The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-09-20

from the river, and are studded with
well cultivated farms with beautiful
residences; when you reach the vicin-
ity of the Catskill the banks are more
abrupt, with the interior of the
country more elevated, and when the
mountains on each side approach the
river and for some distance below,
there is presented a scenery that for
wild romance l have never seen ex-
celled. When you pass these barren
cliffs and rugged projections, and near
the city the banks are more thickly
studded with magnificent residences,
occupied principally by business men,,
who spend the evening and night with
their families, after the weary tolls of
the day, returning to their counting
rooms either by boat or rail by ten
o'clock every morning. The boat re-
ceiyes at every landing number of
passengers and when we reached the
city it was very difficult to get com
Portable position. The ladies on the
Hudson are quite pretty and have ex-
cellent compilations. They generally
travel in pairs, brunette and a
blonde almost invariably accompany
ing each other. ! have noticed this
pairing particularly in New York city,
on the Hudson and at Long Branch.
There are SO many points of inter
est on the Hudson that ! could not
think of troubling you with a descrip-
ton or even the mention of all of
them. From the moment you leave
Albany, you are constantly engaged
and with the closest attention youne-
glect much that is worth u more care
full examination. Indeed it is impos-
sible with the rapidity of passing
objects at times to view them for
more than moment, as it is only the
most prominent points that you can
scrutinize with any degree of satisfac-
ton.
The Catskill mountains ordinarily
present an interesting sight from the
boat but as we passed they were
shrouded in mist and it was only for
moment that | could get a glimpse
of their form. Prospect Park Hotel
near the Landing is fine large build
ing.
Poughkeepsie situated on the high
table land has in addition to her many
splendid residences, Eastman Col
lege,n which presents a particularly
handsome appearance from the boat.
In the vicinity of Marlborough is seen
a grove of Arbor Vita, covering an
entire hillside. Many of these grow
apparently from the crevices Of rock.
There is no other growth TO be seen
on this hill but the delicate peneil-like
forms of this graceful tree. Near
Poughkeepsie is the residence of Prof.
Morse the inventor of telegraphy. As
we come near Cold Spring and West
Point we are in the midst of the High
lands. Mount Taurus and Breakneck
Hill rise to an elevation of fifteen
hundred feet and the beauty and
grandeur of the surroundings are truly
impressive. The Buttermilk Falls
may be seen breaking into snowwhite
foam just below West Point.
Sing Sing with its prison near the
river bank and large number of ell
egant residences scattering over a,
sloping hill is seen on the East bank.
The former was built by convicts from
Albany prison of marble found in the
vicinity.
Opposite is high hill or mountain
projecting somewhat into the river.
On this mountain is said to be a lake
three hundred feet above the level of
the river from which large quantities
of ice are taken during the winterand
slid down the hill to the rivers edge.
The path down the hill can easily be
seen from the boat. In the vicinity of
of Tarrytown is the cemetery in which
Washington Irving is buried. This
is the valley of Sleepy Hollow which
his pen has made SO famous in the le-
gend of that name. The river from
Sing Sing to Dobb's Ferry in this vi
entity is about four miles wide and is
called Tappan Bay.
Between Hastings and Yonkers, on
II .:Jo &c 4bo ,;xrar stand