The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-10-21
No. 10
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

descent it carried others with it, and away
they went, like so many fends, Jumping.
bowling, now leaping almost off at right an
giles, then again falling in perpendicular
position, and again thrown of in counter
direction, scattering before their paths tie
small trees that presented themselves, and
filling the whole valley with the tLunders Of
the concuSSiOn.'
Night overlook our travellers on the
mountain, a glorious summer night Of star
light and moonlight Think Of a sunset
view from Katahdin, followed by a moon-Iit
panorama of lake, and mountain, and forest!
4 stood alone says our traveller, mo one
within mile Of me, on the highest northern
point-phrenologically speaking, on the very
.ttmneSS of the mountain-and saw the sun
90 down in the west, surrounded with golden
clouds. His light was spread far over the
west, till, by and by, the dim twilight was
ditfused over the earth, and the appearance
of lakes, forests streams, and mountains,
changed and grew less distinct But the
moon had already risen above the horizon,
full and cloudless, and looked, as it seemed
to me, for the first time and with astonish-
ment, upon these wild scenes Of nature.
Soon the stars came out from their hiding
places, and, as the moon continued to mount
the sky, another glorious brightness, of moon
light and starlight, filled the heavens, and
WAS poured over forest, mountain and lake.
At 10 o'clock at night the party babe fare
well to old Pomoola, and commcnced their
descent by moonlight. After travelling an
hour and half, they reached a suitable
camping ground. Early in the morning they
continued their descent following the course
Of the Katahdin stream, which takes its ramc
from the mountain. They counted five
splendid cascades, some Of them of nearly
one hundred feet fall. Their sound filled the
deep dark valley with eternal echoes. At
o'clock in the evening, the party encamped
once more on the mountain, on the very
verge of the rushing river, amidst trees
hewn only by the dull axe Of time. The
night was perfectly clear and calm bril-
liant moonlight streaming through the arches
Of the forest and silvering the wild water
flashing under them; far above, rose the
dark form Of Katahdin, dimly seen through
the mists flowing like grey hair over his gi-
ant brows. On the morning of the 9th, tie
travellers reached the Wassataquoik river, at
the base of the mountain, and three days af-
ter returned to Bangor, having been absent
fourteen days.
Smoke Of clearings will ere long curl about
the wooded spurs of Katahdin; rail cars
thunder along Its still valleys its lakes and
waterfalls be made the slaves of mechanism
and the great lonely mountain itself become
familiar resort for the fashionable oilers of
our cities, But it may well be doubted
whether the prospect which its summit may
then afford will equal, in beauty aud grand
eur, that which our late travellers eniovcl
Improved water-privileges, painted sh ng!c>,
and steeple houses, could lend no additional
charm to the simple Majesty of Nature in
these vast solitudes In one of his essays,
Ralph Waldo Emerson says, that Mature is
loved as the City Of God, although, or rather
because, there is no citizen. The beauty of
Nature must always be universal and mock
ing, until the landscape has human figures
that are good as itself Man is fallen, Nature
is erect Hence, when describing his visit
to Monadnock, he laments that the dwellers
amidst its mountain glory seemed so totally
unworthy of the magnificent theatre upon
which they were acting their poor farce of ex-
istence. Under the shadow of the heaven
ward mountain, he found men
"With step of cat, and eye of bug,
Dull victims Of the pipe and mug"
Our fastidous philosopher would expert
cnce none Of this revulson of feeling upon
Mount Katahdin. Man has neither made nor
marred the landscape which is overlooked by
that lone watcher by the eastern gateway of
the New World. J. G. w.