Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-09-17
" Man L. thy victim
Shipwrecks thy dover g.

After sumptuous break fast, our party,
headed by Mr.. Bingham the Crown Prince
Of Mansfield, and provided with the rcqui-
site lunch, set out for days excursion to
the Chin and buster or happier day we
have seldom seen. The distance out is
more than two miles-and this, in CON
nection with an inspection of Drift Rock,
the various caverns, the Cold Spring, the
Rock Of Terror, and the Lake Of the
Clouds and all these supplemented and
sanctifcd, as it were, by the magnificent
landscape spread out beneath US on every
hand furnished an amount of exercise
aud enjoyment that satisfied the most am
bilious member Of the party.
Another night brought sunset, and an
other morning its rising, scarcely inferior
in splendor to those already spoken Of
The morning was devoted to an inspection
of the wonders Of the Nose and after an
early dinner, our party took the coach
down the mountain-only reconciled to
leavingt the scene Of so much enjoyment by
the thought that the best was yet to come -
in a visit to Smuggler's Notch, under the
welcome guidance of both Mr.. Bingham
and his accomplished lady. This is a deep
and narrow gorge between Mansfield and
Sterling Mountains, long known as Snug
gler's Notch, through which bride road
passes to Cambridge, and in the secluded
recesses Of which smugglers are said to
have effectualy secreted their ill.gotten
pelf Entering this deep gorge from the
South, about six miles North of Stowe, the
traveller encounters a dense, dark forest,
with comfortable wood.road for a dis
lance, terminating ia mere bride. path
About three miles from the entrance the
&" Mammoth Spring" is reached, which
shoots out from Sterling mountain, and
forms the principal source of Waterbury
river. In the neighborhood Of the spring
the precipitous-walled sides of the two noun
tains crowd more closely upon each other,
being scarcely more than twenty rods apart.
Boulders Of gigantic size lie scattered in
the gorge near the spring, and also north Of
it. One of these immense bouders has
four spruce trees growing on it, fifty or six
ty feet high, beside numerous smaller trees
and shrubs, and has very appropriately been
, christened " Bingham's Rock From the
| spring to the northern opening of the gorge,
the perpendicular and overhangiug noun.
tain walls rise up on either side in majestic
! grandeur, threatening to fall and crush all
below 1t is quite evident that the huge
boulders, so numerous here, fell from these
J adjacent lodges, for in some cases their
downward course is traced upon the slope
of land beneath the cliff, and their length
of leap is plainly given by the distance be-
tween the deep indented holes along the
path.
! A night with Col. Keller, at the Mansfield
House. and leisurely ride home through
the Notch, furnishes a fitting finale to so
delightful trip.
Our experience induces us to offer a
word of advice to all who contemplate a
visit to this celebrated Mountain land that
ought to include everybody BE sure and
take sufficient time to see all the sights, and
that too without becoming so much exhaust
ed as to destroy all the enjoyment. We
saw several visitors whose trip proved but
an aggrayation, by neglecting this njunc-
ton, Aud be sure never to go to the
+ Mountain without trip to the Notch