Worcester daily spy., 1851-07-19
THE DAILY SPY.
From the Parthenon.
T h e L ke Gun.
BY JAMES FEYIMoRE COOPER.

BY JAMES FEYIMoRE COOPER.
The Seneca is remarkable for its aWanderinp
| sew and the t Lake Gum The first is tree so
Dalanced that when its are clear of the bottom
1t noats with Its broken and pointed trunk few feet
ABOVE the surface of the water, driving before the
WmoS' or iollowlng IN the course Of the currents-
At times the =" Wandering Jews is seen off Jefer
son, the head of this be autifu sheet and nex
IL VIII appear anchortd d, it might be- IN the shall
low water near the outlet. For more than half
century has this remnant of the forest loated about
from point to point, its bald head whitening with
lime, until It's features have become familiar with
all the older inhabitants of the country The great
depth Of the Seneca prevents it from freezing: and
summer and winter, spring time and autumn is this
wanderer to be observed; occasionally battling with
the Ice that makes short distance from the shore
now pursuing its quiet way before a mild southern
ar IN June, or, anchored, by lis roots touching the
bottom as 1t passes point, Genes in contact with
flats. 1t has been known to remain wear or two
at time IN view of the village of Geneva until. ac
customed to its sight, the people begin to think that
was never TO move again from its berth any more;
but fresh northerly breeze changes all this; the
" Jew'' swings to the gale, and, like ship unmoor
ing drags clear of the bottom, and goes off to the
southward, with its head just high enough above
water to be visible 1t would seem really that his
wanderlngs are not to cease as long as wood will
float.
No whitu man can give the history of this sJew.'
lie was found lavng his sides in the pure waters of
the Seneca by the earliest settlers, and it may have
been ages since his wanderngs commenced When
trey ale to cease Is secret in the womb of time
The Lake Gum Is a mystery 1t is sound re-
sembllng the explosion of heavy piece of artillery
that can be accounted for accounted for by none of
the known laws of nature. The report is deep, hol-
low, distant and imposing The lake seems to be
speaking to the surrounding hills, which sends back
the echoes OF its voice in accurate reply No salts
factory theory has been broacEed to explain
these noises Conjectures have been hazarded about
chasms, and the escape of compressed air by the
sudden admission Of water; hut all this is talking at
random, and has no probably no fouadaton in truth
The most that can be said is, that such sounds are
heard, though at long intervals, and that no one has
yet succeeded in asceraining their cause.
1t Is not many lustrums since curiosity induced an
Ider, traveller, and one possessed of much attain
ment derived from journeys in distant Iands. 6t
inqaire cosely into all the traditions connected with
these two pecularities of the Seneca and, having
thus obtained all that he could to lead him TO make
the tour Of the entire lake, in the hope of learning
more by actual personal observation He went up
| and down In the steamboats, was much gratified
with his trip, but could or hear nothing to helm
him in his investigation The Gum had not been
heard In long time, and no one could tell him VII
had beceme OF the Wandering Jew.' In vaip did
ms eyes roam over the broad e5esnse of waters :;
they could discover nothing the reward their search
There was an old man in the boat of the name of
Peter, who had passed lis life on the Seneca, and TO
IN I'M was our traveller referred, the person most
nkely TO crafty ks curiosity Fuller (for so we
hall call the Stranger for the sake of convenence)
swas not SLOW to profit by this hint and was soon in
amicailiy relations with the tough old fresh-waer
msimer. A half-eagle opportunely bestowed open
ed all the stores of Peters lore; and be professed
himself ready to undertake a cruise, even for the
| especial purpose of hunting up the sJew.'
how fIo4o
spoke of the tree if had aeima life for three
| years. We think he doesn't like the steamboats,
The last time seed the old chap he was agoin' up
| aiore smart nor-wester, and we was a-comin'
down with the wind in our teeth when made out
/ the Jew about mile or, at most, mile and a
half ahead US, and right in our track. | remem-
Der that said to myself says |, old fellow, we'll git
a sight at your countenance this time. | suppose
you know sir, that the Jew has face just like a
| humans
:" did not know that; but what became of the
tree?'
"Tree p answered Peer, shaking bis head;
why we can't cut a tree down in the woods, saw
1t and crave it will, and make it last a hun
dred years. What became Of the tree, sir,-whyt
as soon as the Jew saw we was comm so stragb,
upon him, what does the old chap DO but shift his
helm, and make for the west shore. You never seed
steamboat leave sich wake, or make sich time
If he went halfa knot, he went twenty.
This little episode rather shook Fuers faith in
Peters accuracy; but did not prevent his making an
arrangement by which he and the old man were to
take cruise in quest of the tree, after having fruit
lessy endeayored to discover in what part of the
lake it was just then to be seen.
"Some folks pretend he has gone down. said
Peter, in continuation of discourse upon the sub
Ject, as he aened in the sheets ofa very comforta-
BILE and rather spacious sai-boat, on quitting the
wharf at Geneva, Z" and will never come up agin.-
But they may Just as well tell me that the Sky is
comm down, and that they may set about picking
up the larks. The Jew will more sink than
well filled bottle will sins.''
This was the opinion Of Peter. Fuller cared but
little for it, though he still fancied that he might
make his companion useful in hunting up the object
Of bis search, Those two strangely assorted COM
panons cruised up and down the Seneca for a week.
vainy endeavoring to find the Wandering Jew
Various were the accounts they cleaned from the
different boatmen. One had heard that he was TO
be met off this point; another, in that bay; all be
lieved that he might be found, though no one had
seen him lately-some said, in many years.
He'll turn up said Peter, positively, "or the
Seneca would go down, bows foremost. We shall
light on the old chap when we least expect it.''
II must be confessed that Peter had many suffi-
cient reasons for entertaining these encouraging
hopes He was capitally fed, had very little more to
do than to ease off or fatten in Sheet the boat be-
ing too large be rowed; and cigars and liquors of
various sorts were pretty much at his command,
for the obvious reason that they under his care
In delivering his sentiments, however, Peter was
reasonably honest for he had the mos, implicit
faith, not only in the existence Of the Jew but in
the benefcent influence Of his visits His presence
was universally deemed sign Of good luck.