New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-01
Face of the Country-Game. Bears, Dee''
Wolves, Moose, etc.-A Panther Chase

This region of country, Of which Hamilton
Co Is the centre, forms the hight OF land DE- [
tvesn Lakes Ontario ard Champlain Mount
Marcy is the highest peak. heing the highest 'ano
in the United States, with the exception OF
Mount Washington of the White Monn'alns'-
On lis summit snow or ice can be iouno sifnost
eysry month in the year, and il commands one oi
the most extensive prospects in the Country. IL
usually takes three days to ascend ana Ie'u'n'
and dense unrodd:n irrsss the entire wa;' t!'
YOU reach the bald top. From the nskec rocK
that forms the summit, sea OF mountains
stretches away on every side Prot. +. behe-
dict who once ascended it for scientific purposes,
told me that the spectacle from 1t one mornlpgln
q northeast storm was sublime beyond descrp-
tiyp. He stood in the clear sunlight while an
ocean Of clouds rolled on below him, biot,ing ou!
the whole creation irom mis- view Atlength the
clouds rsnt one by one, and the black top OF
mountain would emerge like an island from the
piehtv mass, and then another and another TIL
away as iar as the eyc could reach. these black
conical Islands lay sPrinklcd over the white bosom
OF the vapoury sea.
This region is the source OF all the large streams
that pour into the ST. Lawrence, Lake Champlaln
and the Hudson, and is the source of the tucson
;tse,l. The r.dge which divides the head waters
of the Hudson from the Western slope IS mere
hill. and 1t is but few rods from the pond which
constitutes them to another lake which emptes
;tseliinto the ST. Lawrence. The whole coun-
try is mountains and lakes rather than mountains
soG valleys. Ii never can be made good f,-in-
ing coanuy, though i. might be made good
grazing country. Sheep could be kept on all
these hills, and wool enough grown to supply the
United States, while there is sufficient water
power to turn machinery ;of the world. a
Tariff is all that can make this section of the
State valuable as wool growing region, and the
people will fiId il out sooner or later.
The scenery is wild beyord description, and
often exceedingly beautiful TIE lakes, with
their clear water and hard sho:ee, and picturesque
islands surrounded with lofty mountains, form
charming feature in the landscape.
The Hudson here is as weyward and wanton
az O. child. /, will move along for mile or two
in ita narrow channel, and then suddenly spread
out into small lake-then again seek it's chan
mel for short distance, and again spread out into
another lake, and thus it continues on for miles
with these lakes lying like separate links in the
watery chain, as it is stretched through the for
est. You can pass nearly a hundred miles
through the heart Of this wild region in boats
with the longes. carrying place (as it is called
only two or three miles. These boats are solight
that man throws them over his head and car
rjes them from the head Of one stream to another,
and from lake to lake, and around falls and fapids,
etc. and yet for hundred miles, two Oh three
miles is the longes: distance he compelled, any
ono time, 10 carry the boat. A good deal OF the
land is stiil owned by the State, while large tracts
are in the possession of individuals who bought
them for speculation. Some whole townships are
still an unbroken wilderness. A few settlers are
sprinkled here and there this large Territory
Sometimes you will find ten or twelve log huts in
the whole township, sometimes four or five, some.
times none. In ore instance one man is the only
being In the township. In one Of these little set
Elements, not long since, man was found 10 be
thief His comrades Immediately tried and
convicted him, and then started with him through
the woods for the nearest jail, fifty miles distant.
When about half way through the forest they
stopped and declared it was going to cost more
than il would come 10, and turned him loose in
the woods.
Take Long Lake as centre, and it is about
thirtyfiv miles 10 the nearest pos:-office, and to
that the mail comes only once week and on
horseback fcrty. five miles to the nearest store,
fifty to the nearest grist-mi!l, with the exception
of one OF these small things called pepper. .milD,
and about the same distance to the nearest jail.
And this wild region is in the heart Of the EN-
pire State.
Game Of all kinds swarm the forest; bears,
wolves, panthers, deer and NOISE. | was not
ware that so many moose were to be found here
In as close proximity TO civilized life as this sec
ton ip, do not believe there is an animal Of the
| African desert with whicn OUT people are not
more IA amiur than the moose. Yet in size, at
least, ne s worthy Of attention, being much taller
than the OK You vii! sometimes find an old
bull moose eight feet high. the body ia about
1
the size Of COW, while the legs are long and
slender, giving to Inc huge bulk the appearance Of
beirg mountcd on stills. The horns are broad,
hst and branching, shooting in horizontal curve
from TIE head. saw one pair that were n2arly
four feet across from tip 10 tip, and The horn It.
sell fifteen inches bread. The speed of these ami
mails through the thick forest seems almost ms--
culous, when we consider their enormous bulk
and branching horns. They seldom break into
gallop but when reused by dog stert eff on
rapid pace with the nose erect and the head work.
ing sideways to let their horns pass through the
branches. They are very seldom, if ever, taken
By dogs, as they Iun on the start twenty miles
without stopping, over mountains, through
swamps, and across lakes and rivers. They
are seldom seen or taken except early in the
spring. when the snow is DEF oest-being then
unable 10 travel the wooda, as the snow is often