Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-10-15
BRATTLEBORO, W.: OCT. Is, 1859.

lHC ClNlllIullOH We HOlCu NCI 10 TpaCH l)OWn
the creek we went into lake some two miles
long, and into which we of course supposed the
stream p5 ssed, having its outlet at the lower
end. We followed down the northern bank,
keeping always in shallow spots, so that our
poles could touch the bottom, until we arrived
at the bottom OF the lake, where we found no
outlet, and turned back upon the southern bank
in quest of it. On reaching the head of the
lake we found that the current of the creek
turned abruptly to the right, which was the
cause Of our losing it.
We felt happy to have found it again, and
piled our poles like heroes. We passed, dur
ing the day, the spot where we had first struck
the creek, and where we had made slightly
landmark, which might afterward aid us in find
ing the Atlantic, should we ever wish to do so
in order to get her ont. At night we did not
stop, but kept the raft going down through the
shades of awful forests, whose solemn stiffness
seemed to hold the unreyealpd mystery of our
darkcning future. About 10 O'Clock it began
to rain again. We stopped the "vessc," and
crawled in under some "tag' aldcrs on the bank,
where our extreme WEAKNESS enable us to get,
perhaps, half an hours sleep. Rising again
(lor it was easier to pole at night in the rain
down an unknown stream, than to lie on the
ground and frecze) we pressed on for a couple
of hours, until about 3 o'clock, when pure ex-
haustion induced us to stop again. This time
we f0nnd a spot where the clayey bank lack ed
little of coming down to the water. On the
mud we threw our little bundle of straw and
sat down with our feet drawn under us, so that
our bodies presented as little surface as possible
for the rain to beat upon. But we could not
stand such an uncomfortable position long and
as the daylight of the Sabbath broke upon us,
We were polling down the stream in drizzling
rain At o'clock we came to place where
the stream cdnOHei-rushng over stony bed
down a steep descent between high rocks on
either bank. TO get our raft down this place
we regarded as hopeless. We tied up and ex-
amincd the shore. Here, again, We found un-
mis;akble evidence of lumbermcn as they had
evidently campel at this point to be handy by
the attemps they were doubtless obliged to make
to get the timber down the cdnon. The rapids
were about third of a mile long and in all the
rapids of Black River there is nothing so wild
and romantic us these. We descended the bank
and thought it best to try our luck on foot.
After travelling about mile, we found the bank
so tangled and rugged, and ourselves so much
exhausted, that locomotion was impossible. So
We concluded to 90 back, and if we could get
the raft down piece at a time, we would 20
on with her; if not, We would build as good a
place as possible to crawl into, and prepare for
death.
We went back, and after examining the stream
atten;ively, concluded to try to get the raft down.
We at orce commenced. and freely confess
this the most trying and laborious work of life
OF labor. The piece, would not float over a rod
at time before they would stick on some stone
which the low water LETT above the surface, and
then you must pry it over in some way, and
pass it along to the next obstruction. We've
obliged to get into the stream, often up to the
p,i1IfI o,1 I ell
completely using up our compass, which now
trantically pointed in any direction its added
head thought desirable. The water had un-
glued the case, and it was ruined After long
hours of such labor, we got the raft down, and
IL, MQAntaln agalA tied il together. Passing
ten miles long, and six miles broad. Around
it We mast, of course, pass until we should find
the outlet. So we turned up to the right, and
pressed on with as much resolution rs could be
expected. To-day we found one clam, which
insisted In Mountain should eat, as he was
weaker than myself, and had eaten little or moth
ing on the day we went up. Around we went
into all the indentations OF the shore, keeping
always in shallow water. At 'aSt we stopped
at a place We thought least exposed to the wind
We laid down upon the cold ground, having
litte up the end of our raft SO that the wind
might not drift it away in the night. We were
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