New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-08

the Upper Saranaca still larger and more lovely lake
than its lower sister. We crossed, however, only
small portion Of its southern extremity, and arrived at
another portage called the Indian Carry which passes
believe, the watershed between the waters which
flow to the St. Lawrence through the Racket River
and those which descend the Saranac to Lake Cham
plain. The carry is about mile in length, chiefly
through wood, out of which two settlers one at each
end have cut considerable clearings, which they
have built log houses
Here for the frst time the mode in which the
guide carries the boat. He places upon his neck and
shoulders wooden yoke and balances on that exactly
in the middle the upturned boat and walks of with it
apparently as easily as turtle does with bis SHE'LL
On reaching again the water be lets one end OF the
vessel rest on the ground, and, slipping from under it,
puts it with ease in its right position the strand
These boats in fact are light that man of ordinary
strength can handle them as easily one handles a
common wheebarrow.
From the Indian Cary we passed through series OF
beautiful ponds three in number carpeted here and
there by acres OF lilies, and emptying into Racket
River by tortuous creek, shallow TO be hardly
passible even for our boats The Racket River, upon
which we entered an hour or two before sunset~nay
safely be said to be the oveest stream of the Hth.
1t is impossible TO exceed its beauty. No com6,na ION
of water earth, and wood can be conceived of more
charming, more exquisite, more romantic. Imagine
clear deep stream Of the purest water that mountain
lakes can furnish with breadth of about hundred
feet winding for miles and miles through the richest
woods, unmarried by ak, unharmed by fire, and
displaying at every frequent turn some new forest
beauty, some still enhancing effect Of light and
shade. No language of mine do justice to its beau
ty, but Hawthorne in describing the Assabet, has
drawn picture which may give some notion of the
Racket.
"a more lonely stream than this, Cor a mile above
its junction with the Concord, has never flowed on
earh-nowhere, indeed, except to lave the interior
regions of poets imagination IL is sheltered from
tho breeze by woods 80 that elsewhere there might be
n hurricane, and here scarcely a ripple across the
shaded water. II comes flowing softly through the
midmost privacy and deepest heart OF wooa yhich
whispers it to be quiet while the stream IVb;spers
back again from its sedgy borders II river ad vood
were hushing one another to sleep. The trees are
rooted on the very verge Of the water and dip their
pendant branches into it, AT one spot there is lofty
bank, on the slope of which grow some hemlocks de-
cnin0 across the stream with outstTetched arms as
II resoute 10 take the plunge. In other places the
banks are almost on level with the water 80 that
the quiet congregation Of trees set their feet IN the
food and are Tingcd with foliage down TO the sur
face. Cardinal flowers kindle their spiral danes
shrubbery. The pond lily grows abuDdantly along
the rnarginthat delicious flower which opens is vir-
c1n bosom to the fret sunlight and perfects its being
through the magic Of that genial hiss. The winding
course Of the stream continually shut ont the scene
behind U.s. and revealed us calm and lovely before
We glded from depth TO depth, snd bre.y, srew
secuson at every turn. The shy kingfsisr asa ,iom
the wihered branch close at hand 10 anoer st dis-
tance uttering shiill cry OF anger or siarm Ducks
were startled at our approach and skinned along the
hraa iytf
streak The trout leaIed from among the lilypods
The turtle summing itself upon rock al the roo'
of a tree slid suddenly into tue watsr with plunge
The PAINTED Indian who padded bis canoe along tEs
Assshet three hundred years ago. could hardly have
seen wider genteness displayed upon Its banks and
reflected in its bosom than We did'
Such as Hawthorne has depicted the AsFabet for q
mile or two above its mouth such Is the Racket for IL
whole course, a. far ,s have yet eeen IL. Night
overlook us ON its waters and about on hour after
dark the guides made the somewhat startling announce
ment that we were about 70 descend the rapids
adding, however, that il we sat still no harm would
baupen to us. Ny companions, who were musiealy
inclined at this began TO sing the " Canadian Boat
Song" and gave with peculiar emphasi the verses:
Row brothers, row, the stream runs fast.
The Tsp!ds are nssr aud the day lights past
Soon after the roar Of the foamng waters the rush
and whir Of the boat aud four FIVE stout humrs OF
her bottom on unseen rocks, announced thu ,se had
reached the rapids, and were passing dow - furious
torrent very unlike the placid river on which we had
hitherto yoysged. They were soon over, however,
ssd about 9 o'clock reached landingplace on tue
right bank Of the river, where drew the boat on
shore, and, after walking considerable distance
through wood reached the house OF farmer named
Ste,son who with all his household were fast asleep
We reused them up, and they got us an excellent ho
supper, which we discussed till near midnight wher
we retired to rest feather beds in the upp part
the house, where, by the aid Of homespun carpets
three or four rooms had been parttioned out Of
The only partitions in the house, in fact consisted
these primitive hangings. which gave the interior
the dwelling a somewhat ten,-ike appearance. Th
distance Of Stetsons from Martins, near az coul
compute il, is about forty miles.