New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-11-17


rocks rising hare and there from It's surface made
a scene not easily described Ii has left such an
impression OF stern yet gentle witness on my
memory as Will not soon be efaced Not TAR from
midnight, W were one alter another awakened
by rain falling on our eNfremities aud AS each
was made aware OF the fact by cold or wet. he
drew a long sigh sud then drew up his legs, until
gradually We had all sided round from wing at
right angles with the boat, tll our bodies formed
an acute angle with 10, and were wholly protect
ed. When next we aw0kc the moon and stars
were shining again. aud there were signs OF dawn
ia the East l have been thus particular m order
to convey some idea OF night IN the woods.
CLIMBING a RAPID
To avoid the difficulties OF the portage, our men
determined 20 warp up the Passama gamct
Fails 50 while the rest walked over the PORTAGE
with the baggage, remained Ia the baiteau. 60
assist in warriu. up. We were soon iu the midst
OBJ the rapids which were more swift and tumal-
uious than any We had pooled up and had turned
- the side of the stream Tor the purpose oi warp
ing when the bOatmcn who felt some pride ln
their skill aud were ambitious O. dO something
more than usual for my benefit as | sarmised.
took one more view ui the rapids or rather the
tails, aud in answer 10 our question, whether We
could M get zap there, the other answered that he
guessed he Il Try 10 so We pushed again INTO the
midst of the stream. aud began o. struggle with
the current. | sat an the middle ol the boat. %
trim It, moving slightly to the right ar len ~ 10
crazcd a rock With nm uncertain aud waycring
motion we wound and hoited ourwey up, until the
bow was actually raised Two feet above the stcrn
at tho steepest pitch and then. when everything
depended upon his eXert.ons, ths b0wmans pole
snapped iu TWO, but before he had time 10 take
the spare one which had reached, he had saved
himself with the fragment upon rock aud 50
We got up by hair breadth, and Uncle George
exclaimed that that was never done before eni
he had not tried H., n he had not known whom he
had got in the bOw-nOr he IN the bow. II he had
not known him In the stern. At this place there
was regular portage cut through the woods and
our bOatmen had never known batteau to asceud
the falls As near as | can remember, there ,eas
perpendicular tall here, at the worst place oi
the whole Penobscot River. two or three feet nc
least | could not sufficiently admire the skill NOD
GOODNESS with which they performed this isst
never speaking a. each other. The bowman, not
looking behind, but knowing exactly what the
other is about works as If he worked alone n.rs
sounding in vain for a bottom Ia fifteen feet ol VA
ter while the boat falls back several rods, srd
straight only with the greatest skill and exerto1
or while the sternman Obstlnately holds hes
ground, like a turtle, the bowman springs from
side TO side with wonderful suppleness and deX-
terity, scanning the rapids and the rocks with
thousand eyes and now, having got bite at last,
with lusty shove which makes his pole bend aud
culver, aud the whole boat trembe, he gains aiew
feet upon the river. To add to the danger, the
pole. are liable az any time 70 be caught between
the rocks, aud wrenched out Of their hands, leag-
ing them at the mercy OF the rapids-the rocks,
as Il were, lying in wait like so many aligators,
10 catch them IN their teeth and jerk them from
your hands before you have stolen an efcctpal
shove against their pslates The pole Is set close
20 the boat, and the PROV IS made To OyersbOoi
aud Just turn the corners Of the rocks IN the very
teeth of the rapids. Nothing but the length nad
lightness aud the slight draught Of the battesu,
enables them % make any Roadway. The bow
man must quickly choose his course there j. no
time 70 deliberate Frequently the boat Is showed
between rocks where both sides touch, and the
waters on either hand are perfect Maelstrom.
Half mile above this, two OF rs tried our hands
az polling up slight rapid aud We were just sur
mounting the last difficulty, when an unlucky rock
c0niounded our calculations and while the bat
teau was sweeping round rec0verably amid the
whirlpool, we were obliged 70 resign the poles 70
more sklliul hands.
After threading the lake country, they reached
the loot Of Ktaadn, draw up their boat on the
shore, take up their packs and begin the ascent
They climb eight or nine miles the first day, aud
then camp beside torrent.
WALKING ON TIE TOR OF A FoKEs1
While my companions were seeking suitable
spot tor encampin2, / improved the little daylight
that was lett IN climbing the mountain alone. We
were in a deep and Narrow rayne, slOping up ~
the clouds at an angle Of nearly iorty-hye degrees
and hemmed in by walls Of rock, which were at
first covered with low trees, then with impenetra
Die thickets Of scraggy blrches and sPruce-trees,
and with moss bat az last bare VI all vegetation
but llchens and almost continually draPed ia
clouds Following up the course OF the torrent
which occupied this-and mean 10 lay some EN-
phasis on this word appalling myself up by the
side Of perpendicular falls Of twenty or thirty feet
b. the roots Of frs and birches and then, perhaps
waking level rod or two Ia the thin stream, Tor
il took up the whole road, ascending By huge steps
As Il were, giants stairway down which aver
flowed. had soon cleared the trees, and paused
on the successive shelves, T. Ook back over the
country The torrent was from hiteen ~ thirty
fee. wide without a tributary, and seemingly not
diminishing ia breath as ] advanced but SIN II
came rushing and roaming down, with copi0us
tide over and amid masses Of bare rock, from the
very clouds. as though a spout mad Jnst burst
over the mountain. Leaving this az last, began
- work nv way. scarcely less srdgOus than "a
tans apciently through Chaos. up the nearest,
though lot the highest peak. Az this scrambhDg
on all .Ours over tbs tops Oi ancient black spruce
trees yinUs nigrs,j Oil as the hood, from two b.
ten or twelve feet IN height their tops Hat and
spreading, aud their foliage blue and nIpt with
cold as II for centuries they mad ceased growing
upward against the bleak say, the solid cold.
walked some good rods erect upon the tops Of
these trees, which were oyergrown with moss
and mountain cranberries. IL seemed that in the
course Of time they had filed up the intervals be
tween the huge rocks, and the cold wind had uni
formly leyeied all over. Here the principle Of
vegetation was hard put b IL. There was ap
parentiy belt Of this kind running quite round
the mountain, though, perhaps, nowhere 80 re
msrkable as here. Once, Stamping through,
looked down ten feet, iEto a dark aud cayernoLs
region, and saw the stem Of a spruce, on whose
TOP stood, as On mass Of coarse basket worn,
fully nine-inches in diameter at the ground These
holes ere bears nests, and the oears were even
then at home This was the sort Of garden
made my way orer, fer an eighth OF mile at the
ri.k IL Il true of treading on some Of the plants
no, seeing any path through it-certsinly the most
reacherous and porous country ever travelled
a-s nigh foundsrsd. 90 b fsrss,
Tressirs The eraes consls,scce, half on foot
Han sying'