New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-15

ter patches OF sky Appeared OF the pcreet blee, te
falling rain became gttering drops. Looking rack.
saw a vivid bow resting ssninst grcen hal-sSs sed
upon the cloud beyond. came dusk 70 the
mountain foot. small settlement nestlsd around IL
All day Old White-iace had concealed has Wage be-
hind vail of clonds A. approached, there wss en-
opening through which his rocky features pred cot
In the center Of the opening, the evening star shone
bright as lamp in the soft evening sky. baaed ~
omen of tomorrow victory.
At the settlement | learned that the g1ids hvet
south of the mountain, and the accent was usually
made or tha. side. On the north side hve men hsi
once made the ascent and broueht back favorable
report Of the route. resolved Ia make the aissmps
on the north side Here two ridges from The va
ley, uniting in peak, and !crming q shoulder 9"
Whi.e-face
The next morning was cloudy, but glimpses Of the
sun gave some encouragement. entered ,he valley
between the ridges and plunged into the wet woods.
mile brough me TO slide, up which elanberel to
the top Of the eastern ridge. Two hours walking up
this ridge brought me TO level ground. had now
attained considerable elevation. Throngh the thch
branches Of the dwarf spruce l caught gEmpses %
the western ridge, and Judged had nearly gained the
pon; where the two ridges united. Between this poin
and the mountain shallow valley jeiang tho
ridges 10 the main peak Thought had gained the
border oi this valley. ] lookoi thruugh every open
ing, but no Whito-ace appeared. l plunged through
tie spruce bushes for another hour guided by thesun-
Unexpectedly through little opening the bold gray
rocks of the peak appeared, seeming not more than
half mile distant. They doomed M grcndy, and in
spigsd me with resolution. Experience had laugh:
NE that tho seeming nearness was deception, and
knew that long stretch Of woods was yet Ia bs
passed. pushed rapidly through the thiesess,
and had passed perhaps half the distance
when the sun became obscured by clouds. had
broken my compass and had now no guide except
strip of blue sky Soon this failed and the fog settled
clcse down npon me- There was no way but to waii,
but waiting did no good made II bold push THO
rising gronnd told me that was right After
hall an hours climbing, clouds began to Aoa. around
ard below me. These could see only through the
low, thick tops. An opening of dead trees gave ma
view. A dark cloud came sweeping along and passed
Just over head |, covered me like a vast umbrella,
and could see ont under its edges into the mss be
low IL produced strange sensation nj wonder aud
dread As l clanbered on, the lnw srruces gave
place dead trees which dwnded until the bare rccs
appeared. The rocky ledge extended half mile to
the outhw sid rising all the way. The highest point
was wrapped in dark yapor. passed on and entered
| The mist. stood upon massive gray bouiders, and
around was of gray. Several names were en-
graved upOn the rock, and near them was rusted
! hammer and chisel. l spent minutes in
making letters in the rock, then stosd mocy gazing
eastward into the vapor. chilly wind was sweeping
by. Invountarily turned TO the south AMI looked
/ downward wonderful view burst upon Just
below opening, surrounded by walls of snow
white vapor. Down, many thousand feet in the crys-
tai depths of pure atmosphere, CLEANED Lake PLACID,
with its green islands in the warm light of Summer
day. The shadows of the dark trees upon ia margin
were mrored back from its CLASSY waters. Tie open
ing grew larger. The feeey folded and uu-
folded. wrapping and unwrapping the rocky peak,
then hung in shining white bank, that reached above
and far down the mountain side. the whole western
view was thus suddenly revealed Not the slightes.
trace of hazness obscured the yisiou The iirt im-
preston that of undulatng forest from which
many bright lakes shone ont. Thin, gsnzy films OF
dssolving vavor smiled the green woods. Far
down in the valley nm eagle was circline in and
out of the dazzling mist. The clouds toward the
north and east coon rose above the mountain,
and the sunlight STRAINED through the riffs
To the plains below. had now the whole
prospect in view. Toward the north the mountains
about Loon Lake rose in dark masses. Beyond at
OiSHNct u fiAtN of tne ~. Lawrence
showed distinct clear line between the opening Of the
bills. Toward the east cultivated valleys, crossed by
flashing watercourses, lay between the mountains.
Thirty miles away was Lake Champlaia, with liz
many islands and sals looking Ike bright specks
upon mirTor Beyond, the Green Mountains rose
their color shade deeper than the sky. Soulhwsrd,
nj distance of thirty miles the o:ticst Of the Adron-
dacks sbut in the view. The vision had thus radius
sf,fI ptifaa vla lgax.. ~
adjacent peaks interviewed. For twenty miles aroanJ
the streams and ponds were ~ distinctly marked az
lines upon painting. Every tree and house IN the
brown fields was clear, separate object. Farther
away the ontline was only sotened by distance, the
rains had purified the atmosphere. 1 traced the
journey had Travelled, in describing a circumi, renee
of two hundred miles, and the valley ~ which
lad rsyen<d it, diameter.