Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-01-02

THIS AusABLE CuASN A GENTRY AGO
The statement which has appeared in some
of our local journals. that the present pro
prietors Of the Ausable ChaSm propose to
construct boat navigation from that point
to the lake. has induced me to refer to the
Journal of William GiliIland, who visited II
on the Sth of October. 1865. This was
probably the first written description of This
wonderful locality, unless it may have at
tracted the attention OF the French during
their occupancy of the region. Their love
of the romantic and beautiful would have
been fascinated by the charms of the place.
which must have been described with all
their poetic fancy think the extract
send Is appropriate to your gallery of his
tOrc sketches. tiilliland navigated the
stream with his heavy hateau, hearing FIVE
men, where now the lighted shallOp cannot
ascend. While the fact manifests the ap-
palling decrease in the volume of all. our
rivers. ii is calculated To stimulate the en-
terprise by indicating that it Will meet with
no great and inseparable impedimentS.
retain his courses, a. = matter of curiosity.
and to exhibit Giliiland's remarkable in
dustry and precision in al! hi- labors.
have no doubt that his track could be now
trnced by any competent surveyor-
copy the journal from the Pioneer His
tory of the Champlain Valley, page Ill;
- l166, October seventh This morning
moved from our encampment to the above
mentioned river, which call Cullin water
(note-thiS was the south branch of the
Ausable), and there found it alive with
northward OF the south side Of the most
northerly sandy cliff, and on the south side
of II is grass swamp of about % acres.
- Pat on our pots at the mouth of the
river, which is about 80 wards wide, and
proceeded up in order TO discover its falls
and their distance from the lake.
First station from the lake, up the river,
is south IS degrees, west almost 10 chains
south 20 degrees, W 5 chains north Is
degrees. W. Is chains, to grass swamp of
80 acres. and dead creek. being north is
degrees W then north 60 degrees. west 6
chains, north ~ degrees. ". 10 chains y.
80 degrees. E. Is. to branch that runs
east to the lake south - degrees, W. 10
chains. to the junction ofthre ebranches, then
up the middle branch, y. 50 degrees. ". 9
chains. when We found the left hand branch
to be occasioned by small island then
south 80. west chains, to rapids that are
paSsabe for bateaux the same course IS
chains, smooth good water, the river twice
a. large as the Boquet and more then an
island, main channel on the right hand go
ing up, then from the near point of the is
land, west about chains, TO rapids. Then
south 10 chains then south 80 degrees. W
80 chains then south 10 degrees, +. 20
chains then from 5. Z TO ). W. about 100
chains to the fails, which we Judge to be
about L. feet this S prodigious rock 1t
is most admirable sight, appearing on
each side like regular built wall, some
what ruinated, and would think that this
prOdigious cleft was oceasioned by an earth
quake their height on each side is from 40
10 100 feet in the different places we saw
about hal LInile of it by its appearance
when we stopped it may continue many
miles further.
Returned to the mouth OF this river
through the North Branch. to our encamp-
ing ground, where we stayed this mig hit
and found the island that is enclosed be
tween these two branches 10 be an unprotita
bic drowned swamp"
Gillilanj's journey extended from the
Boquet to Cumberland Head. and this
journal f0rcibly illustrates his sagacious
views, and the truth and accuracy OF his
descriptions 1t would be pleasant and
interesting exploration, to follow the line
of his survey of the delta of the Ausable
The progress of century has doubtless
much changed the conhguratlon OF these
low lands and probably of the course of the
stream. but the ascertainlng OF such cir
cumstances would in itself he attractive and
valuable, as it might attest the physical
changes which have occurred in the region,
and are constantly advancing. Cor. Piatts-
bnryh Republican.