The Portland daily press., 1862-07-01
fFrom our Regular Correspondent
Letters from the Backwoods of Maine.

] thS hoSe ShoihhhS poidoito vi tiO iahOs AhC
mountain itself is quite near the Point, and has
such abrupt sides that it seems to overhang
the water. The front is frowning in its dark
ness, and the dark rock of which it is compos-
| ed, is scarcely hidden or even fringed by the
scanty growth Of spruce and pine. On the
whole, the mountain may be called unique
| There is no other like it in New England, in
character or unusual location. II is in the
very centre of the lake, on promentory al
most isolated from the main land, in fact con-
nected to it by a neck only couple of rods
| WIDE We of course come to 1t from the South,
and as we round past the wharf, command the
finest view of it. 1t is in this spot that Mr.
| Chenery of Massachusetts, caused to be erect
ed very comfortable house for the accommo-
dafion of visitors. Mr.. Croker is now the
landlord, and evidently does all in his power
for the comfort of his patrons. We are re-
minded by the sign "Bliard Hall is in the west
wing of the House" that we are not yet out of
the world and into the woods. From this it
would appear that there are still some who
prefer "Phelan's cushions to
"Cushions of fairy hair-cap moss,
But let u.s. who revere the memory of Irving,
attribute this invasion of the sanctity of ma
ture, this anomaly OF billiards amid pines, to
the influence of him who wrote of the miseries
of "a wet day at country inn" To those
who see it in this light, good game of bill
lizards is not bad thing when the storm whis-
ties around Kineo so fiercely that the trout will
not rise, and when there are no papers for
couple OF days. At this house visitors can
procure careful and faithful guides and good
birches. Now this matter of birches is one
which suppose might be as well preached
now as at any time. The birch canoe, as made
by the Indians, is really the only feasible
method of travelling on our rivers and lakes
Boats of other models and forms are either too
fragile or too heavy, while the birch unites
lightness to considerable degree of strength.
As the canoe is propelled by paddles, the mo-
ton is slightly lateral, but only slight. The
first thought of one who sails in a birch is that
of the utter absence Of anything like that stem
to-stern culver of the row-boat. am mistak-
en-. There is another thought which takes the
precedence, and it is of getting upset. Hav-
ing no keel, and having such lightness, the ca
noe tips over with the greatest ease when the
passenger is careless about his balance, and the
knowledge of this fact takes away some of the
pleasure of the first sail. But notwithstanding
their constant liability to overturn, have new
er yet seen canoe upset. Care is all that is
required at first, and soon this care becomes
part our so-called Second nature" prompting
one to avoid anything like undue exposure or
ill-adjusted weight in the cauoe.
The time which eapses before we resume
our sail to the head of the lake, will enable us
to visit the summit of the mountain. The be-
ginning of the ascent is usually made on the
western side of the spur, and it is undoubtedly
the easier one, as the outer leads over a steep
er foot-hold from the very plain. The entire
mountain is composed, as biologists would say
of silicious slate or hornstone. II is of such
flinty character that it was employed by the
aborigines in the manufacture of hunting
knives and hatchets. No doubt pretty good
cutting utensii could be made from the rock,
if one had the inclination or the patience to
chip it into the proper form. Near the summit
of the hill is a never failing spring of water,
which is as clear as any water from granite
region. The discovery of this little spring, on
our route to the top, rendered it unnecessary
to resort to any of those ingenious devices for
allaying thirst which we have found it requi-
site to use on some other hills
little way beyond this spring is the very
summit of the mountain, and on this summit is
pile of stones, evidently heaped up after the
manner of a cairn, by each travellers throw
ing down one. So we piously selected large
one, and placed it with the rest as carefully as
if we were in Scotland and il was chieftain's
tomb. Our guide here told us that no one
of the party could throw a stone from the
summit TO the water below. We threw stone
after stone, and each one would descend for
few hundred feet and then be carried by a
strong draft of wind under our feet till it hit
the side of the mountain far below, with a
sharp click, which we could hear distinctly
After We had all exhausted ourselves in the
vain attempt, the guide threw one directly
into the lake, he having taken advantage of the
draft, and having thrown his stone doion through
the air. The trick is an easy one when ex-
planned. From the summit we obtain good
view of the lake, but the air is too smoky to
discern many objects in the distance. The de-
scent of the mountain is more difficult than
the ascent, for the rock is so smooth and slip
perry that one is in constant danger of long
fall; and as the heel strikes sharply on the
rock, we see the full force of the German name
for it, "klink-stein."
From Kineo to the head of the lake, is dis
lance of twenty miles or little more. but
though the sail is longer than on the other side
of the mountain, it is not so pleasant. The
shores, from the dark green point called Sac
cateau, are low and less interesting than the
shores below. The head of the lake is divided
into two arms, the northeast and the north
west. The latter is usually called the more
pleasant of the two bays. but the other seems
to me to be the finer. The latter has, at its up
per part steamboat landing, where our traps
will be placed ready for the "carry." And now
we have to bid adieu to the steamer, and, with
it, farewell TO all war news for some time. This
is no slight word TO speak at such stirring
time as this, when the sword and bayonet are
writing history: when, in fact,'we of the north
are endeavoring to achieve a second indepen-
dence. Capt Robinson wishes us "a pleasant
voyage and no black fiies.'