Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-19
5flisttllallp.
A Trip to Tie White Mountains on Foot.

A Trip to the White Mountains on Foot
FluE PiCrUaE GALLERY, FRANcoNA
Nolca, Aug. Oh, lo65.
Here is the second great attraction OF Fran
coma, the Profile beng Is first. The Notch
consists, as It's name implies, Of deep dedlo
between TWO ranges ol mountains extending
north aud south, tho chief Of which are Mt
Lafayette on The east, and Profile Mountain on
the west. The rayine and mountain sides are
drained By the Pcmgewlsset; river, wild, tuI-
bulent .ream which rises near the northern ex-
tremity of the Notch, and taking southerly
direction, bounds swiftly over is rough bed,
composed u cobbla stones and big boulders
which have been thFown pTolusely and pro-
miscuousy into It's current, as il to furnish
amusemen. to the dancing waters as they wend
their rapid Nay to JOIN those Of the more quiet
and stately MerrImao 10 the distant valley
below.
Some ten miles from the northern, and four
from the southern terminus Of the Notch,
another stream comes bouncing in from the
eastward-small, but wilder still than the PENN
gewassett, 50 wild that it might aptly be called
crazy Creak-and as i. is u nameess brook,
modestly suggest to the powers that be in these
wild businesses, tha, 1t henceforth be called by
that name ami on this stream not more Than
mile from the river bank is situated the far
famed Fiume. 1t consists Of deep cut of per.
haps quarter of O mile in length through the
solid rock which forms perpendicular wall
from hity 10 hundred feet in height on either
side, and which lroNns upon you as you walk
along the bed OF the creek as DO the brick and
mortar walls Of our large cities as you walk
along their streets. \ Bostonan might well be
reminded Of the narrow, crooked streets Of his
own crooked town, which this Gu. is not unlike.
A board walk has been construct d from the
lower extremity Ok the Fiume, along up the
bed Of the stream to the Hanging Boulder,
which is perhaps the poiu. Of greatest Sttrae-
tion for mast visitors here, as 1t exhibits one of
the wlldes. rranks Of Natures wayward youth,
prank played, 1t may be, when the cid Dame
was but q forward, unloaraed child. A huge,
round r.ek is here lodged between the two
walls, being held by them in the same manner
that you would hold cherry between your
thumb aud finger, seemingly doubtful hold
but Ii has been retained SO long, suppose that
by thi3 time it may be regarded as tolcrably Sc
cure The boulder must weigh twenty tons or
more and as you stand ou the end Of tho walk
is suspended twenty or thirty feet above your
head, aud perhaps as macy from the ,op of the
walls, which aro not as high here az a short dis
tauce below When, during the long ages oi
the PAST, and by what hocus-pocus the great
stone got into lis present position is a question
for the geologists, uron which Twill not venture
to speculate Perhaps, however, the Eastern
story oI David and Goliah may have had 1T
western counterpart, only that instead Of th'
little boy throwing the pebble at his stalSar
foe, it must have been the giant who huroC
from great sling this massive rock at the hea,
oil his little enemy who might have oasil,
sklttered' away down the ngiue, and If h
too like the young Israolite, was assisted by tn
intervention Of Providence the aid probabl
consisted in catching the huge missile as it cam
from the monsters hands, and thus suspcndrI
1t between those perpendicular walls in testi
mOny Of the usolessnoss Of trying to conton
against the higher powers, which can never b
overthrow. There arc other evidences Of tn
same truth, but men cannot see them, and the
may fail 70 perceive the truth of this hithert