The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-10-21
From the National Era.
A Night on Mount Katahdin.

To the summer tourist and fashionable
traveller, the White Mountains of New
Hampshire are familiar as Cape May or the
CatSkll. Every rugged pass or green dingle
Of their wooded sides every stream leapng
down from their high well-springs; every pic
turesque outlook from the winding paths
which lead to their rocky SUBMITS, has been
annually made the theme of admiring de-
scription But, comparatively few travellers
have turned their steps towards Katahdin, the
solitary mountain-giant, whose head, five
thousand feet above the waters of the Penob
scot, overlooks the vast valley beneath, gilt
terng with its hundred lakes. Situated in
the midst of wilderness traversed only by
the trapper and the lumberman, difficult of
ascent and peculiarly liable to sudden storms
and snow-blasts, it has been seldom visited
and of those who have attempted to reach its
summit, only few have succeeded. Pro-
fessor Bailey, of West Point, assembled it in
the 8th month, 1886, in the midst of cold
drizzling rain. In the 9th month of the fol-
lowing year, DIR. c. T. jackson, State Geolo-
gist, made the ascent, but was compelled to
stop short of the highest peak by sudden
storm of sleet and snow. The first ascent OF
which we have any knowledge was made in
1904.
The Legislature of Maine having granted
an appropriation for bontanical survey Of
the State, and having appointed Dr. Young
Of Bangor, to carry it into execution, that
gentleman, in company with DR.. Thurber
and several others, left the City of the East
on the 18th ultimo, for the purpose of ascend
ing Katahdin. John X. Laski, of Bangor
one of the party, has given long account Of
the tour, which, although evidently written
in haste, has the merit of conveying Il viv1C
idea otthe writer's adventures. 1t appeared
in the Bangor Courier OF the 18th instant
Leaving Bangor, the party, seven in mum
Der, passed up the Penobscot to the village
Of Passadumkeag, camping at night in VIC
lent rain. At noon, on the next day, they
reached Lincol, the principal town on the
Penobscot above Bangor, where the river
moves quietly through rich intcrvale, it
banks studded with pleasant farms, and EN-
| bosoming beautiful islands, whose oper
growth of large Gins formed picturesque
and charming appearance The night founC
them at MattawamEeag Point On the fol
lowing morning quitting the military road
! they struck into the Aroostook track, which
takes a northwesterly direction through the
forest In the course of the afternoon, while
passing the unincorporated township Of Bene
dic.a, Ga purchase of the late Bishop Fenwick)
they for the first time obtained distinc
view Of the object of their journey. Farir
the west, the huge granite pile lowered thro
the hazy atmosphere, its Hottest summit cir
cled with whio-smoke clouds, At a lone
farmhouse in township No. 3, at the distance
Of cighty-ive miles from Bangor, they lief
their carriage and started on foot towards
the mountain. Late in the afternoon Of the
2lst ultimo, they reached the solitary dwell
ling OF pioneer farmer, who, few year:
since, sat himself down in the wilderness
with no other resources than his axe and ;
strong arm to WELD it. He had now CLEARED
farm of one hundred acres, good house, ant
substantial barns filed with seventy-hve tons
of hay The next day being the first day o
the week, it was decided to remain until the
23d. One Of the company, it seems, was I
clergyman, and he was requested by their
host to exercise his vocation, which he did
very much to the satisfaction of the good MAJ
and his wife, to whom the presence Of min
lister was Il rare and welcome event. On tn,
following morning the party continued thei
Journey to the base Of the mountain, a dis
lance of thirty miles, along the banks of tn
Wassataquoik,a wild rocky stream, damme
with huge bou!ders, which appear to hav
, been swept down from the granite sides {