New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-11-03
/ Yisit.to thesWhite Mountains . No. II.
BY A STUDENT OF YALE.


BY STUDENT OF YALE.
Having passed comfortable night, be ready
with the sun TO ascend the sky. From Craw
fore's door you enter wood--whether on foot or
horse, is matter of fancy-though ii you go on
foot, you will find sober reality, as well as TO-
nance, before completing your Journey. The
trees are noble and abundant, but as you ascend
thew are smaller and smaller. The first two
miles is a continuous climbing. Atthis distance
the trees taper to nothing, and you find yourseb
mon Bald HILL about 1000 feet above the house
from which you last started, and about 4,ooo ice,
above the level of the sea. Here was cold
current of air. 1t is interesting to see no" t'ie
trees try to grow and war with the severity %
the climate. Sometimes foot IN diameter they
are not more than fifteen feet hgh' many are
not more than four feet high. we ionnd one SIX
;nches in diameter and not more than eighteen
;,cbes b;gh. The mountain at last yields to the
cold and seems ccntented with It's own barren
ness. Sometimes when it strove in vain to pro-
duce covering, it reminded me of some persons
who attempt to cultivate piety without change
of heart. When we arrived upon Bald.hill, the
summit of Mount Washington was enveloped in
cloud It's appearance called to mind the
Psalmlst's account of the throne of the Almighty:
"Clouds and darkness are round about him.
And as those clouds and that darkness vanish as
we near His throne, SO did that cloud pass away
as we approached the Mount. From Bald-hill
we passed over the summit of Mount Clinton
thence over Mounts Pleasant and Franklin--then
round the base of Mount Monroe-thence to the
summit of Mount Washington. BY this road
we obtained great variety OF scenery, beautiful,
sublime, ma estc and awful. Sometimes we rode
where, if we should depart two feet from our
path, we should be thrown headlong perhaps an
eighth of mile But our situation, though
awful, was not perilous; and as we clambered
the rocks and looked down upon the dread depths
below, there was wildness In our position and
romance in our ride
The view from Mount Washington is the most
extended, but not more beautiful than that from
Mount Pleasant. This mountain scenery can
not be described but it can be felt. From the
summit Of Mount Washington, more than 5000
feet above the level of the sea, on clear day.
the ocean (sixty-hvc miles distant) may be dis
tinctly seen; also more than fifty lakes and
ponds, with mountains and villages nnumera-
BILE. Our guide was ever patient In answering
questions Here too the "squeel of the wild
amenoosuck'' is heard as il pours down from the
towering nights. On the summit there is
spring Of water, and not far distant a beautiful
sheet called the Lake Of the Clouds. The wa
ter on these mountains is more delicious than the
ancient nectar, and plain food here is more
grateful than elsewhere the ambrosia OF the gods.
AS you look down upon the tops Of the trees,
where floating clouds cast shadow, they look as
if in the garb of mourning 1t seems impossible
that person should stand here upon New Eng
lands crown, 1900 feet above vegetation, and
survey the wide extent about him, numerous
closely packed at his feet, sight SO
without acknowledging the existence Of
a God, and having his soul called out in awe and
worship:
Not vainly did the early Persian make
His altar the high places and the peak
OF earth o'er-gazing mountans, aud thus take
pit aud onwail'd temple, there to seek
The spirit, in whose honor shrines weak,
Cnreared of human hands. Come and compare
Columns aud idoldwellings, Goth or Greek,
With Natures realms of worship, earth and air,---
Nor fix on fond abodes to crcumscrlbe thy prayer"
The distance is nine miles, but they arc noun
tain miles, and not easily passed over. Ere we
arrived at the foot the sun too was descending
tho nights. A day may thus be happily spent
among the crystal hills" From the Notch
house, four miles bring us to the White Noun
tain house, kept by Fabyon, from which there is
another road to the summit of Mount Washing
ton, which | cannot describe, not having passed
over it. Here is pleasant place to spend the
night. In the evening we were favored with the
echo Of the hills. A horn blown in front Of the
house renders range of mountains vocal with
the sound. No dscords are heard from the
mountain choir. But as each catches the notes
from another they are prolonged IN sweetness
and melody.