The hydraulic press., 1860-10-20
Elegantly Described.

! Elegantly Descrfbetf.
| Alfred B. Street, in work just published,
entitled "Woods and Waters" gives the
following beautiful description of camp life;
as experienced by pleasure e-seekers:
Sunset at the foot of the Upper Saranac
A golden light kindles little clearing upon
the southern border of the glittering lake
One sweep of dark green wilderness covers
the remainder of the scene.
A log hut stands in the foreground of the
clearing. Behind, on a gentle slope, lies a
patch of rye and buckwheat, the rye scarce
hiding the charred stumps within it, and the
silver blossoms of the buckwheat lending
bright contrast to the coal-black soil.
Beyond, CLEANS o broad white space of
calcined earth, with dark logs strewing it
everywhere. Dead and living trees stand
here and there moodily apart A rough zig
gag track leads up the slope, and is lost in
the close woods of the background
Down by the waterside are two tents-
The larger is open in front, displaying a lay
er of hemlock boughs upon the ground, and
over them blankets of grey crimson and
purple. On the front tent-pole, hang pow
der TASKS and shot pouches: against tall
"iIhSASo PiuC, lSou hoHiuR lOQo duu IluCS,
while one of its skeleton limbs sustains the
red forequarters of deer. From stick in
q stump, bangles cluster of dead partridges,
their chequered hues warm in the sun glow
One has fallen, and points with arched neck
and hanging wings, as if for attack, at a
black and white odduck, whose red bill
is open to grasp, in appearance, the orange
leg of 4 blne-Minged teal-the leg drawn
up, seemingly, from dread. A santing beam
glltters On pile of trout between two fish
baskets; and a score of the same glossy
prey, strung upon a birchen tWig, lie care
lessly on the neighbofing moss.
Three white hounds, with ta#ny spots, are
nosing about, occasionally bending on their
launches to scratch their cars and lick their
paws. crouching to stare open -mouthed,
through their fore legs at the fire, and snap
the flies; or curling themselves for nap, to
start up again and resume their roamings.
Around a cracking fire of piled logs, four
men are busy cooking. One, short but mu-
cular, in red hurting shirt, watches the
roasting of noble hahnch of venison. An
other, tall and TANK, In a shirt Of blue, is
flying. trout in bob handled saucepan, and
third, in a course blue check, is toasting
on forked sticks, brace of partridges spread
ant like fans.
The fourth is man of about fifty, of
brawny shape, bronzed skin, an air ever on
the alert, and eyes that, gazing upon any
object, protrude in keen .glances. All the
fingers of his right hand, except the first,
are twisted into the palm, and there is no
sign of a thumb yet the limb is almost as
ready as its neighbor. He wears purple
check shirt, with pantaloons and felt hat both
of an earthen tint, and wood-knife sheath
ed in belt of deerskin. His actions corr
respond with the quckness of his looks
Now he tries brace of ducks, roasting on
sticks like the partridges; then stirs a layer
of frying trout; then hurries to large In
dian cake, arching and darkening into rich
brown next turns tawny wheat pancake
then stands o moment with arms akimbo,
giancing around the forest and over the
beautiful lake.
On a stump, boy of sixteen is dressing
string of trout.
A little removed from the fire is another
group-two sitting on camp-stools, calmly
smoking; one loading his rife; one reelng
a fsh-line, and one reclining on his elbow,
with his shoulder against pineAtree, gazing
upon the scene.
Boats are resting their pfows on the brown
sandy margin, with their sterns buried in
white water-lilies. A heap Of prone hem
locks is on the left, haif-drowned in the
rushy water; and a couple of white cedars
point. horizontally at the right of the scene,
their jagged limbs Testing on the bottom of
the shallow, SO as to lift their stiff, bristling
foliage a little from the surface. The whole
picture is soft and rich, as well as wild i
stepped as it is in the mellow charm of the
deepening sunset.