrook Pavilion, at tbe month of it, ke|)l by one Loek- wood. is a comforlable inn ; ami bis riijbt band man, named Ki|»j), is a very line fellow and a ^('iiiiim' aiiLder. S|)'akimi of tbe above iVieiids, reminds me of another, a line man, muned liyndsey, who kecjpetb a tavern, about ten miles iiortli of Searoon iiake. Ills dwelliiitj; is (hdiiibtl'nlly sitnali'd in ;b(3 centre of a deep valley, and is a nice and ('onv( nient place [n stop at, for those who are fond of fishintr, and admire romantic scenery. His jainily, iiudiidinir his wife, two dauubters and one' son, lujt oidy know bow to make their IVionds comfortable, but they secnn to have a passion ibr doiuii" kind deeds. During' my stay at this j)lace, 1 bail the pleasure of witnessint^' a most int(!restinu: game, which seems to be ])(>culiar to this part of the (,'ountry. It was played Avith the common ball ami by one iuindred sturtly farmers. Previous to tbe time alluded to, fifty Searoon players had challeniied an equal number ol' j)layers from a neighboring village named Moriali. 'I'hc conditions were that the de- feated party should pay Ibr a dinner to be given by my friend Jiyndsey. They commenced playing at nine o'clock, and the game was eiideti in about three liours, the Searoon, j)arty hav- ing won by about ten counts in live humlred. 'IMie majority of the players varied from thirty to thirty-live years of age, though some of the most expert of them were verging upon sixty years. 'I'liey played with the impetuosity of sidiool boys, and there were some admirable feats performed in the WAV of knocking and catching the ball. Some of the men could number their acres by thousands, and all of them were accustomed to severe labor, and yet they thought it absolutely necessary to particij)ate occasionally in this maidy and fatiguing sport. The dinner passed olf in line style, and M i LAKK rARADOX. 09 I ad •iug dc- heiid llhe hav- ority age, upon l'\\00l u iHe men wore )\uiely was sj)ii'('(l 1)V maiiv ;i'iri('ii1tiiral nnrrdotr?:. niul as the sun was scitiii'i. tilt" parties scparaird in llu," host of spirils and ri'tiirncd lo llicir several lionies. For Tear lliat I should lorL't't niv diitv, T would now intro- duce to niv reader a slieel ol" water einl)osoiued aniouLl tlicso iiiouutains, \\lii(di nlories in the naini^ of Fiake Paradox. Ilow it eaiiie hy that (pieer title, I was not ahle to learn, hut this I know, that it is one ol' the most heautiCul lakes I have ever seen. It is li\t' miles loiin-. and surronntled with uneul- tivated mountains, e\eei)tii:!j- at its loot, where opens a heauti- t'ul j)lain, liiLddv ('idti\;!ted and dotted with a variety of rude hut exei'ediuLilv ('(unfertahle laian houses. The shores of \u\kr Paradox are ro(d\y, the water deep ami (dear, ahound- inir in li^li. and the lines of the mountains are pietures((ue to an uneomuKMi deL!re(\ IJnt it is linm that 1 shoidd turn iVom particulars to a oiau'ral description of the Scaroon Counirv. — 'I'houiih this is an aLiricuitural region, the two principal arti(des ot' export are lumher and ircui. Ol" the lormer t!u; i)rinci[)al varieties are pine, hendock and spruce, v.wd two estahlishnu'Uts lor the manufacture of iron are ahundanlly suj)plie(l with ore from the surroundin(r nH)untains. Potatoes of the linest ([uali- ty llourish here, also wheat and corn. The people are mostly Anmricans, intelliticnt, virtuous ami industrious, and are as f?onifortablL' and happy as any in the State. and •and ClIATTEK VI. Thp AV^^'nn1;>■.l■.^■ . 1 ,.,-, ||,e extreme l,.an,il.on, and .bout lov.y " '^J ^^ ,„„,.„,, ,ec> in Wei.U', •n..v vavy iron, Hv.. ^^-^^''^'^ ^^;:^, ,,,, den.o fures.s. „„,.\vl.l. low '■^'■^i',"""'' J! ,^,e„sivc wiUlcruoss region m Tlu V lor.1 it over . ,o "■" ' ^.^^uUv penormcd a pilgrim- n■'>--•;;;„;,„,, ill be ahie to V-re roon. If I'o-'""" """^;; o, perhaps obtain a sea. ,,,,.,.,„ tal.e him nrlK. U"> J^_^^ ^^^^^ in a Uunber uagon ; lj» " ' .^^ f,,,„„c Avas non- 1US1...S. W''t'"f', ';:;,lwmotp,oonlbo.,sho oon,n,i.tal ; lor -bile ^\^^ "^ .onnvanions, wUo were ,.,,piiea .ne with ^l'-;<"^'^ " Viencll and have a few 1 THE nOREAS KIVER. 71 Sca- . hire a scat 3U\c of s iiou- ol, s^^c 10 were a lew 3 of my > Irifiids 'hoih of whom wvvv youiijr iijcii), u:is a fanner, who carried a rille, ;iiul ihe other a iravelhiii( coimtry imisiciau, who carried a luldle. (Jiir first day's tramj) took us ahoiil lifleen miles, thnuiuh a liiily, tliicklv wooileil, and liouseU\ss wiklerness, to the IJoreas River, where we found a ruined loiT shantee, in whii'h we etuiehided to sj)eiul llu.' niiiht. A\ e readied tliis U)nely sj)ot at ahout three o'cloek in the after- noon ; and havinu' })revi(»usly heeii tokl that the IJoreas was famous lor trout, twodl'us siarletl after a nu'ss of lish, while tlic lithUer was ai)[)(Uiiti'd U) l!ie ollice of wood-ehopper to the CXpi chtion. The IJoreas at this j)oint is ahout one hundreil leet hroad, — w iiids llirouuh a woody vaHev, and is eoid, rapid, and (dear. The eniiri' river does not dill'er maleriahy, as I nnderstaiul, from tiie j)oi!il alluded l(». lor it waters an un- know n wihlerness. 1 hrihed my farmer friend to iisri ml the river, and haviiiLi" j^oid^i ted a \ariety of dies, I started down the stream. I j)roeee(K'd near half a mile, when I eame to a still water pool, which seemed to he (juite extensive, and very deep. At tlie head (d' it, midway in the stream, was an immense i)oulder, whiidi 1 sueceeiled in surmountiuii-, and whence I threw a red ha(dvle lor upwards ol' three; hours. 1 never saw trout juni}) more heautifully, ami it was my rare hick to hasket thirty-four; twenty-one of whi(di averatred lhree-((uarters of a pound, and the reinaiiiinha!iiee, wlu re 1 found my comj)anions ; one of them silliiiii' belore a hlazini: lii'e and liildlinir, and the other busily employed in (deaniiiL!' the trout he had taken. In due time f(dlowed the j)rincij)al e\ ent of tlu-' day, wlii(di consi>led in co(dviiiu' and eaiinn' a wilderness supper. We had hrouifht a supply of pork and hread, and eacdi (nie haviiuf prepared for liimself a j)air oi' wooden forks, we j)roceeded to roast our trout and pork hel'ore a huire lire,usinir the drip- \ni\)l^ of the hitter for sea.sonini,s and a leather cup of water I , -ro.R TO THF. nlVKU SA.rKNAV. I Hon,! ..H.lcl upon tl.c .1 urn ^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^_ ,^,,,„, ,„^, , deci. slnmbor. .( j,,eami«? of u fC't^"" i sho.-, tnnc uU..- "-'" ^ ;;; i,,,,,„,„,,y, 1 «.s au-.U- F-'''-'->-''^''''''''"'To:ll "I- '1- -'••''• ^"""' '■ncl l.y u foo-s.-p on ,..■ U ^^^^^ ^„^, ,,„, ,Ununcr „p,.n n,y oyo., l.»t -'"''' ,;"■,'„ 1 |u.!a ,ny m-o-.ul., and „ .,>n..xpinn.cnaK.ron.luU-^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^.^^ ,^ ,„„, ,,H somcthin,' a lU.lo nyn-e --X' an.- .,,^,,,,„^.iy ,hovl iMi.c, p,,v npon onr sU.uUn- aoo, ^^^^^^^ j ,,^,j ,,,,,,1. •riiov ihonffl.t il must ^e .i «o , ^^ ^^,,, ,e- • .-n l,nn uw.v, >'- •■;--'; "lu r.nuer shonUl fu-e V,s vale in an. au-ccM.on ot l>c mv ^^^^^^ ^^..^^^ ^,,,„ nuiou .a. anly P-''""""';,,, ,;„ Uc^os oC -he aavenu.ve ,i,h,oa, a,c vale -l-;-^; ; »' „, ,,,„,„ «l.eve we fooua a "-■'•''-' """ '"" "; ■ 1" u aav UaeUs ol' what we .up- few avops or bl..oa, ana -l '- ;^,_^,, „„, ,„,,,„■ tlu-n com- ^^-^■'' "' T::X\o ,11 a rn-e, when we a.un Un-ew ::;:.Xs upon au, l-";-;;,Xt ,-. au^y, ana m less .Inu, The Cuiaiev allenaea a .hi ay ,^^,^ ,,,,,,,. '1 Uo ,.en,y nunutes, he ha u ^ua aj-^ ^^_^ ^,„,,,,,ng nviln- bv-aiiant ana lauglung '^''^ " j i,., Uvslvument and eo,u- ence upon hUnevvcs, that he se>/.e m 1 'A J A MOI RNFIL SOSCf. 73 to re- \rc \en liUire n(\ ''^ sup- tom- hrew than The .1 coiu- A' iiK'iU'cd pliiyiiiir, paiMly tor ilic purpose of k(('i)inL'' f^H' thr wilil :iuiiii:ils, l)iit mcslly lor his own iiuuiscmciit. 'J'hon lavinii aside his rKhhe. lie henaii to siuir a varictv of nil- couth, as well a> plaiiiiive soiiirs, oiu' ol which was vaLHie, hut niouruliil iu seuliiiient, and nion^ wild in nu-lody. as 1 lliouuht at th( lime, than anythiui:' I had ever helore heard. 1 could not liiid out hy whoui il was writteu, or what was its exact iiiiixuM. lait in the louei\' place whi're we were slecpitiLT, ami at that hour, il made a very ileep iiupressiou on my mind. The !)ur(h'ii of the sonir ^vas as lolhnvs, and was iu keep- mix with ihe picture whi(di the miustrel, the ftreliiiht, and the rude cahiu preseuled. \\ !• [initcl in .-ilriicc. \\i' [larti'd at night, ( )n ilio Iiaiilv- (if lii;it 'niicly nxcr, Wln-rc tin- ^li;i(l(i\\ y trci'> tlicir li'Ui^li- unite, \N (■ met. ;nnl we piuti'il liirrVL'r: — The niiilii liiril piuii:. and the stars ahuve 1 < iM many a ti mi'liinu' stdry Ol' liicnds Inni,'' pa.-sril tn the nian.-i'.ins oCrf-t, Will If ilii' ^(lnl wears her mantle nt' ;:l(iry. We I'aited in >ilonce; dur elieek- were wet Hy the tears that wen' jiast eontroliini: ; — We viiu(>d we wnnld never, iid ne\er liiriret, And thd-c V(i\\-s at the time- were eonxjIiiiL^ ; — But the lips that eeheed my viiws Are as cold as that jdiiely ri\er ; The S|)arkling vyr, the spirit's shrine, lla- >hniuded its lire Inrever. And now on the iui(hiiglit sky I lor.k, My eyes trrow full with weepin;:, — Maeh -tar to me is a seah'd l)oolc. Some tale-ul' that loved one keeiiincr. 74 ,, TO.R TO TllE RIVEU SAO'KNAY. r„H>i 1— "•' 1 '-:-'">• •"■ „,,„, .na wi.U .lu. r,.mu " \'- ^ ^^,,.,„, „'„, ,„.„..,Uf„s,, (out a.--»--'^'>-- "':^''';,"bl.-l,-..a,,,u stolon 01- 0... IVW '"'-" -■''"^'' ^"^ '•"" '' ;,' .„u .„a kUl.-a . large aun.. tiu- "i^''-0 .;.>■ ;'''-'-.,„,,,..„ ,.a MH; „.„.., ,„a 1 .o.a< a sk... . o ^^^^^.,^^^ ^^,,, „,,,,a "->■ "'■ ■'•^■"^'" -;• ^t:;^ e " a,so„v...a :> »noo, .1. . ,ve luKU-a.a. ami ,.av..au u, ^ ^^_^^^^ ^^^^^^ i-ce.'.--'-''"V'"'';:;:::, :,,,,. .Iroaa, ana a.V.ovaik. ■„,, ,,ou, ion,- n,ae.. ---;;;:;;, ,„■ .,n,.h .as a .oU- :::n::r ';:::;.-;- - ...o.., .. a,. .. a. ,,,,„,„, „.. Moo.e Lake J' ^'^^^ „„,,;. ,„„,„,,„. .Inc.. Mooso l.ak>- In- at lu ,„„„ntains, and thf. foumain Uoaa .a the » "W « , ,,,,, i„ ,„tnT St. .,a.n.n,.,.. '^ '"■''' '';,;'. '.houotn is ....1 .uh .lK.r.Mnaylu-o,M.atonuxu . ^^,^^^,,,,.,.,^,, ,,,„. ,,,,Uosana,a,.atln.uat.tM. . 1.. >^^^^.^^^^^^ sidi'viug lis M^'- 1 '^^ 1 DEATH OF A PEER. 75 lit SIX 1(1 llu- U) the cntiri^ a with ('i)ii- ;m any S lake in this wiKlrnirss. and it is also rrl(^hratr(l as a Matprin^ phicT lor dcvY ;uul iiioosu. In lishiui: from llic shore, one of our party caUL^iit no hss than forty pounds of trout in ahout two hours. There ^^■ere two varieties, and they varieil from one to two pounds in weiLrht. Our |y |)roceeded in the direelion of ihi' smind, w lien he discovcnd a heautiful deer, slandiiiii knee deep in the water, and looking at him in stupefied sdence. Tlie poor (Teature could discover nodiiiin hut the mysterious liolit, and while slandiiiLr ill ili(. iii()>i inleresiinn attiliidc iinaninahle, llie hunter raised his rille, and sjioi ii ihrouiji ilu! In art. In half an luuir from that lime, ilie cai'cass of the deer was iiaiiuini' on a dry Innh near our camp lire, and I was leclurinn' tho ,^«8^^^ ieze: 70 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SACUENAV. i I ! liard-lu :iiM('(l Imntcr on llif cruelly of thus capluriiiL'' tin; iii- iiocciil crciitiircs of llio Ibrcst. To nil my rcniarks, how- ever, he replied, "They were i:iveii us for food, and il mat- ters not how we kill them.'' Lako Delia, tiirouirh whitdi you liave to pass in jroiuLT to Moose Tiake. lies ahout two miles west of tlu^ Neweomh Farm. It is four miles lonu^and less than oiiemil(> in width, and ('om{)lelelv surrounded with wood-crowned hills. Near the central portion, this lake is quite narrow, and so shallow that a rude hridne lias hecm thrown across lor the accommo- dation of the Farm people. 'I'he water under this hridiic; is only ahout four feet deep, and this was the only spot in the lake where 1 lollowed my favorite recreation. I visited it on one occasion, with my companions, late in the afternoon, wIkmi the wind was l)lowin) companions, on my return to the farm, hut they j)ronounce(l it a " lish story Mv veracitx' was vindicated, however, tor, on the followinir day, they discovered a dead otter on the lake shore, and coiiclud(Hl that I had told the (ruth. ■'^ I 1 ■5 ■I THE XKWCOMn FAIOf. lilc •tu- iii ilic hilo icn s of iced vcr, I I I T must no! roiicluilc this ciinptcr without Lnvin small, it mav he suj)j)()S('(l that he h'ads a retired Hie. One of the days tiiat I si)ent at his house, was (jnite an eventl'ul one with him, lor a town election was ludd liiere. 'i'lie electors nwt at i,:ne o"clo(d\, and the poll closed at ll\c; and as the nuinher 'I votes polled was siiu/i, it may well he imauinial that the excitmnent was intense. |>nt with all its loneliness the .\(.'wcomh Farm is well worth visiting, if lor no other purpose than to witness the j)anorama ol" moun- tains w lii(di it commands. On exci'v side hut om- ma\' they he seen, ladinu' aw a\' to miniile their deep hlue with the liirliicr hue oi' the sk\', hut the (diiet" amonu' them all is old Ta- hawus. Jviiii: of the Adirondacs. 'I'he country out of whicji llii.s mountain rises, is an imposiuL'" Alpine wilderness, and as it has loiiM- since heen ahandoned hy the red man, the solitude of its deep vallevs and louely lakes for tlu; nn)sl j)art, is now more impressive than that of the far oil" Ivoeky Mountains. The nieaniuii of the Indian word 'I'ahawus is .s/,i/ p'u ncs' or .ski/ sji/i/ff r : and faithfully descrihes the appearance of the mountain. Its actual ele\ation al)o\e the levid of the s(;:i is live thousand four hundred and si.\ly-si!ven feet, while that of .Mo\int \\ ashinoton, in New Hampshire, is onl\ six thou- sand two humlred and thirtv-lour. makiiiir a diirerem-e of oidy se\en hundred aud sixtv-seven feet in favor of \\'ashinL''ton. 'I'houiih Tahawus is not (piite so lofiv as its New I'hiiiiaiid hrother, yet its form is hv far the most j)ictures(jue an^ in the I nited Slates. IJeforc Lioniiione step further. I must allude to what I deem tlu' lolly of a certain state ^colonist, in atteuipliuir to name tin; j)rominent peaks of the Adirondae .Mountains after a i)ro- therhood of li\iiitr men. If he is to iuive ids way in this ^ 1 n I 78 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAGUEXAV. liKittcr, the I)(':uitiriil iianu! of Taliawus will be superseded l)V tliat (jf Marcv, and several of Taliawus' brethren are hereafter to he known as Alouiits Seward, Wriirht and Younir. Now if this hiisiness is not supremely ridiculous, I must con- fess that 1 ilo not know the meaning of that word. A pretty idea, indeed, to scatter to the winds the ancient poetry of the poor Indian, and perj)eluate in its place the names of living politicians. ]-\)r my ]>art, I airree most decitlcdly with the older iidiahitants of the Adirondac wiUlerness, who look with oljvious indillerencc u[»on the attempted usurpation of the j]Ceolot alreadv mentioned. For iiiu(,' months in the year old Tahawus is covered with a crown of snow, hut there are spots anionic its fastnesses where you may irather ice and snow even in the doff days. The base of this mountain is covered with a luxuriant forest of pine, spruc(> and hemlock, while the summit is clothed in a net-work of creepiuir trees, and almost destitute of the gvvcn which shouUl charactiMMze them. In ascending its sides when near ilie summit, you are impressed with the idea that your pathway may be smooth; but as you proceed, you arc constantly annoyeil l)y [)it-falls, into which your legs arc foolishly poking themselves, to the great annoyance of your hack bop.e and other portions of your body which arc naturally straight. I ascended Tahawus, as a matter of course, and in making the trij) t travelled some tweniy miles on foot and through the pathless woods, employing for the same the better part of two days. My companion on this expedition was John Cheney, (of whom I have something to write liereafter,) and as he did not consider it prudent to spend the night on the summit, we only spi':it about one hoin* gazing upon the panorama from the top, and then descended about half way down the mountain wliere wc built our watch lire. The view from Tahawus is rather unique. It looks down upon I JB A MOHT ON TAIIAWUS. 79 folm '.ind the iho way upon Avliat appears to !)0 an iiniiiliahilctl wildernrss, with inoun- taiiis, ladiiiL"" lo the sky in every direction, and win re, on a clear d.iy, you niiiy eount not less than twenty-tour lakes, ineludinL"" Chainplain, Iloricou, r,()ni,r Lake; and liake Pleasant. While tryini( to i^o to sleep on the niuhl in question, as [ lav hy the side; oi' my friend (Jheney, he nave me an account ot' th(^ manner in which certain distinguished •gentlemen have asci.'uded Mount 'i'ahawus, lor it must bo known that he olluMates as the i,nii(h' of all travellers in this wild rcLiion. Amoni:^ those to whom he alluded wvvo \\vr- hani anil Cole the artists, and Hotfman and Ileadley ihc travellers. He told nic that Mr. Iiiaham tainted a nund)crof timers in makinu;' the ascent, hut hecamc so excited with all that he saw. In; determined to persevere, and finally succeed- etl in accomplishiuii; the dillicult task. Mr. Iloll'man, he said, in spite; of his lameness, would n(»t he persuaded by words that he could not reach the summit; and when lie finally discovered that this task was utterly beyond his accomplishment, ids disappointment scemeil to have no bouiuls. The niiiht that [ spent on Tahawus was not distiiiLniished by any (,'vent more remarkable than a re<:ular built rain- storm. ()ur canopy was compos(;il of hemlock branches, and our only covering was a blaid-cet. The storm did not set in until about midnii,dit, and my lirst intimation of its approach was the falliuii' of rain drops directly into my ear, as 1 sniiir- Ued up to my bed-fellow for the purpose of keepinii" warm. Desperate, indeed, were the ellbrts I made to Ibnret my con- diticm in sleep, as the rain fell more abvuidantly, and drenched me, as well as my comj)anion, to the very skin. The thun- der Ixdlowed as if in the enjoyment of a very liappy frolic. and the liLditninir seinned determined to root up a few trees in our imnu'diate vicinity, as if for the purpose of aivinu- us more room. Finally Cheney rose frouj his pillow, (which was a log :-t 80 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAOFENAY. of wood.) and proposed that wo shoidd ([iiall'a liltlo In-aiulv, to kvA'.p us froiii catcliintr cold, whi(di wo did, and then nr.nU'. aiioth<'r attempt to reach the hind ol" Xod. " ■ '• At llie hreak of day we wer(? awakened iVoni a short but refresh- iiiies, whicdi are (|uile ahundant, and occupy the most couspimious cra^' in the notch. The two princij^d lakes which ocm the Adirondac wilder- ness, are named Sanford and lltMiderson, after the two - in width from half a mile to a mile anil a half. 'J'he mountains which swoop down to their bosoms are covered with forest, and abound in a great variety of large game. There is not, to my knowledge, a single 1 ; % LAKES SANTORD AND IIFNDERSOX. 81 hahitiilioii on oillicr of the lakes, and the only siiioko over seen to ascciul iVoni tluMr lonely recesses, comes from the watch-lire of the; hunter, or the encampment of surveyors and touri^^ls. — The water of these lakes is cold and deep, and moderately supplied with salmon trout. Lake Hender- son is admirahly situated for the exciting sport of deer huntinir, and thouirh it contains two or three canoes, cannot he entered from the West Branch of the Hudson without makinir a por- tage. 'J'hrouirh Lake Sanford, however, the Hudson takes a direct course, and there is nothiiiij' to impede the i)assaoe of a small hoat to within a mile of the iron works, which are located in a valley hetween the two lakes. 'J'he fact is, durinir the summer there is ([uite an extensive husiness done on Lake Sanford, in the way of '' hrinLnuir in" merchandize, and " carrviiiL'' out*' the produce of the ldrtr(\ It was mv misfortune to make the inward passajje of the lake in com. pany with two ijrnorant Irishmen. Their hoat was small, heavily laden, verv tottleish and leakv. 'IMiis was mv onlv chance; and on trdviuir my seat with a palpitatinij heart, I made an express hargain with the men, that they should keep alontr the shore on their way up. Thev assented to mv wishes, hut immediately ])ulled for the very centre of the lake. 1 remonstrated, hut thc'v told m(! tiiere was no danjrer. The hoat was now rapidly fdliiiir with water, and thoua'lionc was hailintr with all his miffht, the rascals were determined not to accede to my wishes. The conclusion of the matter was that our shallop hecame water-logiretl, and on linally reach- ing the shore, tlu; merchandize was ver, en- joyed some rare s|)oi-t in tlie way of rishinL»", ' \n\ obtained some irk)rious views IVom the; tnonnlain peaks of iliis re■■ * ^ * ;V * " I was always fond of hunting, and tlic lirst animal I killed was a fox; I was then ten years of aire. Even from '•liikibood, I was so in love with the -woods that I not only neirl(M*ted school, but was constantly ])orrowint'' a irun, or stealing the one belonging to my father, with which to fol- low my favorite amusement, lie found it a useless busi- ness to make a decent boy of me, and in a lit of desperation he one day presented me with a common fowling piece. I was the youngest of thirteen children, and was always called the black sheep of the family. 1 have always enjoyed good liealtli, and am forty-seven years of age ; but I have now passed my prime, and don't care about exposing myself to any useless dangers. * ^. :v ^ * * " You ask me if I ever hunt on Sunday ; no, sir, 1 do not. 1 have always been able to kill enough on weekdays to give me a comfortable living. Since 1 came to live among the Adirondacs, I have killed six hundred deer, four hundred liable, nineteen moose, tiventy-eight bears, six umlves, seven wild eats, thirty otter, one panther and one beaver. ^ * # * # * 1 "r HUNTI\« STORIES. 85 not. rive the ired wen " As to that heaver I was speak itiir al)oiit, it took me three vears to capture him. lor he was an ohl IcHow, and rcmark- ahlv cumiinnr. He was the hist, from all that I can h-arn. iliat was ever taken in the Slate. One of the fjOiiL'" f/ake Inchar.s olten attempl(al to trap him, hut withiuit success; lie usuallv found his trap spruiiir, hni co\ilil nev(>r '.""''t a morsrl of the heaver's tail and so it was wiih me. too; hi t 1 liiiallv fixed a trap under the water, near the entratice to his dam. uid it so happened thai he one day stepped into it and was 'irownec * an ** 1 was iToinu: to tell you somethinir ahont my doir?j, IJuek d Tiller. I've raised some iifty of these animals in my dav, hut 1 never owned siudi a tormented smart one as that fellow Buck. I helieve there's a g^^o^\ deal of the llniilish mastilV in him, hiii a keener eye than he carries in his head I never saw. Only look at that hreast of his ; did you ever sec; a thicker or more S(did oiu; .' He's handsomely spotted, as vou may see. hut some of the devilish liake IMeasant Itulians cut ofl" his ears and tail ahout a year aixo, and he now looks rather Id. ^ on may not hi lieve it, hut I have ■r^vvn a aood manv 0( men who were w. ; half as sensihle as that verv doL^ When- ever the fellow's Imnirrv he alwavs seats himself at mv feet and trives three short oarUs, winch is his way ol lelliiiir me dial he would like some hread and meat. If the folks hap- pen to he away irom liomtN and he feels a little sharp, he pays a retrular visit to all the houses in the vilhiire, and after phiy- injT with tlie children, harks for a dry crust, wlii(di In; always receives, and then comes haidv to his own home. He's (|uite a favorite amonir the children, and I've witnessed more than one fi^iht hecanse some wicked little scamp had thrown Ji stone at him. When I speak to him he understands me jnsi as well as you do. I can wake liiin out of a sound sleep, and by my saying, ' lUick, go up and kiss the baby,' lie 80 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAGIENAY. if f I wi!! march dircftly to the cradle aiul lick llio baby's face; and tli(? way he watclics that baby when it's asleep, is perfectly curious, — he'd t(uir you to pieces in three minutes if you were to try to take it away. Buck is now four years old, and thouj^h he's helped nie to kill several hundred deer, he never lost one for me yet. Whenc^ver I f^o a hunting, and don't want him alonjr, I have oidy to say, MJuck, you must not ffo,' — and he remains quiet: there's no use in chainiuir him, I tell you, for he understands his business. Tliis doir never starts after a deer until I tell him to go, even if the deer is in siirhl. Why 'twas only the other day that Tijzer brou«dit in a (lo(! to Jjake Colden, where the two had a desperate light within a hundred yards of the spot where liuck and myself were seated. I wanted to try the metal of 'J'iijer, and told Huck he must not stir, thougli I went up to the doe to see wliat the result would be between the lighters. Buck didn't move out of his tracks, but the way he howled for a little taste of blood was perfecUy awful. I almost thought the fellow would die in his agony. Buck is ol" ffreat use to me, when I am oil" hunting, in more ways than one. If I happen to be lost in a snow storm, which is sometimes the case, 1 only have to tell him to go home, and if I follow his tracks I am sure to come out in safety; and when sleeping in the woods at night, 1 never have any other pillow than Buck's \nn\y. As to my black dog Tiger, he isn't (piite two years old yet, but he's going to make a great hunter. 1 am trying hard now-a-days to break him of a very foolish habit of kill- ing porcupines. Not only does he attack every one he sees, but he goes out to hunt them, and often comes home all covered with their (luills. It was only the other day that he came home with ai)out twenty quills working their way into his snout. It so happened, however, that they did not kill him, because he let me pull them all out with a pair of pin- cers, and that too without budging an inch. About the story t^ ii\ HUNTINO STORIES. 87 people tell, thai the ])orcupiiie throirn its quills, 1 can tell you it's no such thinir, — it is only when the (piills touch the. dog, that they coniu out and work their wav throui;h liis hody. uig kill- sees, all \the into kill pin- itory " As to (leer huntinff, 1 can tell you more stories in that line than vouM care about lieariuir. They have several ways ol killinLT tlicin in this (juarter, and some of their ways are so internal mean. I'm surprised that there should he any deer left in the country. Jn the tlrst place, there's the 'still iiuntinjr' fashion, when you lay in ambush near a salt lick, and shoot the poor creatures when they're not thiukinu of vou. And there's the beastly manner of blindini' them with a ' torch liirht' when they come into tiie lakt;s to cool them- selves, and n- did deer honndcd out ol" the woods npon \\\v \ro, and as th(^ dotr \\;is onl\' a lew paces oil", he h'd lh(.' race direcll\' across the lake. Awav ihey ran as il" a hurricane was alter them; crossed the lake, then hacdv aLTain. Then ihev made anolh(>r will el. and liavinu- run to lh(> exlrcMnc^ southern jxdnt ol' tlTo lake, aiiain returned, when the deer's wind ht and threw the creature, into whos(> throat 1 soon pluniicd mv knile, and tlu^ race was eiuled. '* ! ne\('r was so hadK' hurt in htmtinii an\" animal as I ha\(' heen in huiitmLr deer. It was while chasing- a hiick on CI leiiev s Lai. ic which was named alter me hv Mr. Hen- derson in commenioratioii of my escape,) that I once shot mvsell in a verv had wav 1 was in a canoe, and had laid mv ])ist()| down hy mv sule, when, as I was pressing" I hard upon the animal, my pistol slij)ped under me m some (pieer wav, and went oil, s(mu lino- a l)a 11 iiit( o my let];, pisl ahove the ankle, wliudi came out just helow the knee. I knew sonuMJiiiiir terrible had hapj)ened, and thouah I 'liouirht that I miiiht die, I was dcMermined that tli(> ileer should die lirst; and I ilid siic- eeod in killinir him before he reaehed the shore, lint, soon as the cxeilement was over, the j)ain I had ll'lt before was increase'' a thousand-fold, and 1 felt as if all the devils in hell were drai>irin«r at my let»", the weifihtiuul the ni^oiiy were so ureal. 1 had never siillered so before, and I ihouij^ht it strantre. Vou may not bidieve it, i)ut when that accident liap])e!ied, 1 was fourteen miles from home, and yet, even with that used- up letr, 1 succeedi'd in reachinii; my home, where I was con- f; nr\TiN(; stoiuf.s. 89 lined lo iiiv lied iVoiii (Jctolicr until \|)ril. 'V\\;i was a (.n-oat winter lor liuntniii" wliicii I iiiis.-cd ; hu' ni\' Icir i^ot entirely well, and is now as nood as excr. "The most s:n'aL'(' animal iliat I liunt lor ainonii these monntains, is the nniovc, or cumIioo, as I lia\'e heard some people call them. TlieN're (juite pientv in the reniitn of LonLT liakr and Lake IMeasant ; and il' the hunter don't un- derstaml iheir \\a\s. iie'll he IdvcK to L'^el killed helore ho thinks ol' his danncr. The nnxise is the lamest animal of the deer kind, or, in laet, (d' aiiv kind that we lind in 'his part ol' the eounlrv. 1 1 is horns are \crv laruc and usually lo(dv like a pair of erah-apple trees. lie has a loiiL'' heail, louii' h'L^s. and ma' <'s a tjreat noise when he traxcls; his llesli )s considei-rd first rate, lor he leeds upon grass, and ih" teti- der huds ol' the moose maple. lie is a rapid tra\-eller, and hard to tire out. In wint( r they run in herds ; ai'd when the snow is deep, thev irenerallv live in cme particular place in the woods which we call a ' vard.' The craid^ time ler kill- ini: them is the winter, wIkmi we can travel on the si.ow with our hraided snow shoes. " I once killed two moose helore nine o'ekxdv in the moni- in lav a couple of hull moos(>. 1 don't know wnat thev were thinkiiiLT ahout, hut just as soon as they sa.w me, the\' jtimped up, and made directly towards the place where 1 was HtandinL^ I couldn't cet (dear of their uiily feet without runninir, so I put for a larife dead tree that Inid hlown over, and walkint !ii(rh, looked down in safety upon lli ■ devils. Tlujy seemed to bt; very iiuul al)out somethinL^ and did everythinir tlu'V eouUI to jjfet at me. l>y I f: uo A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAGUENAY. I ■ !, runniiijr around; aiul I r('incml)cr ihey ran togellier, as if ihey liail been yoked. 1 waited for a jrood cliance to shoot, and when 1 ^ot it, fired a ball elear through one of the animals, into the shoulder of the second, 'i'he tirstonc dropped dead as a dooi nail, but tiie other took to his heels, and after going about fifty rods, concluded to lie down. I then came up to him, keeping my dogs back for the purpose of sticking him, when he jumped up again, and put after me like lightning. I ran to a big slump, and after I had fairly fixed myself, 1 loaded again, and again tired, when the fellow tunil)lcd in the snow ([uite dead, lie was eiglit feet high, and a perfect roarer. * * *- * *■ * " Another animal that we sometimes find pretty plenty in these woods, is the big gray wolf; they arc savage fellows, and dang(!r()us to meet with when angry. On getting up early one winter morning, 1 noticed, in the back part of iny garden, what 1 thought to be a woif track. 1 got my gun, called for my dogs, and started on llu; hunt. I found I lie fel- low in his den among tlie mountains. 1 kindled a lire, and smoked him out. I then chaseil him for ai)out two miles, when he came to bay. lie was a big iellow, and my dogs were afraid to clinch in ; — dogs hat > :. wolf worse than any other animal. I found I had a fair chance, so I tired at the creature; but my gun missed lire. The wolf tluiii attacked me, and in striking him with my gun, 1 broke it all to pieces. 1 was in a bad fix, 1 tell you, but 1 immediately threw myself on my back, with my snow shoes above me, when the v/olf jumped right on to my body, and, probably, would have killed me, had it not been for my di»g Huck, who worried the wolf so badly, that the devil left me, to fight the dog. While they were lighting with all their might, 1 jumped uj), took the bar- rel of my gun, and settled it right into the brain of the ?■•'■' I I HUNTING STORIES. 91 I'll" ■:^^ I- savatje animal. That was the lamest wolf ever killed in this wilderness. ^P ^^ ^P ^^ *r* "t* " One of the hardest llirhts I ever had in these woods was with a hhu'k bear. 1 was comiiiir from a winter hunt. The snow was very deep, ami 1 had on my snow shoes. It so hap[)ened, as I was eomini: down a ecrtain mountain, the snow suddenly jjave way under me, and I i'ell into the hole or winter (quarters ol" one of the blackest and lartrest bears I evi r saw. 'J'he fellow was quite as much frightened as I was, and he scampered out of tlie den in a 'jreat hurry. I was very tired, and had only one doij- with me at the; time, but I put after him. I liad three several battles with him, and in one of these; lie struck mv hand with such lorc(i as to send my ^un at least twenty or thirty feet from where we stood. I finally managed to kill the rascal, however, but not until he had almost destroyed the life of my dotr. 'J'hat was a noble (Ioij:; but in that battle he received liis death-wound. He couldn't walk at the time, and though I was nine miles IVom home, I took him up in my arms and brouiiht him ; but with all my nursinj^ I could not ir<'t him up atfaiii, for he died at the end of a few weeks. That doji was one of the best friends I ever had. "Hut the m()St danirerous animal in tliis country is the yel- low j)aiitlier or j)ainter. 'J'hey ar(; not \('ry {denty, and so t(!rn\ented cunninji- that it is very seldom you can kill one, 'I'liey are v<'ry no|y, but don't often attack a man unless cornered or womidcd. They look and act very much like a cat, oidy that tliey are very lanrc ; I never killed but one, and his body was five feet lono;, and his tail between [hvvv. and four. At niuht their eyes look like balls of lire, and v'hen they are after game they make a hissin<> noise, which is very dreadful to hear. Their scream is also very terrible, and It 02 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAGl ENAY. lii J ' I never saw tho man who was anxious to liear it more than once. Tlicy are srhloni Imntod as a matter of husiness, but usually killed hy aceideiit. *' The panther I onee killed, I eame aeross in this manner. I was out on Lake Henderson with two men, eatehiny fish 'hrouLdi the ice, when we saw two wolves eome on to the ice in ^reat haste, Iookintii;;.nusht'cl jncti a. BurliuLiitoii, June, Of all tlio towns whirh I have seen, Biirlinuton, in Ver- mont, is decidedlv one of the most beautilul. It stands on the sliorc of Lake Champhiin, and from the water to its eastern extremity is a re^uhir elevation, which rises to the heiahh .'" " I hope he has improved '/' " Now sh:dl I he ii;ipj)y — for ever siiiee he went away, the recitation room has heen a cheerh'ss phiee to me." "Now shall I he advised as to my essay!" "Now shall my poem he corrected !" " Now in my irouhlc shall 1 have th(!symj)athies of a true friend '/' Much more mean- injT is contained in these; simple phrases thati what meets the eye. Surely, if any man is to be envied, it is he who has a place in tlic allections of all who know him. As a scholar, too, Professor Torrey occupies an exalted station, as will he proven to the world in due time. He has never published anythinir hut an occasional article for a review, atid the memoir of President Marsh, (who was his predecessor in the university,) as con- tained in the admirable volume of his Remains, which shotdd occupy a conspicuous place in the library of every American scholar and Christian. The memoir is, indeet', a rare speci- men of that kind of writini^, — beautifully written, and per- vaded by a spirit of rellnenient tliat is deliiit tlu; hest, in my o))iuion, of all his arlistical j)roductions. is a picture repre- senlinii onr " Saviour blessina' little children.'' Its conc(>p- tion, oroujjiiitr and execution are all of very irreal merit, and 1 am persuaded will one day he looked upon with j)eculiar interest bv the lovers and indues of art in this country. 'I'houLih done in water colors, and consiilered by tin; artist as a mere sketidi for a larss('ss('s all the ('iidcaiiiiu' and inlcrcstinL' iiualilics \\ liicli IxdoiiL^ to the Inie and ae('oiM|)lislied jiciidenian. Jiike all trul\- ureal men, lie is exeeediniiU relii ini; and nuMlesI in his dej)«)rlmenl, and one ol that rare class w ho seem ne\fr excMled hv the \()i(;L' of lame. Ahonl lonr years aijo, almost without his knttu le(!i.f(', he N\as elected to a seat in the lower house ol ( 'oniiress, where he at once hetran to mak(! an impression as a states- man. 'JMumiih lew have heeii his j)uhlic speecdies, the\' are rcmarkahle lor sonnil political Iolhc and the (dassic eleirancc of their lan-e. As an orator, he is not showy anil pas- sionat(,', hut plain, forcihle and earnest. IJut it is in dn; walks of ])rivate lite that A^r. ^larsh is to 1)(! mostly .idmired. His knowledge ol" th(^ Fiiu' Arts is i)rohal)lv more extensive than that ol" anv other man in this country, aiul his critical laste is ecjual to his knowlediie; hut that department peculiarly his hohhy, is eui^ravinir. llu has a passion for line enuruvinirs; and it is inupieslionahly true, that his eoUeelion is the most valuahli; and extensive in the Union. Jle is well aci[uainted with the history ol" this art Troni the earliest period, and also with its various mecdianieal ramilicatit)ns. He is as l"amiliar with the lives anil peculiar styles of the J'ainlers and Mnj^-ravers ol" anliijuity, as with his liousehold alVairs; .nul wlum he talks to you on his favorite theme, it is not to display his learniui';', but to makt; you realize the exalted attributes and mission of universal art. As an author, iMr. Marsh has done but little in extent, but emjtiiih to secure a seat beside such meu as Edward Everett, with whom he has been compared, lie has pub- lished (amonfr his numerous ihin^rs of the kind) a pamphlet, entitled " The CJodis in New J'hiirhuul,'' which is a fine specimen of chaste writing and beautiful thouirht; also ano- ther on the " History of the Mechanic Arts," which contains I 1 Aj.,- A RAIli; I.ir.llAUV !)!) i liri'Mt (li;i! ot I'lirc ;iiii! iiiijiorliiiit iiironii:ilii)ii. lie has iil-o writtiMi ;'.ii " |c(l:i!i( iisa!ii)ii aiiioiiLr l!ic Icanicd dI' Iviropc a fr\v ycar-^ a.'i(». \,-i lo Ills scliuhirsliip — il can lie said ol him that he is a iiKish I' in sonic t\\ci\c(»r the principal nimhaai aial ancient hinuuaiit'S. I!c h.is not h'arncd thcni nn rely lor thi' purpose ol' hcini! coiisi(h'rcd a HliaMr\' prodi-j'N', hnl to inuhiply i)i-; means of acipiirini:' int tmiaJion, which inlormalion is intended to :'ccon»pIi.-di ^omc suhstanlial end. lie is not a visionary, hnt a (h'\ oted lover ol' truth, whether il he in 1 1 islorv, I'oclry, or the Arts. JJnt my ehiel'ohp'ct in >peakinLr of this ncntleman, was 'o {!itr(Hluce a pas-^ini! no'.ice of his lihrarv, w hicli i-. undoiiht- cdly the jnost uni([ue in dii; connIr\'. 'J'hc ouildinn" ilscll, which stands near his dwellimi', is ol" hrii 1\, and arraniied t!;ronii!iout with ijreat taste. \ i\\\ enter il, a-; il was ol'icn juy pi"i\ ileiic and lind \durse|i" in a complete wilderness ol coi'Li'ions hooks, and porltolios ol" enirravinLis. Oi' hooks -Mr. .Marsh owns some li\c l.hou-^and \(>litnies. lli> collec- tion ol' Scandiiia\ ian Lilerature is snjiposcd to he mure com- plete than anv out ol' the .Northern Kinirdonis. 'J'o tiive yoi! an idea ol" this literary treasure, I will mention a I'ew ol" the rarest specimens. In (dd .Northern Literature. Iiere may Ix- I'ound the ./r/Ki M(fy al Society of Northern .\nli<[uaries, and in lad all those printed at Copeidiui,nMi and Stocdvhohu, as well as in Ifehind, with scana ly an exception, 'i'lii.s lihrarv also contains the LH'eat edi- tions of U(i III >ik rill ixlui the two /iJdi/d.s, A'u/iL(-s-S/i//i!:^;-SJi), A'unujiu'd, S/ijri/.sr, tin; Seri[)lores lieruni Daniearuin, Seri[)- lores Kerum Sveeicarnni, Dansk .Maiiazin, :ind t/ro complete editions ol' Olinis MiiLfniOi, Sili-u (irainiiuittnus, the works of liartholinus, Torlaus, Sch'»ninii, Suhm, Ponloppidan, (irundt- viir, IV'lersen, Uask, the Jplantlcn of Kudbecdv, the yreal IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / o "US 7i % 1.0 I.I 1.25 If liM IIM 1121 x^ m m t 1^ 1.8 U ill 1.6 6" V] ^. /^ / Photographic Sciences Corporation d 1 m \ v N> "^ V <^.\ ««!•^ 6^ .^ V <^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 100 A T(MU TO THE RIVER SAC TEN AY. m ih works of SpJ/iorLC, riiljcijiroii, (Jcijcr. ('roiiholni and Slriiin- liohii, all llin collections of Icelandic, Danish and Swcdisli laws, and almost all the writers, ancient and modern, wlio Jiave treated of the lanmiair(!, literature, or history of the vm- cient Scandinavian race. In modern Danish liiteratiire, liore may he found the works of 1 lolhcrL^, Wessel, I'l wald. I lejherir, JJaL''liesen, ( )(dd(Mischlse- jrer, \veni[), In!,n'maiin. with oth(;r ceiehrated authors; in Swedish, those of Lcojiold Oxensljerna, IJellman, i'ranzen, Alt(!rl!om, Teirner, Frederika IJremer. and, indeed, almost all the !.'(i/('.s-/(Nrrs authors of Sweden, the 'J'raiisac!ions of the Koyal A(*ademy of Science, (more than one hundred volumes,) tliose (d' the Swedish Academy, and of the Royal Academy of liilerature, and many collections in documentary history, hesides iium(>roiis other works. In Spanish and l?ortiii>uese, hesides many modern authors, hero are numerous old chroni(des, siudi as the Madrid col- IcM'tion of old Spanish Chronicles, in seven volumes Ito.; the Portuguese Llrro.s uicdlfo.s da lIiHtorUi Porhigtnza, live yolunu>s I'olio; Fernam Loj)ez, do Hrito, Duarte ?Sunez de Liaiu, Damiam de Goes, de Barros, Castanheda, Kesomle, Aiidrada, Osorio ; also, de Meiiezes, Mariana, aiul others of similar charaoter. In Italian, most of the host authors who Jiavo acquired a I'hiropean reputation ; several hundred volumes of French works, includimi' many of the ancient chronicles ; a line collection in (ierman, including ntany edi- tions of l-teynekc de V'os, the INihehm^ei., and other works of the midtllc aj^es. In classical literature, good editions of the most ceiehrated (J reek and Latin authors; and in Eno^- llsh, a choice selection of the best authors, amoni^ which should he mentioned as rare, in this country, Lord lierners' Froissart, Roger xVscham, the writings of King James I., John Smith's Virginia (edition of 1021), Amadis de Gaul, and Palmeriu of England. In lexicography, the best dic- ». A PARK LTRRARY. 101 ^ lioiiarios luivl i:r;imiiiars in all the laiiiiiiaLics of WCstcni Mil- rope, and inaiiv i)i()L'"rai)liiral diclioiiarics and other works ot •f(drr('n>a' in \arious lanuuairrs. .Manv works, too, arc lu're. on astroloiiv, alclicniN', wiudicral'i, ami niaiiic; and a Li()<>dlv nnnd)er of wdrks on ilii' situation ol' IMato's Atlantis m\d lOKsian I'lclds, su(di as Iv'udlx'ck's Atlanlira. (nu-opins \]v- eani'.s, {\(' (iraxc iifpuhiiijuc dcs ('liainps Idxsocs. uiul a iiost of others in e\ery dej)arl!neiit of iearniiiLi", the iiierc nientioii ol' wliieh would cause tlie bookworm a ihrdi ol dt'liii'ht. In the (ici)artnienl td' Art, Mr. Marsh possesses the .Musee Franeais. .Muscc lto}'al. (proof hcforc letters.; l>il)er \ erita.- (is, lioiiijliton (iallcr)'. I'loreiicc (iallcr\'. I'uhlicniidus ot' Dilettanti Society, and nian\ oilier illu-trated work- and col- lections siade, Ixendn-andt, (imdudiiiir a most superli imju'cssion nier Ansloo.) Waterloo, W^oolleit, Sharp. Strannc, I'birlom, Wide, Fic(iuel Sclimifit, Jionsjlii, ami Moriihen; in >hort, nearly all the works of all the nreal masters in (dialco- i^raphy from the tinu' of J)iirer to the present daw It were folly for me to praise these various works, and I have alluded to them merely (or the purpose of leitini»" von km)W some- tliiii;'' of the taste ami jiossessimis of .Mr. .Marsh. 1 1 is li!)rarv is one of the most delightful places it has ever been mv for- I u I 102 A TOT'R TO TirE RJVER SAGITXAY. imic to visit, mid tlio day thai I licoaino ncquaintod \\illi tlic liiaii, r camiot but consider as an ora in mv life. Moriiiiin;, noon and evcninu' did 1 linufr with the mastor-sj)irits oi oldcii tiiii(% eollt'ctcd in Iiis library, and tbongli I often stood in nuito a(hniration of their genius, I was eonipeHed to slied a tear, as I thouirht of the destiny as a writer whieli will j)ro- bablv be mine. Thatdv (Jod, th(?r(? is no sneli thiiiLT :i!^ (fni- fiiflnn in thai l)l(vssed world above the stars, which I hope to attain, — no and)ilion to harass the soul, — for, then ^vill ii be free to vcncl, and forever, in its holy and - upon, in less diaii live ininntrs after the hour of three, 1 was on my \v:iy to the AVhile Mountains, iiulifiiiL'' on the tablet of my UKMUory the followiuL'" disjointed sta(>n the new moon ami the morninijf star, waitinir lor the sun to come, like tu'o sweet human sisters for tin; smiles wnd kisses of a returinn iuoniino- lu'ee/e. Hold your hreatli, lor the road is hard and smooth as iiiarhle, and tlie extended nostrils ol those inal(ddess steeds spenk of a nohlo piiile within. There, lh(> race is done, the victory theirs, :uul no\v, as ihcy trot steadily alona, what music in the (di:nn[)i!iL'' oT those hits, and the strikinii" of thos{> iron-honnd hoofs I Of all llu^ soid- less animals on earth. !n)iie d(/ 1 love so dearly as th.e horse — I someiimcs am inclined \'.) tlnid; that they have souls. 1 res[)ect a. nohle horse more than I do sonu" men. Horses are the Indian (diiel's ol" the hrute crc^ition. 'I'hi^ Wiiuioski. ahwiii" whose haidvs runs the most j)ictur- cs([uc stauc route in V ermont, is an uncommonly intereslinij stream, ra.pid, (dear, and cold. It is remarkable lor its falls and narrow pa.s.scs. wliere p(M-pcndiciilar rocks of a hundred Icct or more Crown u[)on its solitary pools. Its chid" picto- ri::l attraction is the cataract at ^Vaterl)ury. a d(H^p ami jaL!i>od cliasm in the black eyes, only half visi- ble under their drooj)ini>' lids. Durinjx one of my rambles near ^lontpclicr, I discovered an isolated and abandoned dwelling', which stands u|)on a littl(> plot of orecn, in the lap of the forest near the toj) of a mountain. I entered its deserted eluunbers and spent a lonj^ 3 >i.\Ksiini:r,i) \VATi;iir.\r,L. lOf) time iiiiisiiin iijHMi ils soil inn lulrnonMions. Tlic cclhr had ])( conn' t!ic iKtinc of li/,:n"(ls and toads. 'I'lic spidi'i' ami crickcl were mallei's of the licai'lli, where oiiee had heen ^\)U\\ the inonnlain h'liiaid \>v an oM man to the onK' ehdd ol" Ins \\id()\\ed son. 'i'hey wrvr, a> 1 am tohl, the last oJ" a loiiu' line w hieh once lh)urished in IJiilaiii, and with them their name xvamhl pass inio !'oi'lvi. and is m)t less heaiilitul than that down the riv(;r. Its (diiel' picture is Aiarslilield Waterlall. While at Alont- p(dier a pleasure ride was u,{)\ up hy some of my iVieiids, and as they were hound to thi' llast, am! I was hon(n-e»l with au invitation. I sent on mv baiioiiiic and joimd them, so that lli(( monolonv ol' mv jouiaiey was eon.siih.'rahly r( lievinl. We had our lishiiiii-rods with us, and liavinn- stopped at the tail, we caULiht a line mess ol' trout, wlii(di we had cooked for dinner at the lU'Xt ta\crn on our wav, — ami our dessert was fine sinuinLT from the ladies, atid t^ood stories from the lips of Senator Phelps, who \\as of the partv, and is cele- brated for his conversational [)ower.s. For further })artic!ulars concerniiiir that expedition, 1 would refer my reader to that pair ot eyes whicdi 1 just now meiitiomMl as Inivina' beamed upon me with a hewit(dun(> my iViciul, and as soon as lie ajjpcarcd, llicx' \:misl)('(l like a iViLililf'iicd Irooj). :iiid he was inandniiir up die sk\- in the plcniludc of Ids nlory. And \\\{'\\, lor tlif lirst lime, did my vision rest ui)on the ^\ Into Mounlains, as tlicv reposed in llie distance, like a miiihlv herd ol' eanuds in the solitude of \\\{) desert. In the (diarniiiii!" valley of the ( "onneetieni wo oidv tarried about ten nnnutes, hut lonn enouuh I'oi' nu' to h(\ir the nio\V(M' wliel iiis scythe, th(> "lark sinu' loud and liiah." and the plea- sant tinkle of a cow Ixdl far away in the hroad nn'adow. AN'hile there 1 took a sketch, wherein I introduced the lalhcr ol" \ew I'jiLiliiiid rivers, and the hald peak ol" Mount Lafay- (Mte, with the storin-indicted scar upon its hrow. A noble inonument is yonder mountain to the memorv of a noble man. AN bile breakfastinn; at Littleton tins niorninir, 1 eainc^ to tlie conclusion to leav(! niv bajiuaae and visit Franconia. I juni])ed into the staiio, and alter a very j^leasant ride ol" seven- teen miles, found myself far in/o the Notcb, in the midst of whose scenery 1 am to rep()s(> this nin^ht. I reached here in time to enjoy an early dinner with " mine iiost ;" aftcn* which I sallied forth to examine the wonders of tbe place, but I \vas so deliobtcd with everytbiuii' around that 1 did not take time to make a single sketcli. I saw the Flume, and was aston- ished. It is a cliasm in tbe mountain, thirty feet wide, about a bumlred deep, and some two thousand lonu', and as reirular in its sbape as if it had been cut by tbe band of man. Bridgino- its centre is a rocdv of many tons wei been burled tb(>re from the lieavens. 'I'brou^b its centre jlows a little brook, wbicli soon passes over a succession of rocky slides, and M'biidi are almost as smootli and wbite as marble. And to caj) the climax, this Flume is tbe centre of as perfect and lioly a Avilderness of scenery as could be iniau'ined. TFFE OT,I) MAX OF Tlfi; MOIMAIN. i<»: I I li;i\(> :ils() seen ^\vli;il should he tlic j)|-i(lt' ol llic .Merri- mack, as it is jipoii one ol its Irilxitaric- ;, ilic most s(i|)crl'> ])ool ill this whole coiuitrv. Tlie tall ahove it is not r( iiiark- ahle, hill the rorrsl-ccu ered roeks on either side, ;iiid the pool itsellare woiiderrully tiiic. In the lirst plaee, voii must remem- ber thai the w;ilers of fliis w hole reirioii are cold as ice, and verv (d(Mr. 'I'lu; j)()ol lorms ;i eir(de ol'ai)(»iil one hundred feci in diameter, and is s:u(\ to he lil'iv leet in deplh. ()uiiiLr to the fall il is the '* head-iiiiarters" of the trout, w iiiidi aie loiiiu] all alonii' tlu.' stream in iffeat al)iindanc(>. After I iiad com- pleted a drawinuf, i laid aside m\' peiudls and fixeil m\' llsli- iiiii-rod. I threw the line Ofi^j/ ahoiil two hours, and caiiifht forty-li\'u trout. Amonu" them was tlie lireai-iirandfather ol all trout, as I thought at tin lime ; — lie was seventeen inches lonii", and weighed two ])ounds and one (Minc(\ 'J'he ()1(1 Man of ihe Mountain i-^ another of the lions of tliis place. It is a ('()ne->haj)ed mounlain, (al the foot of Avhi(di is a small lake,) iij)()n w hose to[) are some ro(d\S, \v!dch have a resemhlaiice to the i)rolile ol" an oKl man. it is really a Acry curious atlair. 'J'herc? the i^\i\ fellow stajids, as he has stood periiaps for eeiilurii^s, " lookiiiL'" the w hoh" world in the lace." I wonder if the thunder ne\'er iViiihteiis him I and (Iocs the lio-htninu: play around his !)row without making- him wink? His business there, I se cose, is to j)roleei the "un- granted lands"' of New IlampshiVL', or l^'cp Isaac, Hill from lectiirinir die A\'hito Mountains on lioeofocoism. He need not trouble himself as to the first fear, for they eould not be deeded even to a hear: and as to iIk; second, I don't beli(!vc the mountains could ever 1)(> persua.ded to vote for tlu,' ac([iiisi. tion of new territory. I']very plant ui)on tiiem speaks of Ireedom, and in their fastnesses does [\\v eanle linil a home; their banner synd)ols arc the stars and stripes, and therefore thev must be Whias. And another curiosity w liiidi everybody goes to see, i? \m A TOI'R TO THE RIVKR SAOrENAY I ih t I' i eallcd llif IJns^in — nn rxqtiisito little spot — fit for the abode of ,'i very aiiucl. It is Ibniu'tl in tlu^ solid rock, and tlion\y\i' /ti (i//i(ir/i/ my own, I j)()iir('il them iijioii ilir :iir, whidi were aiisucrt'il hv immiinlx tihI iiiouiilaiii crluK' Notli il tl iiiiL'' hail tliPV tn do Willi th tlic place or with each ollit'i-, hiil likr the piflin'cs aroniid mo, llioy wpro a divine food lor niv soul — so iliat I was in the en- joymenl of a lieavenly feast. No w I loidxcd tlirouL^li tlic openinL'' trees, T saw an eaule lloatini: a!)ove ilie summit ol a miuiity elill', — now, with the speed of a fidhnii' ^\'U\ (h'seeiul- iiiii; iar into the h'afv (h'pths, and tlien, siowly hut >urelv as- c'CiKhiiL;-, until hi(hh'n from view hy a jiassiiin- (doud. I'ly on, j)roud hir(K niorious symhol of my country's free(h)m ! AVhat a nod-like life is thine I Thou art the "sultan of tho skv," and from thv eranLfv home forever lookest upon the abodes of man with indillereiu'c and scorn. 'J'lu war-whoop of tlie savaL'(\ the roar of artillery on the hlooily hattle-fudil, and tin; loud i)oom of the ocean cannon, have fallen upon tliv ear, and lliou hast listened, utterlv heedless as to whom bcloniicd the victory. AVlial strenuth and power are in ihy puiions ! traversinir in an Jioiir a wider space '■Than yonder ij'idhur .-liij). willi all her >;iils W(jiiiii;,'- the wind.-, raa crn-- lb 'in morn till rv( !'' When tliy huuL^'er-sliriek echoes throuuh the wilderness, with terror does the wihl animal seek his ilen, for thy talons arc of iron :ind thine eyes of tire. But what is thy messat(e to the sun ■ Far, far into the zenith art thou L^nie, forever gone — emblem of a miuhtv hope that onc(! was mine. My thoutrlits were upon the earth onc(.' mor(!, and my feet upon a hill out of tlie woods, whence mit>ht be seen the lon(( broad vallev of the Amonoosack meltinli(illl on their \\;i\ to the dells l)elo\\ , even ;is when tlic tired lii(!i;in Imiiter, ><»ine hunt ired :iLi'es nnonc. Itent hini to i[n;iir the litjuid element, 'i'here, still, does the rank Lirass rustle in the hrcc/.e, and the pine and cedar and hendork take part in the hou linn- ot' the uale I [)on man alone 1 ills Ih the heavy curse ol' lime; .Nature has never sinned, tiierclbrc is her Lrlorv immortal. A s IS we known, the hiul lest ol" these mountains was christeiu'd at'ler our heloved Washiniiloii, and with it, as willi him, are associated tli e names ol .lellerxui Mad ison aiu Adams. Its lieiolit is <;ii(| to ije six thousand and eiiiht huii- dretl le( t al)0ve the sea. hut owiiiL"" lo its situation in the crn- frc ot" a brotherhood ol hills, ii does mjt dppiar to he so oraiid ail ohjecl as South I'eak .Mountain amoii'i the ( 'at>kills. Its summit, like most oi' its comjianions, is destitute ol' veuicla- tioii, and tlK.'rel'ore more desolatt' and monotonous. It is somewhat ol" an undertakiuii- to ascend Mount W ashinuloii, tlioui,di the trip is perl'ormed on liorsehatdv ; hut if the wea- tlier is (dear, the traveller will he well repaid ("or his labor. The paint(!r will i^e j)lea>ed w ith the views he nuiv ('(immand ill asceiuliiii;' the route from Crawford's, which abounds in tiie wildest and most diversilled charms of mountain scenery. But the prospect from the snminil of Washington will mostly excite tlie soul of the [)0(,'t. .Not so miudi on account of what he will behold, but for the brcdllih-^s fcvlhi'j; whi(di will make iiim deem himself for a moment lo be an aiiiicl or a tiod. .Viid there, more than ever, if lu^ is a (,'hristian, will he desire to be alone, so as to autitdpale tlie bliss of Heaven by a holy communication with the Invisible. I spent a night upon this mountain, and my first view of the prospect \vas at break of day, when, as Millon says, I! ^1 112 A TOi'R TO Tin: iu\ rii sAra'EXAY. i\(l\;iiii'ii)'i, b(j\\'(l tlic carlli witli orinit, [iciiiis," riiKl " Wiilccd liy till' cilvliiiLT lioiir-; with rri^y lirtuil riiliiin'ril ihc •j.;iir< df liijlit,"" or wJicii, in tilt? liuiLniage oC Sliakspcuro, "'J'lic '-;r;i\-('yi'il iii'irii Miiih'il mi the iVi iwniiiLr imliIiI, Clii'ckL'riii.u tlic (.'uslrni cluiicl.-- with .-Irciik.- nt' li-hi." AV'oiulcrrullv vasi and strangely indistinct and drcaniv wn> llic SL'cnc spread out on cvcrv side, 'i'o tlu! west lay the super!) ( 'onnecticut, with its I'ertile valley reposini; in the i^looni ol" niaht, wliilo to tlie east, the occ^an-honnded pros- pect, just l)urslin{r into the life of lijrht, was i'ainlly relieved by \VinnipiseoL''(.'(! and Sebauo lakes, and like ro(dars was lyinij on his cou(di in a iltful slumber, as the ])ains of a^c creeped throuufh his frame. 'I'here, on the Atlantic shore, the li.>^herman in tlie shelterinji' hay, hoisted antdior and spread his sail for the S(>a ; — and there the life- star of the liiihth()us(! was extiniruishcd, again at its stated tin;e to appear with increased brilliancy. In reality, there "Was an ocean of mountains all around ine; but in the dim light of the hour, aiul as I looked down upon them, it seemed to me that 1 stood in the centre ol' a plain, boundless as the universe ; and though I could not see them, I felt tiiat I was in a region of spirits, and that the sunnnit of the mount r S .»• I ■.# ^1^ THE NOTCH VALLEY. 113 \^ was lioly ffrouiul. lint tho morniiiir was advanciiiir, ttic risiiiir mists obscured tny vision, and, as I did not wish to liavc tliat day-break picture dissipated iVoni mv mind, I mounted my I'ailliful horse, and wiili a solemn awe at heart descen(h'(l the mountain. The ride from the Notch House, kept bv the ceh'lirated hunter named Crawford, tlirouuh the \olch \ ahey some •twelve miles loni^, is mairnilicent. First is tho (Jap itself, only soiue twenty feet in width, u\n\ overhunir with iafrned rocks of wondrous heip blue skv. A little furdier on, and you lind yourself in an anii)hilheatre of mountains, whose summits and sides are barren and deso- late, where the storms of a thousand years hav(> exhausted their fury. Downward still and further on, :uid you come to the memorable Wilev coltaire, whose iidiabitauts perished ii, the avalanche or slide of 182(). The storm had been unceasino- for some davs upon the surroundini!" country, ami llie dwell- ers of the cottaL'^e were startled at midniLiht by the i'alliiiir earth. They lied — and were burii^l in an instant, and up to the present time, only one of tin; seven bodies has ever been found. As it then stood, the dwellinir still stands a monument of mysterious escapi;, as well as of tlie incom- prehensible decrees of Providence. 'J'he Saco river, whicfi runs through the valley, was lifted from its ori.«^.- 114 A TOUR TO THE RIVER SAOUKNAY. ^l;i(l to retrace my course to a loss dreary country My last view (tf -Mount Washinjriou and its lordly companions was the most hc.anlifdl. The sun was near liis sotlin