Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1848-09-28
From Chambers Edinburgh JosoMal.
Five Days in the wilderness Of New
Brunswick. ,. r.
[Adventures OF John Urs nj, one ofthe sur=
veyors Of the Quebec and Halifax
railway explofalion.l

On The morning OF the 5,h oflas. Novem-
Der, we were encamped on the line Of sur
vey In the lob que district, about five miles
from the little Gulquac. Al 8 o'clock, the
.paSsf having. sisnok. ahe ssnas. aud sssr shsis-
several lads In readiness, commenced their
days march along the line. when I left them,
as I usually did, for the purpose of examin.
ing the surrounding country, as iobserva>
lions from 1t OF dis,an, heights had already
been mace by the Surveying party during
the summers operations. After MAXIM a
lew notes and sketches, went 10 the top Of
the hill, where I rema aimed for short time
similarly employed. lnext descended with
the intention Of gaining the line of the sur
vey, and joining the party. This, however,
found 10 be no such easy matter. The
,coaL,ry in this neightorhood has to an
immense extent been laid waste by fires
and the trees, and even the soil in some
places, are so thoroughly burnt up, that
there Is not vestige Ut Vegetation 10 be
seen In others the naked trunks Of the trees
are left standing. like the grim ghosts of a
stately forest race, charred by fire, or Manch
ed by the storm or tossed by the whirl.
wind into the most frighlfui heaps Of con-
fusion. These are called "windfalls," and
form some Of the most formidable barriers
&C the progress Of the traveller in the viii
derness.
The surveyed line through this section
Of country, owing TO the facts above stated,
was merely traced out with small stakes,
placed at thong intervals, which having be-
come dark and discoiored, could scarcely
now be distinguished from the surrounding
dead wood. was net thea in the least
disconnected At failing 10 ind the line, bn.
continued TO advance in the direction which
! kneS is TO take, stopping from time 10
time 10 make sketrhes and observations AZ
before. Asst was new getting late In the
afternoon. and felt confident I had gone
quite as far as the party we're likely to have
advanced in their days march, again
made an effort to discover them, by travers.
Jog the conntry both 20 the right and left for
a considerable distance, whooping as loud
us I possibly could-but all in vain. ]
could neither see nor hear anything oflhem.
Very little more than half mile from
where stood, recognized rocky height
from which ] had the year before. made
some observations, and proceeded lhithsr, in
the hope Of beiog able TO discover from Il
he smoke OF The camp. On reaching the
sumEit there stood he post which had
placed cor my insirnmsn'. exactly a. ] had
left IL q year ago. IcarefalIy scanned iae
LACE Of ihe, country round 10 every direc-
lion. bot the anxionsly Iocked'fer smoke
vas u0wherc 20 Be seen and ] was a. LAST
reluctantly compelled 10 EeIiBquish ny hope
Of Ending che parry for that night 81 least.
Not kao~ing whether tho surveying iiue
Iayto my right o. lrG, I resolved 70 tske
The direction ID ShIch1 rbought ihesewaA
he least personal risk. and therefore lOst1o
.Tme IN getting On arIine which had bseh
an BY my diSeesiop she year beS6sss alssg
which . kePl y lhe sOrhvaEd, Is, iaeass !
did not In tbc mesStime erOes either of che