Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-10-20

ing SIX miles, lay quite near the river
and crossed many small,ributary streams
we employed man 10 accompany US
with an axe. We were frequently o. lig.
ed TO remove trees from the read, to fill
excavations, TO mend and make BRIDGES
or contrive to get our horses and was
CONS along separately. After toiling in
this manner for half day, We reached
the end OF our Journey, not however,
without being obliged to leave our wa
CONS half mile behind. In many pla.
ces in these six miles, the road and the
whole adjacent woods, as it appeared
from the marks on the trees, had been
overlooked to the depth oil ten feet. In
one place the river, in consequence OF
some obstruction at remarkable TALL,
had been twenty feet higher than it was
when we passed. We stopped to view
the fall, which DIR. Dwight calls beau.
tiful." He says Of it," the descent 10
from fifty 10 sixty feet, cut through
mass OF slratitied granite; the sides OF
which appeared as it they had been LAID
by mason in variety Of ianlaslcal
forms; betrayed, however, by their rude
and wild aspect, the mastery hand OF
nature" The description is sufficiently
correct; but the beauty oil the fall was
now lost in its subimity.
You have only to imagine the whole
body OF the Amonoosuck, as it appeared
at the bridge which we crossed, now
compressed halt of lis width, ard sent
downward at an angle OF 20 or IS de.
grees, between perpendicular walls OF
stone. On our arrival at Craeiofd's
the appearance OF his farm was like that
OF Rosbrook's, only much worse. Some
OF HIS sheep and cattle were lost; and
eight hundred bushels OF OATS were de-
s,royed. Here we found FIVE gentlemen,
who gave US an Interesting account OF
Their unsuccessful attempt TO ascend
Noun, Washington the preceding day.
They went to the " Camp" at the foot Of
the mountain, on Sabbath evening, and
lodged there " it'll The intention OF climb
ing the summit the next morning. But IN
the morning the mountains were envel.
oped in thick clouds the rain began 10
tall, and increased till afternoon, when
1t came down in loret Al five O..
clock they proposed to spend another
night at the camp, and let their guide
return home for fresh supply OF pfovi.
sions for the mex, day. But the iWpossi.
bihty oil keeping fire where every Thing
was so wet, and at length the advice OF
their guide, made them all conclude 10
return, though with great reluctance.
No time was now to be lost, Tor they had
seven miles to travel on foot, and six Of
them by rugged path through eioo-
my forest. They ran as fast as their
circumstances would perm''; but tho
dark evergreens around them, and tie
black clouds above, made i, plight he"
fore they had gone hall OF the way. Tie
rain poured down faster every momefi;
and the little streams which they Tad
stepped across the evening before must
now be crossed by wading, or by cu,ing
down trees for bridges, to which they
were obliged TO cling for life. In this
way they reached the bridge over no
Amonoosuck near Crawtord's, just in
time to pass it before it was carried
down the current. Ou "Wednesday the
weather being clear and beautiful, and
the waters having subsidized, SIX gentle.
men, with guide, wen, to Mount Wash.
ington, and one accompanied Mr.. Grave
ford to the " Notch" from which nothing
had vet been heard We met again at
evening, and related to each other what
we had seen. The party who went 10
the Mountain were FIVE hours in reach.
ing the site of the camp, instead OF three,
the usual time. The path for nearly
one. third of the distance was so much
excayated, or covered with miry sand,
or blocked up with Lockwood, that
they were obliged to grops their way
through .hickets almost impene'rable,
where one generation Of trees after sno-
Their had risen and fallen, and were now
lying across each other in every dIrec.
ton, and in various stages Of decay.
The camp itself had been wholly swept
away, and the bed Of the rivulet, BY
which it had stood. was now more than
len rods wide, and with banks from ten
to fifteen feet high. -Four or FIVE other
brooks were passed, whose beds were
enlarged, some of them to twice the exc
tent OF this. In several, the water was
now only four or five feet wide, while
the bed OF ten, fifteen or twenty rods IN
width, was covered for miles with stones
from two to FIVE feet in diameter, that
had been rolled down the meuntainss
and through the forests, by thousands,
bearing every thing before them. Not
tree, nor the root OF tree renamed IN
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