Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-01-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
FROM THE BOSTON LYcEUM.
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.

The White Mountains have become
objects of curiosity and research to almost
every traveller. In early times, the adj
venturers had the pleasure Of ascertaining
and describing their altitude, soil and
productions; such were Jocelyn and
Neal, who, in 1852, explored their re-
giens and told many marvellous stories of
precious stones concealed in their centre,
and suspended over lakes, which would
make the fortune of any one who obtained
them. Our more intellectual and disin-
terested age has abandoned the pursuit of
seeking carbuncles among the hills of
New Hampshire, and contents itself with
hunting for some new species of linchen
or rough fossil, that may afford material
for botanical or geological treatise. But
now, description Of the White Noun
tains is Ca thrice told tale" and their
snow-crowned SUBMITS and silver cascades
are their own narrators. He who explores,
must be contented to admire for himself
Those, however, who love the wild scene
ry of nature, and have health, activity,
and enterprise, cannot fail of reaping
their reward in this excursion. To the
mere lounger it presents but little; there
are no bowling-greens in the neighbour
hood, and a curricle and pair are not to
be had for love or money. The fair lady
who cannot be tempted to quit her luxu-
rious carriage, will return fatigued and
disappointed, for there are few pleasures
to be procured without labour. This re-
mark applies particularly to travellers.
The summit of the Kaatskil is weary
ascent; the finest view Of the Falls of
Niagara, below TABLE Rocks still more
weary descent. 1t is not on the "dry
smooth shayen green" that we are to look
for fine prospects, but among mountains
and vallies, that borrow some of their
charms from the difficulty of attainment.
There are pleasures Of imagination, how
ever, connected with almost every remark
able,spot which the indolent as well as
active may enjoy. For my own part, |
have but little satisfaction in travelling
over country with rapidity that puts
one out of breath; / love to stop, and
linger, and feel that in so doing l am
busy in the object Of my excursion. Per-
haps it was this idea that excited an inter-
est in the following little tradition. which
has been immorialized BY Mrs. Hemans.
A few miles below the Notch of the
White Mountains, now celebrated by the
painter and the poet, in the bosom Of the
valley through which the Saco winds,
rises little eminence which was pointed
out to me as Nancy's Hill. Nash was a
celebrated hunter the storms Of winter,
terrible as they were amid the desert OF
mountains which was his home, and the
tempests of summer, equally terrible and
more appalling, were alike Indifferent to
him. In one of his numerous excursions,
he did more for the benefit of the country
than all the philosophers before, or since
his time, for he first explored the wonder
full passage, which opened an easy inter-
course between the inhabitants east and
west of the Gap. Yet he wrote no book
on the subject, and never claimed the
honour Of the discovery. Many people
thought he loved hunting, merely for the
hardships he encountered, for he never
grew rich, and he often gave away what
he had gained by weeks of TOLL but he had
only himself to provide for, and without