The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-31

20 The following article has been hand.
ed 10 us by friend with the request that Il
bo published IN the CaIodoniao. ItAppeared
originally in the Vermont Chroniulo about
four yeAn ago,
wILLoUGHHY LAKE.
MEssHs EDIroRs There u an interest
ing locality Of natural wonders In your State,
nf which. / helieXe. vary liiila is al pressni
known. No mention is made Of Il Ia any ge-
oguphioal work ,or In any Of your State Gar
etseeru, as being place Of any eStrAordihA-
" interest. But having myself become Ia
miliar with its scenes by two yisits one IN
the simmer Of lstb, and che other quits re-
cent in August isl7, hAxa daaniel an Aez
count Of Il not unworthy the attention Of your
readers.
Leaving Lyndon, CAledonii County, (Yt)
we travel north about Ia miles To the town
of Westmotc, Orleans Co. Nothing Gttracis
the notice Of the traveller, save that endless
variety Of hill and vale forest and field which
so generally characterize New England seen.
CRY, until he arrives At a commanding omi-
nenee in the road within the northern limits
Of the town Of sutton. Here, suddenly, he
comes into the full view Of Mountain Notch
in the near horizon, ofA sublime and peculi-
ar aspect Looking beyond the summit Of a
neighboring ridge Of hills you behold two lof-
~ peaks pictured against tho sky, frowning
at each other with perpendicular 'front.', while
in their rear they slope oil, in long and LOFTY
ridges, IN the east aud west That peak on
the right, which seems To present the higher
wall Of the two, is called Mt Piygah, aud that
opposite, Mt EIor Other mountains ofstrik-
ing bo!dneas and height Aso also visible from
this Poinlall constituting part OF the Green
Mountain range.
Having enjoyed this prospect for short
space, VIC plunge into the forest, aud after a
further ride of about thrcu miles, again e.
merge into an open ground, and there, be
fore us, bursts upon our view a prospect Of
indescribAble grandeur and beauty. Therp
stand, on the right and lefl before you, those
two giant sons Of earth, towering to the clouds
facing each other with a wall Of naked per-
pendieulAr rock, looking defiance across the
impassable gulf between, whose depths the
imagination scarcely dares fatlom. That
chasm is occupied by willoughby Lake--a
lake Of inimitahle lovelincss, nesting in calm
beauty at the feet Of those iremGndnus -elilLS
The combined effect Of this landscape "
wondOrful and delightful in the extreme
There E nothing in the iar-famed seeaers Of
the White Mountain Notch, nor in Franco
MIA Notch (the Old Man Of the Mountain al
ways cxecptcd,) nor tho passage Of tho Poto-
mac Mt Harper's Ferry, nor Of the deep chan
mel of the niagara, or OF the cfatifi NJ f'FeH-
ton Falls, which produced in my own mind
p,ore vivid impressions, than does tho scene
ry of this neglected spot Picture to your
selves mountain ridge noar two thousand
fert high, eleft froul the summit To its base
and forced wide asundcr 20 Rs 10 disclose q
yawning chasm as far down as II strikes it'
roots into the earth's crust Then imagine
this abyss filed with n clear and sparkling
lake, but twice broader at its surface than th'
height Of the rocky ramparts which eonhn'
It's opposite shores, and you will have a goo'
conception Of the scenery Of Willoughb.
Lake.
This Lake, situated in the town Of West
more. is about seven nniitsin length, and va
rying from three GoaFths of u mile TO tirc
miles in width The whole extent Of its wost
I crn shore is yet an unbroken wilderness, bu
ON its northeastern and southern borders thrc
or four openings have been made and settle
ments commenced. 1t is said by the inbabi
i, ayt1 4, AaSe heen first discovered hy an Enf
Iish hunter from Canada, with one comPaT
ION In endeavoring to clear AWAY Sina
a spot OF trees and brushwood on the shore,
order to erect a cabin, Willoughby wounde
4 his foot near the ankle and blod to death
The unfortunate man left to the Lake u
4 legacy of his name.
r On my late sojourn Of two days in this n
: zion, in company with several friends, anon
: when vas the Hon. i. u, Chase of Lyndo'
n who has made this Lake frequent aud Il
yorite resort for the last twenty years, OF
d party was joined also by Esq. Beokw'th o
e Sutton, with quadrant and chain,--inStr'
c ments for taking heights. InaniediStely Q
n our arrival our company divided, one for u
e exploration Of the iakcip~Ftirn'lAsly As FssaF'
: its icAfhyology, and the other for the seaiin
il of the beetifng cliffs which almost eTerhan
h It's waters. chose the fortunes Of the latte
!. and under the direction Of an excellent guic
e MIR Hnndey (rssidipg within one mile
tho south end Of the hke,) we addressed GU
It selves to the arduous ascent Surveying q
a ;s,ss,aaaa wall of rock. where il extendsso1u
ward past the cxtrunity Of the lake. we "a
n Il gradually depressed, until, about opPosii
where we stood, It's perpendicular height wi
e oaly about two hundred feet II 70 bore N
: all naked rock, but at intervals the woo'
q which crown the summit reach down, 4alqu
D some vertical racine, wreath OF vegetatio
Q 70 the baso, consisting mostly Of gnaried an
stintet eedAFs tThpja oceiinntalis.l eaRab
y Of serving as ladder. Towards Que Of the'
y green ravines we bent our course, and sheT