Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-08
RICHMOND WHIG
a TIuRILLING NARATIyE.


The pnblic has already been informed, by dispatches
published in the papers, OF the sale arrival at Ottawa
O. W, ON the sd inst Of Professor la Mountain and Mr.
liaddock, who ascendcd in the balloon iIaafie from
Wateriown y. Y, ON the 22d of September and for
whose safety much fear felt The Wafsrtosoa Jur.
nal Oct D. contains long aud iul account OF the das-
trous voyage OF the Itasfe, aud the wandcrings and
suerings in the WILDERNESS of the baloonsts L. Noun
tain aud Haddock. The account written by Mr.. Had.
dock Is very interesting. but coatne ourselves
single extract. The bAloousts up the air from
four TO hve hours when finding themselves over dense
Wilderness and the darkness OF the night around ,hern
they concluded TO descend They did and passed the
night in the balloon fastened c top of small spruce
tree and exposed to dcnching rain At ,lay sht they
again assembled and here leave Mr. Haddoek speak
! for himself:
AZ the current driving still to the north VIC
dared no, stay up as we were drifting farther and still
could bc no escape Mr. La NJ seized the valve
discharged gas and descended in safety BY the side
OF large spruce. We made the -1naiie last 10y her
anchor, and for moment talked what we should
| do. We had not mOuthful TO eaI No protection at
night from the damp ground, distant knew no;
how far from habitaton, hungry start with no
earthly hope OF raising fire and no distinct idea to
| where
We settled in own minds that VIC were in John
Browns tract or in the great Canada wildcrnessto the
Souiwe thought, OF the Ottawa, aud knew that
South by east would take out it We had strength
enough TO travel the distance La II. stepped up TO the
balloon aud gave the edge of the basket nartug shake
saying, Goodbye, old dnanfc" and fanced could
| see tear in his honest eye when he said it,
10 the southeast, then We started. After travelling
"A all
creek, flowing down from the westward. At this poin
| Se were agrecably surprised find that some hum n
being had been there before Us, for found scvci
small trees cnt down. the Goals from old FIRE and a
bali barrel which had contained pork eagerly an.
med the stamp. IL read-"Mess Pork 7. NJ. Montreal
This settled the Question that we were in C,nad,in,
very well knew that Montreal inspection OF pork ever
found its way into the interior of New York State We
travelled all day Friday up the unknown creek which
Kept its general course the south of west crossing il
about noon on floating log and striking lis southern
bank "blized" tracs which led us up to a deserted
timber road, lying on the opposite side from large um
''ering shanty We hoped of the lumber roads
might take on; TO a settlement but after travelling no
them all until they terminated in the wilderness We con
eudcd TO cross the creek to the shanty and stay IN il
1i night. Ia Mountain got safely but INV weight
was greater than his and the raft let the stream
sank in nj! over and ont, though il required
| all my strength to do So and on reaching the bank
iound myself so chilled a. scarcely TO be able stand
took OIL my clohrS, wrung them, and proceeded 10
the shanty, where found plenty of refuse straw bnt
IL was dry and under pile of il we crawcd pulling il
over our heads and faces in the hope that our breath
might aid in warming chilled bodies 1 think tb,
most revengeiu stony heart would have ptcd our con-
don then The weary hours OF night last wore ray
and we held new council 1t evident We reason.
ed, that the creek upon used for lriyiug"
logs in the spring season IT, then followed it to its
confluence with the Ottawa stream which emp-
ties into the Ottawa could in time get ont the same
way the timber The roof of the sLauty Nns
covered with the halves of logs scooped in manner
familiar to all woodmcn. These light and drv and
would form excellent raft Why nor then take four
OF these tie them pieces wythes and suc old
things as We could fnd around the hanty aud pole tie
structure down 10 tEGt civilization which log ought
10 be able to reach Such tie course we ndopted-
We dragged the logs down to the creek aud la Mour.
tain tied Them together he was evidently more of
Siior than myself We got under way, and as we pus-
ed OF ctoW act ug dismal cSWiGg-ap inauspicinus
sign, and OmiuOus Of the great trials aad sucrngs in
store for Us. We pOed down stream abou, ten miles
aud came abruptly upon an immense pine tree which had
fallen across the stream, completely blocking the passage
OF the raft No other alternative left but to uniie
the pieces and attempt to push them through under tie
log. This at last did tied the raft together again
and pollcd down To-day We eat each raw frog
all Ee ccat snd, and began to feel that hungry
But there vas 90 es4pai1ng-our talk of the hope
iu future and ths civilization Gopsl 70 reach Down
the creek went into lake some ig6 Diles onr and
into which we of course supposed the passed
having its outlet az the other end We foOKed down
the northern bank keeping slWgys in shallow spots so
that poles could touch the bottom uaal We arrived
at the bottom OF the lake where we found no outlet and
turned back upon the southern bank in quest of II On
reaching the head of the bake found that the
1.-THE creek tGfaei shruphy 20 the right which the
! reason of our losing il.
We felt happy TO have found il again and Piled our
poles like heroes We passed, during the day. the spot
where had first struck the creek and where we ad
made sight lsnd mark which might aftcrw ards aid A.
ia finding the Atlantic, spgd ever wish To do so in
order to get her out At night Ii not soD but kent
the raft going down through the shade OF awful .oress
whose solemn stiffness seemed to hold the unrevcacd
mystery Sl ogF Hafkenine qi4rs About ten O'Clock il
began to rain again. We stopped i,c ,tyess,r and
crwled in under some "tsg aldcFs aud the bank where
our extreme wcariness enabled Us to get pcans LIg
an hours sleep. Rising again. (for it was easier 10 roI
at night in the rain down unknown stream than 10
lie on the ground aud recze) pressed on for coup.
OF hours until aLDpt three O'clock when pure eyaa,
ton induced vs. TO stop again This time e fou.d spot
where the clayey bank lacked little Of coming down
TO the water. On the mud threw our little bun
die OF straw, and sat down with our feet drawn ,,
under u.s. that bent bodies presented as Ii,,I
surface possible for the rain TO beat upon Rpt
we could not stand such uncomfortable position long
and as the daylight Of the Sabbath broke upon US We
we're polling down the stream with a drzziinr rain Al
O'Clock. wo came % place where the stream canoned
rushing oSsr stony bed, doEE steep Gcscent between
high rocks on either bank To get our raft down tbi.
place We regarded "a hopeless. We tied up and exam
lned the shore Here, again, found unmlstakabc ey
idence OF unbermen, they bad evidently cAmpcd At
this loin TO be handy by 10 the attempts thcv were
doubtless obliged 10 make get the timber down the
canon. The rapids wore about third Of a mil. Icu-
and IN all the rapids OF Black River there i nothing so
wild aud romantic as these We descended ths bank
and thought t best TO try our luck foot After trlv
cling about milo, found the bank 20 tangled aud
rugged and ourselves much exhausted t,si lorou,o
tiDn was impossible; concluded to 60 hack and II
We could get H.. raft down piece at q timc We Wruld
20 on with her; II not, Wol'i build as good place
~ possible 10 crawl into, and pcp1Te far death.
We vent back and after examining the stream attcr
lively concluded 20 try to get the raft down. We Al
once commenced, and freely confess th, the most try.
ing and lBhorious work Of life of labor The pir,s
would not float more than rod at a time before they
would stick on some stone which the low water cft above
the surface aud then you must pry over in some vay
and pass ii along 60 the next obstruction We were
obliged TO set into The stream often up the middle
and thcrn several times fell hcsdoug completely u.ing
up our compass which sE fquticaly pointed in any d
rcciion IT, added head thought dcsablr The water
had unglucd the case and 10 was ruined Acr long hours
Of such labor We got the raft down. and IA M again lied
tOgcthcs. Passing on, in about an hour we came to
large okc-tcH mites ppg aGd sy miles broad Around
We must OF course pass anGi should hnd the outlet
So We turned mp the right and pressed on with os
much resolution ne could be expected To-day We found
one clam shrh Insisted IA Mountain should cat AZ he
was weaker tian mysoif and bel OFT ic or nothing on
the day We went up. Around 81 scat ,,t5 ,Il
] the indcniaiious Of the shore Keeping always In
sbfll0W water AZ last, stopped NJ place We thought
least exposed 10 the Wind We laid down upon the cold
ground having lifted up the cai OF pgy r5 50 that the
wind might not diff it away in the night We were
cold when We laid down. and both Of tremblci hy tie
hour, like i8an suffering from q severe attack Of The
uepe. The wind had Hsen Ipsi 10 night aud the dismal
surrng o the vases upon thg shDys f0rfssd tLsnght
fitting lullaby to slumhcr 60 disturbed and dismal ~
ours u, this time, our clothes were nearly torn OF
Wy p'ninoons were st mp both l'g and The vai.tuds
nearly torn Dh ~ boots boii leaked anil our mighty
wrtlnEs w the canon he'd iou ihr skin from ankles
| and hands. IA Mountains hat gone she R-si day
out be hnd thrown away bic wooden drnwers and stock
ngs The hrst day Of trampng they drarVed him,