The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-25
SCENERY OF MAINE.


aquatic excursionist, is both grand and beauti-
full. Not even the Bay of Naples, nor the
Campagna Felice that intervenes between its
cerulean waters and the Appointment ranges
beyond, is more to be studied, or admired, than
some of the views to be enjoyed by voyageur
along the coast Of Maine-especiaHy as he
sails up the Penobscot Bay from Owls Head
to cape Jellison, beholding the Meguntecook.
mountains on his left, and the island Town
ships with their kindred islets on his right.
Nor is an excursion from Deer Isles passing
Mount Desert, to Sullivan on Frenchman's
Bay less instructive or delightful & $3.50 3
In my last spoke of the impression made
upon the Presidential party on its way from
Washington to Augusta, whence it proceeded
to join the Legislature of Maine in celebrating
the 4rh of July, 1870 as it passed out of Port
land harbor, amongst the numerous Islands
Of Caseo Bay, to the Kennebec entrance, the
scenery was one of constant admiration and
delight to President Polk, Mr.. buchanan, Gov
ernor Morton and other Southern gentlemen,
who, in their region, had never seen anything
equal to it. But my design was not then, nor
s'itnow, to make descriptive effort, or to
specify one place above another, as more de-
ightful in the elements of natural beauty. 1
had, rather, designed to speak of the interior
of Maine as Astounding in rural comforts and
in natural scenery equal to that of any other
State in the Union. srrrs raserrr,
An impression prevails, to considerable ex-
4 - = - Ill
tent, amongst people at no greater distance than
Massachusetts, not only that the ss'down east
State Of Maine is half the year enveloped in
fog, and that our climate and soil are incapable
of producing the necessaries of life, but that
the scenery everywhere is bleak and repulsive.
1t is not a year since l met with an other
wise very intelligent gentleman of the parent
Commonwealth, who gravely inquired Of me,
at what time Of day the Fundy fog usually
lifted SO the sun could be seen, and added. 81
suppose you do not pretend to raise corn in
your State, do youa" And when assured
him that we were free from the cold N. E.
winds that sweep into Massachusetts Bay and
envelope the coast from Cape Ann to Cape
Cod with Fundy fogs; and that corn was the
surest and one of the largest crops of Maine,
.he looked upon me with very respectful in
credulity. He had. indeed, heard that we
could raise good hay and potatoes, and that
our men brought out much. lumber and caught
many fish; but beyond these, he was hardly
willing to believe that Maine did or could pro-
duce much of any value. Why this ignorance
and prejudice exist, or have so long been per-
mitted to deceive SO many outsiders, I know
not. Time and intercourse, however, will ere
long correct this error, and Maine win rise to
just appreciation in the New England fani-
IL Of StatAa--I-e larger, anu
our waterpowers, harbors, and navigable
streams are more capacious than all the rest of
New England can boast, and our soil is as
good in climate as pleasant and healthy as
that Of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachus-
etts, Connecticut or Rhode Island. .oE
When a stranger comes into the, interior of
Maine and travels amongst the towns and rural
districts almost anywhere, from Kittefy to Ban
gor, he is struck with pleasant surprise at
the changing scenery that meets his eye. The
view around Mt. Aga1nenticus and Choice
Pond in old York the valley of the Saco river;
the Incompatible landscapes and waterscapes
pardon the world ofIsridgton, Casco and Lake
Sebago; the valley of the Androscoggin from
Brunswick to Rumford; the extensive and en-
chanting scenery from Mt. Blue in Franklin
Co., whereon JEFF. Davis stood during his
political visit to his Democratic brethren in
Maine shortly before the Rebellion; the rich
and well cultivated lands of Sandy River, envi-
roned on the north by the mountains of upper
Somerset and Franklin; the valley of the Ken
nebec, from Merrymeeting Bay to Moose Head
Lake: the singular hills and wales of South
Waldo and North Lincoln and Knox
Counties the drive from Saturday Cove
through Belfast, Searsport and Stockton. to
Prospect; the ride over the Dixmont hills and
the views to be had from those grand eleva-
tons; some of the scenery about Newport,
Dexter and the valley of the Piscataquis; the
voyage upon the Penobscot to Bangor and
thence to Mattawamkeag and over the military
road to Houlton; and the remarkable bodies
of fresh water in the shape Of lakes and ponds
that everywhere abound, giving picturesque
interest to the panorama; these and many
other localities and objects of natural interest
that might easily be named, strike the eye Of
every stranger who visits Maine with won
dering surprise, and oblges him to say that the
interior of this State exceeds in the beauty of
her scenery any other one of the New England
sisters. Indeed, know not where he will go,
to find any thing handsomer SAP IN -
If you stand upon the high land in the
rocky town of Rome, that divides the waters,
of the Kennebec from those of the Sandy riv-t
er, and survey the broad and fertile intervales
of that stream, from its junction with the Ken
nebec near Norridgewock, on your right, fol-
lowing its glistening thread up through Starks,
Mercer, New Sharon, Pennington and Strong
to Phillips on your left, and notice how grace
fully the lands rise into higher elevations, all
supporting well cultivated farms, or nesting
villages, as they ascend into tiers of rear town
ships that reach semi-circular battlenent of
mountain ranges resting against heavens blue
arch; if, leaving this point, which presents
one of the most magnificent panoramas in ma
ture, you descend into this ample valley and
proceed through New Sharon to Pennington
Falls, and, soon after leaving that village, halt
upon an elevation in the road that enables you
to drink in at one view the whole town of
Pennington, with its broad and rich intervales,
and the beautiful farms of its table lands, en-
vironed by the green and fertile hills of Will
ton, Temple, Strong and Industry, in the back
ground, / think you will agree with me that
nothing on the Connecticut, Hudson, OF Sus-
quehana Rivers can excel in delight the view
which from these two standpoints an admiring
traveller must enjoy whilst halting amidst
scenery SO enchanting. But this is only one
oue OF multitude of views of nearly equal
beauty, in various parts of the interior of