Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-04-04
From the New York Evangell
Mount Katahdin.
BIZ REV. JOHN TODD, D. D.

| s.,
they rolled over the deep gorge in which we
were encamped, and which looked so clear
and sparkling up through the tall fir trees
that lined the gorge. AT length the soft
gold and silver of the dawn appeared, and at
hall past three we were all up, our fire was
glowing. and our last poor meal, but one,
was ready. What was TO be done? We
had not ascended the mountain, one great
objecl of all our fatigue, and we were nearly
twenty miles from food, through a forest
primeval There was little Time for doubt
so we packed up the tent. our blankets, and
AS much luggage as poor Orne could carry,
gave HIM his share OF our crumbs, piece of
pork large as butter-nut, and iOld hin:
TO pui for dear life as asl as hs cou d. get al
our food and come back and meet us. as fast
as he could. With heavy load, and "A look
TINT seemed to say.--'l am afraid that you
will he starved when | see YOU next he
turned his face outward. and we prepared TO
| ascend the mountain. With each OF us "A
long poe, the Indian with the tea-kelte full
of water, and the hrle pocket compass in
the hand, we left our camp fire as soon il
was fully lighr. Up the gorge and over the
huge rocks we clambered. keeping in the raw
me perhaps mile. or a mile and half
We then struck off through the lhick ht m
locks, Two points west OF north by the com
pass. Then we climbed over rocks, and
through large thick set trees for perhaps
another nile, all the while rising up. Then
came the white birches growing smaller and
smaller, till they were drafted down TO mere
bushes. Then we emerged, and found our
selves ascending ridge of the mountain,
TOO far up for the trees to grow. We bad
now small bushes and huge rocks lying in
every possible position. Then the bushes
grew tiny and small, til we were beyond
them, where the mountaIn cranberry, about
three inches high, and The carIboo moss find
II home. Ii was very steep, and the hight
was already such. and The ridge So narrow
that nnron>"iousv some of US were creeping.
A: length, afer hours of almost breathIess
labor, we were on The first emlnence or peak.
And now what sensations! This then
katah'lu, and we are on II. Ii seems like
dreaming. The mountain is IA thick crust OF
granite, heaved up by some awful and mys-
rerious agency. in the midst of the plain he
Iween two branches of The Penol,scol. II !,
over 5000 lee: high-nearly as lofty as the
highest ofthe White Mountains but it stands
alone, solitary. naked and awful. II is shap-
ed like a horseshoe and supposing the horse
shoe Ia lie bottom side upwards, with its toe
tow rds the north the left potnt
of the heel. The highest summit is where
the toe or middle otthe shoe should he. The
space between was chasm- wall of solid
naked rocks, about two miles in diameter
Now our desire and ambition was 10 reach
the highest summit. TO go to it YOU must de-
scend two hundred feer almost perpendicular
iv, and then up ngain over a chimney two
hundred and fifty feet gh. Then YOU go
along on narrow ridge, like The apex OF Il
root of house, excep when you come to
these chImuey>, about dozen OF which YOU
must climb over. The ridge is IN no plare
probably over yard wide and IN one place
hut i've inches. 0;s-eitber II Ie il is 50 steep
that YOU might toss n biscuit aud have il ta
2 500 feet before il struck anything. Our
Indian declared that it was impossible TO
pass over these cnImneys and this ridge
But | SET out alone. determined TO 'try.' NV
companion aud The Indian followed, hut the
boy was too much exhausted 10 attempt il,
and was very glad he did not. AT the first
chimney had to lift myself up perpendicu-
larly five feet; but up, up you climb. over
chimney and ridge, for at least mile
and half, knowing that at almost any
and every step, were YOU to fall. you wonld
go 500 feet before you stopped. Some
times you pause aud roll down stone or
two, and are amazed at the length OF time
II takes 10 reach the bottom, bounding hun
dreds Of ieei and echoino AT every leap, ill 1t
rests in the chasm. AT the bottom and up
in that chasm, is forest and a little poud.-
| The foresI seems to be not over SIX inches
high, and the pond mere basin. And now
onward. You become excited that YOU
| forget the danger and the deaths which you
can almest see looking up on each side. Al
one point you may creep out and bold III
your hand line, with lead on it. and il
will hang 900 feet perpenticularly. Al
length You reach the apex-the toe OF the
horseshoe and find square spot on which
to pause. it may be yard square. You
now find you have not to boast that you are
the first who has rodden that dangerous and
siddy ridge, for here is lttle pile Of stones
that some human hand has erected, and on it
a hutton, three small shot, and piece of
| pipe-stem half an inch long. Now looa
about you. You breathe easy. and feel every
nerve strung up TO high stale of trnsion.-
| Even Nicola, in his huge boots bounded
like a deer. and said, 'We feel all lighlnes>
up here But in looking back over the
ridge that you have come, il seems uterly
mpossIl le that you can ever return, or that
a human being can climb bnck over those
| thought of the TASK.
Bul forget all this, and what isthe great
impression? Your first feeling is you want
TO be aud must be alone. When reached
the summit my companion and guide were
more than half . mite off, and right glad
was. did noI want any one TO ask What
means the tear in your eye? You are com.
mmnIug with nature and with natures God
| and YOU feel as If YOU had no riahI to he
there. Al every few minutes the wind
draws into the chasni, and IN an instant thr
| air is condensed into a cloud, and up il roll,
towards you, up, higher and higher, and all
| is thick cloud beneath and over YOU, aud
| about YOU, aud then il floats off. ligh, and
| gladstone, and the chasm is there-rhe cioud-
former clear and deep and awful. Just as
| il was before. Perhaps we saw clouds IRE
ated a dozen times in thai hopper. All The
rest seemed ike an unfinished part of crea-
ton. But OH. how beautifully were those
clouds made, finished. and sen, off footing
in the glad sunlight At the foot of the
mountain were several beaulinl ponds. In
one of these Two huge moose came TO feed
| With the naked eve they looked like ducks,
bur the spy glass gave Them their true dimen-
sions and shape. They probably never saw
| man. AT the south lay Miliinocket lake
with rs beautiful islands, and the smoke of
the hunters fires all around, as they were
drying their moose meat. And there was
Maine-all forest unbroken, save by her
grand rive. which looked like a ribbon of
silver. There were her lakes, probably ono
| hundred or one hundred and fitty, in sight,
| looking like 50 MANY pieces of looking olasps